Bill shared this Hagerty article about the jeep history: https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/the-appeal-of-the-willys-jeep-knows-no-borders-no-barriers/
As a general history it isn’t too bad, though the author mistakes patents for trademarks in several cases. One photo caught my eye that I don’t remember seeing was taken in 1944 in Paris France. In the photo, a jeep is parked in front of Restaurant L’Ambassade.
After some sleuthing, I figured out the address is 18 rue Norvins, 75018 Paris France. The restaurant changed names at some point to Restaurant Le Consulat. It’s located in the heart of France in the Montmartre area, not far from Moulin Rouge and the Arc de Triomphe. Google Earth wouldn’t let me get positioned where I wanted, but I got fairly close to the original camera angle.
You don’t get the sense from this photo, but the location is at a juncture of several roads. Here’s an overhead screen shot.
This is way too cool! Some details to point out on the Jeep: It still has the olive drab blue hood numbers and the Suppression certification “S” is still on the cowl as would come from the factory. Ordinance would later paint the white numbers on the hood and move the S to the end of the numbers. The mirror is an interesting detail. A canvas cover was not an actual accessory and there was a canvas shortage late war anyway. This is how they stored the mirror for combat so it would not make any reflection. Finally, it appears to have a French marking above the rear wheel well.
Thanks for the extra details!
Sooooo much saviour faire on this site! World War ll magazine, used this pic in one issue as a quiz. They photo-shopped the gear-shift out of the picture and asked, wutt’s wrong with this? Obvious to a ‘Jeeper’, but as an aside, who could afford to feed a dog during those hard times! Maybe it was a GI mascot.
Don’t wanna get in a pissin match, it’s only my OCD, but I’ll point out that Savoie, which is scrawled above the restaurant name, is a region over on the Swiss/Italian border. Far from Paris.
Or that the restaurant, located in Paris, specialized in Savoie cuisine with its various cheeses.
From the Ambassador to the Consulate. looks like a good place to visit and eat; just not in 1944.
Jeeps ‘n cheese, what a concept!
Obviously the best cheese for Jeep owners is American, but then I don’t know Jack.
I don’t know about the rest of you but growing up, all I ever saw was Valveta. I thought all appetizers were Velveeta and soda crackers. The joys of the Midwest middle class.
All good points Bingo.
So, a little further research yields an image that shows the same location in 1945 and places the restaurant as being on Rue Norvins (sorry about the big URL below). It looks like the word “L’Ambassade” sits above the image that is above “Savoie”.
https://www.alamy.com/paris-monmartre-pedestrians-and-us-jeep-on-rue-norvins-winter-1945-the-photographer-stands-in-front-of-12-place-jean-baptiste-clement-to-record-the-pedestrians-on-rue-norvins-clothing-indicates-that-it-is-a-cold-day-a-man-with-a-cane-coat-and-hat-stares-at-the-photographer-a-young-girl-walks-besides-a-middle-aged-woman-a-us-navy-jeep-approaches-from-behind-them-this-jeep-and-the-sailor-driving-it-would-have-come-from-the-same-military-unit-as-photographer-clarence-inman-cafes-gilbert-le-consulat-dauvergne-and-restaurant-lambassade-are-all-identified-by-signs-image454353535.html?imageid=AAAA7ABB-BF18-4DE1-8426-E3B5031E55C8&p=1826371&pn=1&searchId=3a46d01a5e409ae0374a7164a22795ec&searchtype=0
Here is an imagine from 1977, which shows both “Le Consulat” and, below it, “L’Ambassade” in smaller writing. The “Savoie” word may have been below “L’Ambassade”, but it appears to have been removed or is very weathered.
All y’all nailed it. C’est la vie!