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Welcome to eWillys.com, a website for vintage jeep enthusiasts. I update this website nearly every day with jeep deals, jeep history, interesting reader projects, jeep related info, and more.
These quick searches can help you find things on eBay. People list in the wrong categories all the time, so don't be surprised to see brochures in the parts area for example.
The links to posts below show jeeps grouped by models, condition, and other ways. Some of these jeeps are for sale and others have been sold. If you are unsure whether a vehicle is still for sale or not, email me at d [at] ewillys.com for more info.
There are plenty of interesting, unusual, historic and surprising stories related to Jeeps and their owners. In addition, some of these features have nothing to do with jeeps. This link will display all featured stories starting from the latest.
Looking for parts and not sure where to go? There are a variety of large and small new and used parts sellers both online and offline.
Importantly, the allure of buying a project jeep can be romantic. The reality of restoring a jeep can be quite different, expensive and overwhelming without the right tools and resources. So, tread carefully when purchasing a "project". If you have any concerns about buying a vintage jeep, or run across a scam, feel free to contact me for help, comments or concerns .
On November 4th, 1947, the Wilmington Morning Star published an ad highlighting a Willys-Overland Caravan visit at Bellamy Farm. The ad was sponsored by the Fleming Company (Or it may have been the Fleming Willys Company).
I can’t remember who share this news, but the Whitco brand is being used once more as a soft top brand by Quadretec for YJ, TJ, JK and JKU Wrangler soft tops. Unfortunately, it does not appear that they will offer vintage tops under this brand.
UPDATE: This ad originally appeared in 2013, but recently I was able to find all three ads.
In 1947, some Queen Anne Jingle Bar Wrappers included the opportunity to complete a jingle to win all kinds of contest prizes. It appears there were at least three different contests and each included a chance to win a Station Wagon.
1. This ad is on eBay, but the date is not listed. The Jingle goes:
JIMMY GOT A JINGLE BAR
HE LOVED EACH LUSCIOUS BITE
SAND HE, “QUEEN ANNE’S JINGLE BAR
___________________________” (fill in the final line)
2. This Ad was on eBay with the following contest circa September 1947:
MARY BOUGHT A JINGLE BAR,
SHE THOUGHT IT REALLY NEAT.
NOW SHE GETS ONE EVERY DAY,
___________________________ (fill in the final line)
3. This ad appeared in the November 30, 1947, issue of the Sunday Star. This Jingle was different:
FOLKS HAVE FOUND A JINGLE BAR
TASTES JUST AS GOOD AS PIE!
MILK CHOCOLATE, NUTS AND CARAMEL
___________________________ (fill in the final line)
This May 1961 brochure extolled the virtues of the Jeep Family of vehicles. It is Form No. DM61-05.
This page is 8.5″ x 11″
This Page is 17″ x 11″
This is one of a collection of brochures I was able to get off of eBay last week. It’s the June 1961 “For Short Hops Or The Long Haul” brochure with images of a kangaroo on it. It’s also a rare jeep family brochure that includes the FJ-3 (later brochures show the FJ-3A, the longer FJ). This is Form No. DM61-06.
This page is a foldout page of the whole brochure (11″ x 17″):
These ads appeared in Michigan Newspapers during 1947 and were paid for by A.B. Clothier & Son.
1. May 1947 “50,000 Universal ‘Jeeps’ Now at Work on Farms & Ranches”:
2. July 1947 “Seeing’s Believing”:
3. August 1947 “All-Around Work-Horse”:
This 28-page booklet is divided up into several sections including, Comfort, Style & Beauty, Safety, Convenience, and Maintenance.
This September 26, 1956, ad was published in the Reporter newspaper from Klingler Pontiac out of Ann Arbor, MI.
This April 1960 New Style Story on the 2-Wheel Drive ‘Jeep’ Station wagon brochure is unusual in that it starts as a 5.5″ x 11″ brochure that folds out vertically, revealing two pages, then folds outward vertically again revealing the 17″ x 11″ inner page. I’ve seen this style referred to as the Harlequin styling (a Brook Stevens design), but ‘Jeep’ made no reference to any style in the brochure.
This is the front of the brochure:
This is the back:
When folded open part way, this combo page of two half pages appears:
When the top page is folded up and the bottom page folded down, this full page appears.
These two ads have similar artwork and were published six months apart in California.
This October 11, 1956, ad was paid for by Leo Frediania and Son and appeared in the Healdsburg Tribune:
This March 15, 1957, ad was paid for by the Slavish Bros and appeared in the Madera Tribune:
This brochure showed a rare image of the FJ-3 in a jeep family brochure. This is Form No. DM61-01, the kick off of the animal series of brochures.
This page opens up to 17″ x 11″:
The Desert Sun published an ad highlighting the payload and wheel base of the FC-170 on October 11, 1962.
This ad appears to have been on eBay for sale, but has since been sold. It popped up during a google search. The quality is poor as it wasn’t a smaller image, but I suspect this is a full page ad.
UPDATE: I’ve added pics of Blaine’s father’s knife set at the bottom of the post.
This brochure let recipients know that they’d get a free knife if they went for a demonstration ride at the local Ross Motors, INC, out of Rockland, Maine.
Blaine’s father received a knife set when he bought his 1959 CJ-5. It still looks in good shape sixty years later.
This 1956 ad touting ten billion kilometers of transportation service is a rare ad promoted by the Willys-Overland Export Corporation only (no mention of Willys Motors).
View all the information on eBay
“This is an original 1956 print ad for Jeep! It measures approximately 14″ x 10″ overall, has no stains or tears, comes from a dry, high-altitude, smoke-free environment, and is strictly graded”
This ad was published on December 13, 1956, in the Healdsburg Tribune by local jeep dealer Leo Frediana and Son.
The next month a similar FC-150 Ad was published in the Madera Tribune on January 11, 1957, by the Slavich Brothers:
This ad appeared in the December 15, 1955, issue of the Healdsburg Tribune out of Healdsburg, California.
Bob’s Sales & Service of Clare, Michigan, ran several different jeep ads between 1946 and 1948.
This ad was for a 1″-scale model jeep that measured 11″ when built. West-Craft also offered 1/2″-scale model jeeps for sale, too. I’ve got a few unbuilt 1940s models, but no West-Craft ones.
View all the information on eBay
This ad for a Kohler power plants includes a Sedwick County, Wichita, Kansas, Fire Department Rescue Wagon with matching boat and trailer.
View all the information on eBay
These two ads were published in the same newspaper a year apart. The 1947 ad highlights the versatility of the farm vehicle and, as an added bonus, its versatility cuts costs. The 1948 ad emphasizes the cost savings, because the jeep is versatile. It’s basically the same message, but with different emphases.
This April 4, 1947, ad from A.B. Clothier & Son in the Oxford Leader highlighted the farm versatility of the Universal Jeep.
This ad appeared in the January 1956 issue of Practical Builder, page 282. It’s a pretty niche specific ad.
View all the information on eBay
This ad appeared in the Oxford Ledger on March 10, 1948, published by A. B. Clothier & Son out of Oxford, Michigan. It later appeared in the Leelanau County times on March 25, 1948, published by Harry’s Service Center, Traverse City, Michigan.
A.B. Clothier Ad:
The following analysis of Willys-Overland advertising was included as part of the 1951 book “Case Histories of Advertising When Oversold“. One example shows how Sunkist growers used advertising in WWII to switch users from canned fruit to fresh fruit and from occasional customers to steady customers. Not much detail in any of these, but kind of interesting (to me anyway).
