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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 .
UPDATE: This was originally posted May 17, 2014.
Scott spotted a story about Louis Mattar and his amazing Cadillac Fleetwood, which he and friends drove non-stop from the west coast to the west coast and back. Later, he drove it from Alaska to Mexico City, again non-stop. The article is worth a read!
Here’s the article from Haggerty: https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/more-than-70-years-ago-louie-mattar-drove-6320-miles-non-stop-in-his-fantastic-perpetual-motion-machine/
And, I found this video:
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And this earlier video from 1954, which shows them changing the front tire:
Finally, here’s a more modern CBS report about the car’s new home at a San Diego museum:
UPDATE: This was first posted February 13, 2014.
The testimonial is good, but the picture less so.
Blaine spotted this cardboard-like model built to be a Ford GPA. The seller provides a variety notes related to it.
https://portland.craigslist.org/clc/clt/d/canby-model-vintage-1946-wwii-ford-gpa/7688459653.html
“Vintage model, World War II Ford GPA amphibious jeep, aka “seep”, built in 1946
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If you are researching this or a similar item on-line please thank those who have provided detailed information (quality, in-focus photos, drawings, measurements, history, etc.) on various websites by contributing your DETAILED information so others may benefit from your experience. Pay it forward.
DESCRIPTION –
How unique is this?
A surviving BUILT WWII-era model … and not an airplane or boat.
And this model is hand-dated on the bottom: “DM Aug 13-14, 1946”.
It does not appear to be a Leddy (tires are different, also shorter and narrower), Mod-AC (longer than 7 inches), or RedYCut (longer than 7 3/4 inches) model.
Continue reading
I’ve never documented one of these crock jugs, but there was a coffee cup with the same logo that was on eBay back in 2012.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/504222807022283/permalink/1516580865786467/
“SUPER JEEP crock jug very rare promotional item $750”
Sadly, this is the last issue from the batch of Jeep News issues purchased last month. I’ll watch for more to hit eBay …
The eight pages of the November 1962 issue of Jeep News directs most of its pages to the new jeep models, which isn’t too surprising. Apart from that, page six covers the 3rd Annual Jeepathon race at Las Cruces, New Mexico, while page seven highlights more support for the Hatari movie.
I won the ebay auction for these two interesting wood jeeps. Each measures 6-1/2″ long x 4′ high x 3″ wide. I tried to look up some information about them, but didn’t have any luck. That said, I just had a gut feeling that there was something interesting here, so I bought them. Anyone know more about them?
This September 1962 eight-page issue of Jeep News begins with Lloyd Bridges. He headlined a half-hour show called “Kaiser Presents The Lloyd Bridges Show”; not exactly a catchy name!
I was surprised to see on page two that it wasn’t until mid 1962 that the Go-For-Digger trencher officially became a ‘Jeep’-approved special equipment item (other official ‘Jeep’ trencher being the Jeep-A-Trench). Page five highlights the second annual Jeeporama, held in Denver.
Page six re-highlights the Hatari craze, encouraging dealers to continue promoting the movie.
Note the CJ-5 in the upper right of Page seven. The top looks someone like a Koenig hardtop, but the rear side glass appears to be a custom size. I don’t recognize this top. Anyone else? Lower on Page seven is the 1962 World’s Fair Jeep Surrey. Two days ago I found my mother’s caricature drawing made for her at the ’62 fair. I’ll ask my aunt if she remembers this jeep.
Page eight shares a pic from the 10th annual Jeepers Jamboree, along with announcing the 4×4 Explorers, a ‘jeep’ club organized in Missouri.
This eight page August 1962 Jeep News Issue leans heavily Hatari. Pages one, four, five and six all focus on Hatari-related images and stories.
Page two notes that the Post Office order for FJ-3s had grown to 7,082 multi-stop vans, of which almost 6,000 were already operating in over 600 cities. Pages three, seven, and eight offer a potpourri of jeep-related images and captions.
The October 1944 issue of Popular Mechanics included instructions for building a “Sidewalk” jeep for kids (pgs 105-108). It also included on page six this image of an MB turned into a fire jeep.
Now, for “Coasting in a Sidewalk Jeep”:
Paul was browsing Facebook when he ran across this image from Moab, Utah, on the Canyon County Zephyr FB group page that includes this early 1950s Willys dealership sign (left side of image). You can see this sign in this 1952 signage brochure (WO11): http://www.ewillys.com/2021/02/13/1952-willys-signage-brochure/
There are some ads by this entity on Newspapers.com, but you’ll need a subscription to see them.
This eight-page issue published for June of 1962 starts with the movie Hatari! Pages two and three are all about dealers (and some love for Tornado engines). Most of pages four through seven cover more Hatari info. Page eight highlights the seventh annual Truth or Consequences (NM) ‘Jeep’ Derby. I plan to go back at some point and figure out when the ‘Jeep’ News began covering club and race information. At some point during the late 1950s – early 1960s the notion of jeeps as “fun”, rather than just utility workhorses, enters both the ‘Jeep’ news and Jeep’s advertising. I’m want to learn more about that subtle shift.
These four slides on eBay show a wagon that pulled two different travel trailers over four years.
1959 Jan – 35mm Slide 1950s Willys Jeep Utility Wagon & Travel Trailer:
1960 – 35mm Slide Two 1950s Willys Jeep Utility Wagons & Aristocrat Travel Trailer:
1960 Nov – 35mm Slide 1950s Willys Jeep Utility Wagon & Aristocrat Travel Trailer:
1963 Feb – 35mm Slide 1950s Willys Jeep Utility Wagon & Aristocrat Travel Trailer:
UPDATE: This was originally published November 03, 2013.
Here’s another testimonial, this time from Willys of Providence, Inc.
The first few pages of this twelve-page issue cover the introduction of the Tornado engine. For some reason, there’s a small portion of page 3-4 that’s been cut out. I’m not exactly sure why. Page five highlights a row of FCs delivered to the New Jersey Turnpike, while another article discusses Mrs. Delta Burrece’s use of four jeeps to deliver aid tosome Cherokee Indians. Page eight introduces the movie “Magic Tide“, which included a Surrey. The movie was a featurette that seems to have disappeared into obscurity. Page nine shares more information on Kentucky nurses, something covered by these news articles I originally shared in 2018 (or see post below). On page twelve is an article about jeeps operating on a Hawaiian Ranch.
The Frontier Nursing Service in one of their jeeps.
Thanks to Bus for spotting this interesting story. Stared in 1925 by Mary Breckinridge, the Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) provided healthcare to rural folks in Kentucky. At first, horses and saddlebags helped them gain access to remote areas, but during WWII the group turned to jeeps. As these photos show, over the years FNS used a variety of different jeeps. There is even a 1931 documentary about the group (with additional information here):
In the late 1930s Edsel Ford donated a reconditioned Model A to the Service, which Mary named Henrietta. Several years later Ford replaced Henrietta with Henrietta II, a jeep. At some point the FNS secured another jeep, a WWII jeep Mary named “Jane”, named for a benefactor Clara “Jane” Ford”.
According to the Henry Ford website, this jeep was “Jane”.
This eight-page-issue starts with jeeps at the Chicago Show (see page 2 for a wide-photo of the display). As part of my thoughts for a jeep museum, I envisioned a world in the center of a circular room (sort of like what is shown in the front page pic below) and rope attached between the earth, pointing to where a manufacturer was located, and the the other end of the rope connecting to the wall with images and pics related. Then, for more topical related items (such as the jeep’s use with coffee in Colombia) there would be smaller strings connecting the spot on the planet with information on the wall. The northern hemisphere would be on a second floor and the southern hemisphere on the first floor. In my head it works, lol.
Page three has a reference about an FC that was taken to Alaska by Wells M. Fox and his sister Mrs. Leo J. Miller.
Pages four and five have many dealer references.
Pages six, seven, and eight show off a variety of jeep uses, including a tram setup pulled by an FC-170 with front wheel drive only. There were two of these trams made.
This Issue has another foldout, awkward center-page full of congrats this time dedicated to dealers who enjoyed a Nassau vacation. There is also a page celebrating the 51 jeeps used in the 1961 Presidential Inauguration parade. Another page is dedicated to Surreys. Finally, on the last page you’ll find a warning about a scam involving $90 Army jeeps!
This wide shot shows page 2 (from above) plus pages 3-5 (Nassau dealer holiday):
The Surreys appear on page 6:
The $90 jeep scam pulls on page 8:
UPDATE :This was published October 03, 2013:
This photo is neat, but I wish the paper had been a little thicker so the words didn’t show through.
Here’s an interesting item: 9 pages of letterhead from Willy’s Minneapolis Zone, priced at $9.93.
View all the information on eBay
“1958 Willys Jeep 4 Wheel Drive Vehicles Letterhead from Willys Minneapolis Zone – Nine (9) Sheets one price. Measures 8.5″ x 11.0″, showing some yellowing and shelf wear.”
Nice photo from a San Juan Scenic Jeep tour. Too bad the first photo isn’t a slightly wider photo.
View all the information on eBay
Apparently, the arboretum had at least two different colors of jeep trains. Here’s a slide then of an orange one. It is currently priced at $12.99.
View all the information on eBay
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(Originally posted May 2015) This was sold on eBay.
This postcard depicts how tram visitors used to tour the former Santa Anita ranch of “Lucky Baldwin”, who made millions in silver. According to the website, “Occupying the heart of the historic Rancho Santa Anita, The Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden is a unique 127 acre botanical garden and historical site jointly operated by the Los Angeles Arboretum Foundation and the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation and located in the city of Arcadia.”
This Hong Kong Extra Edition didn’t include a date, but the Volume and No suggests this is the September 1960 issue. Much of this issue covers the Hong Kong TV show, but there is some Surrey info on page six and seven. Also, the way the paper unfolds is kind of awkward, so I’ve added a few extra scans below.
Page two through page five are all connected physically. Here’s what it looks like when fully open:
Here are the pages in an easier to read format:
This 8-page issue of Jeep News starts with the announcement of the USPS’s purchase of 4,010 FJ-3s. Willys Motors announced on page 2 the launch of new brochures, including these red and blue jeep family brochures. Page 3 is all Surreys. Pages 4 & 5 are mostly dealer related. Don’t miss the Surrey like FC-170 on page 6 operated by the Hilton Inn of New Orleans. Page 7 shares more Surreys, FCs, and other jeeps. On the last page is a story about the First Company of Sheriff ‘Jeep’ Reserve Corps, out of El Paso County, Texas.
UPDATE: I originally posted this July 2, 2014. Thanks to Barry Thomas for the idea.
I’ve seen the cover of this September 21, 1945, issue numerous times, but never the interior story. So, here it is. Click on the story photo for a much larger version.
