Here’s a better look at the Introduction to new ‘Jeep’ Universals with Perkins Diesel Power brochure.
Advertising & Brochures Research Archives
1962 Military Vehicles Brochure
UPDATE: Here’s the scanned version of this January 1961 military vehicles brochure, It highlights the M-38A1 and M-170.
1956? Four Reasons Brochure
This brochure came from eBay. I’m guessing it was published sometime in 1956, given it describes both the DJ-3A and the CJ-6 as new models. The brochure folds out horizontally.
1953 French Ad for Underwear on eBay
I’m not sure how a jeep is supposed to help sell underwear, but maybe they have extra padding?
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“This is an original 1953 print ad
size : 6.7″ x 5.1″
condition : Excellent”
The Whens and Whys of the Willys-Overland “J” Logo
UPDATE IV: Branden found this 1945 Parts List booklet that includes a prominent “J” logo. This is the most prominent use of the logo that I’ve seen. It’s not clear to me whether this booklet was introduced with the jeep in August of ’45 or a little later in ’45.
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UPDATE III (04/07/2019): Maury spotted the a “J” dealership sign example on this Miller Tools brochure:
UPDATE II: I’ve added two examples of ‘dark’ “J”s, dark (blue or black) background with white letters. Now that I think about it, I guess this is similar to the black and white newspaper versions.
UPDATE: This is best described as a working draft that Maury Hurt and I have constructed in the hopes of understanding Willys-Overland’s “J” logo better …. If you have input, please email me or add it in a comment at the bottom of the post.
In January of this year, Maury emailed me about a Willys/Cars•Trucks/Jeep logo that he was hoping to reproduce, wondering if I had any better examples of it. That simple email turned into a mission: Find out the history behind the logo.
It turned out that we could find no articles or discussion about the evolution of the logo. So, we spent a month looking through old brochures and advertisements to develop a theory of what it should look like, when it was used, and why.
What’s the logo supposed to look like?
Our first challenge was to determine what the logo was supposed to look like. As these examples show, different fonts and slightly different looks were used in the printing of the logo.
or even this one …
And, the list would not be complete without some matchbook covers:
How should the “J” look?
1954 Wagon Brochure on eBay
This no reserve brochure is only $.99 (plus shipping) right now. It’s a good price on a nice brochure that folds out pretty large.
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“1954 Willy’s Jeep Station Wagon Original Sales Brochure. Condition is Used. Great condition! Shipped with USPS First Class Package.”
Thermos Powered Jeep Production
This ad by the American Thermos Bottle Company was published in the May 22, 1943, issue of the Saturday Evening Post. I believe the takeaway from this ad is, If Thermos products are good enough for workers building jeeps, than they are good enough for the average American. However, there seems to be a lack of evidence that Willys and Ford employees were using Thermos products.
Han-D-Crane by the Construction Machinery Company
Anyone ever run across one of these cranes. It was manufactured by the Construction Machinery Company out of Waterloo, Iowa.
1966 Jeep Ads in Popular Science
Blaine shared these two ads from the February 1966 issue of Popular Science. The jeep ad appears on page 71 and the engine adapter ad was published on page 227.
July 1961 Jeep Family Sales Brochure on eBay
This auction starts pretty cheaply on this very 1960s looking brochure (pics are from an older auction)
“Up tonight I have more from several lots of literature I recently Acquired. Here I have a 1961 Jeep Brochure. This is 7 and 1/2 by 11 inches folded, opening up to 15 by 22 inches. Decent shape with wear as shown. A neat piece of Advertising to display with your classic.”
1944 Post-War Anecdote
In a column titled Underwater Puzzle: A Post War Anecdote, an article shares the story (true?) about a lost jeep. This appeared in the December 1, 1944, issue of the Saturday Evening Post.
1943 Ad for Weiners in Ford GPs
This ad may have appeared multiple times, but appear at least once in the January 30, 1943, issue of Colliers magazine on page 29. Included below is a color version supposedly published in 1942.
1942 Gulflex Ad in the Saturday Evening Post
Willys-Overland Ads In the Saturday Evening Post 1942-mid1946
UPDATE: I’ve updated these images with corrections and four additional ads. You can a similar listing of Collier ads in black and white. I’ve added two ads that only appeared in the CIO-News, one that only appeared in Colliers, and one Sat Evening Post ad that I’d missed.
Original Post (03/01/2019): I tried to find a listing of all the Willys-Overland ads and their issue dates that were published in the Saturday Evening Post during and after WWII. Unable to find any good resource, I spent the last three days surfing through 250 issues of the magazine using the Saturday Evening Post non-profit site, which costs $15 a year to use. Then I organized them in a way that I hoped would make it easier for me to study them. Hopefully, it’s handy for you all, too. For expediency and bandwidth size, I used low-resolution images to create the files below. Eventually, I’ll go back and replace them with hi res images so that everything is clearer when viewed more closely.
The ads started in May of 1942 (at least that’s the earliest I found) and were published on average once a month. All ads published up to November of 1945 were placed on the inside of the back cover.
On November 10, 1945, Willys-Overland formally introduced the CJ-2A to Saturday Evening Post readers with a more centralized, two-page ad. After that, one or two-page ads for the CJ-2A appeared until August of 1946, when the first wagon ad appeared in the magazine.
1979 EasyLok Hub Brochure
A big thanks to Jim for finding this brochure in old box of files, then sending it my way gratis. It shows the EasyLok Hub, manufactured by the Mechanex Corp, a devision of Tenneco, out of Englewood, Colorado. You can learn a little more about the EasyLok hub’ s history in this post.
Mechanex Corp patented another hub in 1978, but I don’t recognize the hub.
RB & W Bolt and Nut Company Ad on eBay
I have no date yet on this ad from the Russell, Burdsall, & Ward Bolt and Nut company.
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“This is a vintage original ad , not a copy or reproduction. Neatly removed from magazine. Would look beautiful framed. Measures 10 and ½ by 14 inches.”
Ford Company AEF Ad on eBay
UPDATE: This was published in Coliiers on September 11, 1943, pgs 66-67. This issue also contains the Willys WWII Ad, “Ordnance Doctors Operate Under Fire”, pg 57.
Fred Caldwell mentions the ad in his book “Selling the All-American Wonder“. According to him, this is one of the few Ford-sponsor, jeep-related Ford ads.
B.F. Goodrich Ad with Jeep on ebay
This ad was published in the March 6, 1943, issue of Collier’s. I wish I could locate an online archive for that magazine. Anyone know of one?
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“This is a vintage original ad, not a copy or reproduction. Neatly removed from magazine. Would look beautiful framed. Measures 10 and 1/2 inches by 14 inches.”
1944 Willys Overland Ad
UPDATE: I didn’t understand the significance of this ad until purchasing Fred Coldwell’s “Selling the All-American Wonder” (great collection of Willys-Overland WWII ads). It’s the only WWII Willys-Overland ad that I’ve found which doesn’t appear in his book. Titled “They’re getting the stuff and they’re using it, too!”, the ad seems to have been only published in the newspaper.
Originally published January 12, 2019. This Willys Overland Ad appeared in the September 25, 1944 issue of The CIO News.
Mallory Ad w/ Ford GP on eBay
Anyone know when this ad was published?
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“This is an original 1942 ad neatly removed from a vintage magazine. Measure 11 by 14 inches.”
More CJ-2A Launch Photos
UPDATE: Thanks to Tremaine for supplying better pics of the CJ-2 grille guards seen in a couple of these photos.
Original Post March 4, 2019: These photos were published in the July 22, 1945, issue of the Sunday Star Gravure Section of the newspaper. I don’t think I’ve seen a photo of the jeep pulling the trailer from the driver’s side.
1942 Rice Krispies Ad with Jeep
One of the places this Rice Krispies with a Jeep appeared was in the October 24, 1942, issue of the Saturday Evening Post, pg 6.
Ethyl Research and Service Ad With A Ford Pygmy
UPDATE: Through Fred Coldwell’s “Selling the American Wonder“, Maury learned that this unusual ad featuring the Ford Pygmy was published in the August 18, 1941, issue of Time Magazine.
Ramsey C7R Capstan Winch Brochure on eBay
Given this brochure suggest the winch would fit on a DJ-3a, this must be post 1956. I didn’t realize the Ramsey was still advertising them so late.
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“Here I have an
Excellent Condition
Single-Sheet Mailer
NEW!
The Ramsey C7R Capstan
For
CJ-5 CJ-6 CJ-3B CJ-2A ‘Jeep’ Universals and DJ-3A ‘Jeep’ Dispatcher
Measures about 8 ½ x 11 inches
Has been folded
Bulletin 141”
1946 Ad For a New Willys Dealer
This particular Wilmington, North Carolina, dealer was selling trucks, cars, jeeps, tractors, and much more. The ad appeared in the February 7, 1946, issue of the Wilmington Morning Star.