Road warriors and wheel deals.

• Author: Berger, Michael
• Position: Automobile sales in Alaska

To conquer the Last Frontier's rough and almost-ready roads, here's what Alaskans choose to drive.

Before World War II, the word "paved" was not a part of the Alaskan vocabulary. Roads were cleared by heavy machinery and touched up by a little grading, but for the most part, drivers found two types of street surfaces in the Territory of Alaska: dirt and ice. Only the sturdiest vehicles could withstand travel through summer's bumper-high mud and winter's fender-deep snow. How a car or truck looked was not important. Every-day performance and a powerful heater were.

In the early 1980s, the state's auto dealerships, both foreign and domestic, followed pioneers like Alaska Sales & Service, and took advantage of an oil-fortified economy to expand their product lines. Shining auto sales lots lined the avenues of Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau -- and several rural locations as well.

Today, Alaska's car consumers still rely on a quick start and toasty interior, but not at the expense of exterior style. Alaskans no longer define ruggedness as having a mile-long wheel base, front and rear crash guards, or 50-inch mud tires. They recognize that automobile technology has improved, lending a new sophistication to the word sturdy.

By 1993, Alaska's drivers could shop at about 15 new-car dealerships in Anchorage, eight in Fairbanks, seven in Juneau, three in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, three on the Kenai Peninsula, and two on Kodiak Island.

RUGGED REBOUND

While you might think that the typical Alaska vehicle is a 1986 Subaru or a rusty old full-size pickup, new car sales have rebounded from 1991's near record-low totals. Trendy vehicles, priced anywhere from $15,000 to $70,000, have become fashionable for Alaskans because of improved economic conditions and low interest rates, according to Rodney Udd, president of Anchorage Chrysler Dodge Center. He says for 1994, his customers like the Dodge Caravan minivan (over 300 sold in Alaska for 1993) because of its ability to start in sub-zero Arctic temperatures and all-wheel drive to plow through roadside snow drifts. And the Dodge Ram Pickup (over 30 sold since its Alaska introduction in September 1993) is the first pickup to combine Alaskans' desire for a heavy-duty hauler and a warm, cushy interior.

"Car & Driver magazine (March 1993) tested several brands of four-wheel drive minivans on the Dalton Highway last year," says Udd, "and the Caravan was rated the best. My customers seem to agree. It was our highest selling vehicle for a good part of 1993."

The Ram pickup is perfect for Alaska, he adds. The roomier cab allows for Alaskans tendency to pack their vehicles with as much clutter as they do in their homes. Towing boats, jet skis or four-wheelers is a breeze with torque added by the Cummins intercooled turbo diesel engine. And braking on gravel or ice is aided by optional four-wheel anti-lock brakes for directional stability and control on Alaska's average steep-angled boat ramps or common hard-packed gravel roads.

The Great Land's road-ruggedness is all in a day's work for the AM General Hummer sold by Anchorage Chrysler. Billed as the most serious four-wheel drive on earth, the Hummer is a multipurpose musclebox previously used in military operations requiring steady traction and a powerful engine. Selling for between $46,000 and $66,000, AM General offers Alaskans five model...