This press release package is currently at $29.50 with three days to go. It’s unclear if this is a complete press kit or a partial one (seems partial to me given there is only one photo). The date on the photo suggests this kit may have been release September 16, 1959.
What’s interesting to me is that the 2-page document on the left is one of the few documents create by Willys Motors that explains that the new Surrey is the name of the model released domestically and that the Gala is the export name, though no explanation is given for the difference.
View all the information on eBay
Here is the document I mentioned. See the last sentence on the second page for the link between the Surreys and Galas>
This is caption for the photo. Note the date at the lower left hand corner 9 16 59.
“flits in and out of heavy traffic with the nimbleness of a polo pony”
I have copies of these notices, however mine were dated after the Willys Press releases on Sept. 16, 1959. Mine came through the Willys Motor Co. Marketing/Public Relations Department head Marden Bishop and are dated 9/28/59 and marked for immediate release. One came through the Willys Export Corporation and addresses the new “Gala”. They contain the same verbage but refer to the other model(Gala or Surrey) in the press release. I got these valuable pieces of information from Bruce Agan several years ago.
A wild guess…
They didn’t want to use the “Surrey” name overseas to avoid confusion with the county in England.
Or, it’s also possible some other manufacturer has trademarked the name for use in automobiles in Commonwealth countries.
Bidding on this has reached $163 with a day+ to go. That seems a bit excessive to me.
Colin: Thanks for that info. Very interesting!
Muley: I can’t speak to the Surrey, but I never felt my DJ-3A had the “nimbleness of a polo pony” …