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This ad for the Willys Mighty Farm Jeep and an associate demonstration was published in the Henderson, NC, Daily Dispatch on April 13, 1946.
From the same newspaper earlier in the month (April 06) was this teaser for the demonstration:
Simpler times… I love the phone number… just “178”
I was just thinking back to my childhood in the 1950’s as I was reviewing the FARM JEEP advertisements. Through the decades from my earliest childhood memories, my dad had a 1947 calendar hanging over his workbench in the basement of our home with this very picture. Willys Jeep cultivating a field. Hung there for over 40 years, never touched it, just seemed to have found it’s place in our lives, always reminded me of my dad. After dad passed in 1991, his cherished belongings became ever more important to me, and I decided to take better care of that calendar, it was gone. I guess dad took it with him. True story.
Willys very much underestimated the offroad/I-just-want-to-own-one market and seemed to put almost all of their advertising efforts towards selling to farmers at this time. That’s why I like seeing “The Personal Jeep” listed in the second ad. Note that it’s listed last.
While researching articles on the Farm Jeep, I found a few references to “recreational” use. There is an early ad of a Jeep towing a camping trailer and the shot of a guy driving his Jeep into the middle of a mountain stream, then standing up and casting a fly in an early promotional film. There were contest held for post-war uses and many of those contained outdoor camping/adventure ideas.
No doubt Willys underestimated that market, but it may be a case that it had yet to be created. Would be a great research topic
Barry,
It’s a complex topic for sure. I can’t help but think that WWII helped create an inflection point for outdoor recreation. Certainly there was pre-WWII camping and exploring, but the cars weren’t up to true offloading. I would think the creation of the jeep AND the return of military personnel (which totaled 12 million in strength in 1945) to peacetime, had to help jump start offroading for multiple reasons (to much for me to get into here). I do think it’s an interesting topic.