emailNeed to contact me and don't have my email? Click on email button.
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 .
I ran across this magazine on eBay. Given the cover, I couldn’t resist buying it, though there was no other jeep pics or illustrations within it.
UPDATE: II: Barry Thomas has updated his thoughts on this video at his Farm Jeep site:
https://www.farmjeep.com/2021/08/01/a-jeep-movie-that-was-never-released/
====================
UPDATE I From July 11/2021: This video was shared by the Goddess herself, Deborah. It used the 1954 Willys Export Company’s brochure as the lens through which is shows the variety of jeeps in this movie clip (in color no less). You can learn more about the various forms of this brochure below. This brochure did not have a form number.
=========================
Originally posted January 12, 2020: As noted by Edgar Kaiser in 1955, one of the key reasons Kaiser bought Willys’ assets was that Kaiser didn’t feel Willys-Overland was pursuing the consumer market aggressively enough. As a part of Kaiser’s strategy to move that direction, the company created a wide variety of brochures, folders, direct mail pieces, product booklets, post cards, a Jeep family 16mm movie, and other merchandising materials.
Much of these documents have been scanned and available on the internet, but no one (that I’ve seen) has assembled them together to see what items were available at the time the CJ-5 launched.
So, consider this a draft towards that goal, as I still have some more scanning and locating of documents so I can interlink everything together.
To begin, here is one of the earliest examples of the Kaiser Willys team creating a standardized family of similar brochures that highlight each of the models. Nearly all the first wave of documents were created in 1954. How do we know this? Because the January 1955 Kaiser Willys Sales and Dealer News highlighted these merchandising aides:
Note that other brochures mentioned in this Kaiser Willys Newspaper include the upcoming Jeep in Public Service (24 pages), the Jeep in Industry (24 pages, might have ended up this one?), and the Jeep in Agriculture (unclear to me which this is). I do have the brochure shown in the lower right, but it’s in Spanish. So, we can conclude that those were all published in 1955 (there are no publish dates on them).
Here’s an order form from 1955. It’s form numbers for the ‘vehicle folder’ brochures match those shown in the photo below this order form.
Here’s a photo from an ebay post that shows all the vehicle ‘folder’ brochures together (the form numbers I have for the vehicle brochures below match the numbers on the order form above). I only have 7 of the 10 brochures, or I’d take a photo of my own like this.
Form #s for 9 of the brochures in the pic above, and one not included (w-221-6): CJ-5 (W-239-5), CJ-3B (W-201-5), 1 Ton Truck (W-205-5), 4WD Station Wagon (W-221-5) (see W-221-4 here), 4WD Sedan Deliver (W-227-5), 2WD Utility Wagon (M-221-6), Cargo Personnel Carrier (W-215-5), 4WD Field Ambulance (W-228-5), 4WD Utility Ambulance (W-230-5), Jeep Fire Engine (W-229-5), and the Commando Fire Truck (W-240-5).
Below are some various brochure covers from the twenty-plus page brochures ….. (Note, one promotional document not listed in the order form was the Willys Story, 1950-1954).
1954 Willys 4-Wheel Drive Form W-1772:
1954 Jeep Specialized Vehicles and Equipment, Spanish Version, No form or document number on the brochure:
1955 updated version of the Willys Specialized Vehicles and Equipment Brochure (again, does not have a Form #):
1955 Willys Jeep in Public Service, Form W-991-5:
Bill shared this article that describes this custom build as a 1948 M38. However, it’s appears to be a modified CJ-2A. It’s an interesting build, but calling it one of the “greatest flat fenders ever built” is a stretch (in my opinion).
https://www.motortrend.com/features/willys-m38-flatfender-rock-spider-soni-honegger/
“Fans of the War Wagon, the Scorpion MK1, and this apocalypse-ready toy hauler might already be familiar with this Willys M38 (the military version of the civilian Jeep CJ-3A) built by Soni Honegger. It’s been called the “Slickrock Spider” for its remarkable ability to articulate its way over and through some of the hairiest obstacles known to four-wheel drive vehicles, especially with Soni at the helm. Let’s take a look at what makes this machine one of the greatest Flatfenders ever built.”
A discussion with Barry Thomas of Farm Jeep has led to us looking deeper into the relationship between the Schenecker and the Glenn M. Rogers companies, which led to me finding this ad.
There’s no wind today, so just a few updates as I need to get to work outside.
UPDATE: Here’s one from the archives …
Originally Posted July 24, 2015: This Willys News article from July 1955 highlights an annual customer jeep demonstration in Plattsburg, New York. That’s the biggest teeter-totter that I’ve ever seen. We used to do something similar back in the 70s as part of payday events.
article continues below . . .
We’ve had some family visiting this weekend, which is why updates have been thin the last few days. More updates Monday.
First, earlier this week some nearby folks who were moving to the west-side of the state posted their 2015 Full-size Polaris Ranger with Turf mode and low miles (1800mi) plus spray equipment for sale for $7000. The price was too good for us to pass up, so we brought this rig home.
One big reason we got this was that Ann’s knees preclude her from using a stiff clutch (like that of a jeep), so this is a much more practical vehicle for her to enter/exit and drive around the property. In two days it has already proven its value (for fun and work).
The weather hit the mid-60s yesterday, so I’ve been able to get more of the old dove-cage removed. the next step will be to move the propane tank. Meanwhile, I’ll be leveling the dirt in anticipation of adding gravel and then raised garden beds. Here is a before and after comparison (the wood had has been removed and the area is actually partly dug out).
In the meantime, during a cold stretch in late Feb/Early March, we made more progress inside. This time, we’ve completed the remodel of a room that was, under the previous owner, an entertainment room, then it became our bedroom when we moved into he house. Now that we’ve moved into the master bedroom, it has become Ann’s craft room.
Here is a before pic taken by the previous owner:
This photo shows roughly the same angle:
And a few other photos. It is kind of any odd room. We didn’t want to change too much as we are may be remodeling this whole area in a couple years.
Barry updated a Land Rover post that takes a look at a Stratton-lift-like 3-point lift behind a Land Rover.
https://www.farmjeep.com/farm-rover-a-stratton-lift-for-the-land-rover/
eBay has been a bit frustrating lately as there has been a dearth of interesting vintage jeep items to purchase (especially interesting brochures). However, I did spot this Authenticast jeep for sale. The front bumper is broken (which seems the norm), but I do have the broken piece, so I will try to put it back together. Importantly, the straps, fringe and spare tire are all there (these are the three things most often missing).
The other day I replaced an old antique yoke the previous owner had hung over the shop door with this eWillys sign. The sign was given to me back in 2013 by the Spring Willys Reunion committee, along with a Toledo Brick award, as a thanks for my work with eWillys. It’s hard to believe that that event was nine years ago!
Now that I have additional wall space in the shop, if anyone has some vintage jeep signs that you just don’t know what to do with them, drop me a note at d@deilers.com and maybe we can work something out.
I missed out on winning this brochure on eBay. Though stamped “1960”, the early grille plus the Willys-Overland branding on the brochure suggests Mil-Ner’s ambulance modifications may have been one of the earliest example of the Jeep being turned into an ambulance.
There is only printing on the front of the page. The back was blank.
Dave found and shared these photos of a Dualmatic hub box with an information sheet inside it.
UPDATE: A twist on the 4-in-1 campaign shared below was the use of the term “4-Purpose Jeep” in some newspaper ads.
A few months after the introduction of the CJ-2A in July of 1945 Willys-Overland introduced the 4-in-1-functional vehicle advertising concept for the Willys Universal ‘Jeep’, which was an effort to quickly explain how Swiss-army-knife-like the new jeep could be. Perhaps, speculatively speaking, it was even a play off of the “4” in the 4-wheel-drive aspects of the jeep as well? Either way, for a short-time, in late-1945 and early 1946 Willys-Overland pushed the idea of the jeep as having 4 different functions for farm and industry.
I would argue that the campaign wasn’t very successful, or at least didn’t work for me, because just this morning I had to once again look up what constituted the “4”. In case you can’t remember, let’s take a quick look at how this campaign might have originated.
WHAT THE JEEP CAN DO: The earliest mention I have of the four functions was in the Saturday Evening Post’s November 10, 1945, two-page-ad, the first big splash of advertising for the new Universal Jeep, where W-O claims in bold at the top of the ad that the ‘Jeep’ is a vehicle capable of doing a “thousand jobs”:
Looking more closely ad the ad text, W-O never gets around to listing all 1,000 possible jobs for their new vehicle, but, after claiming the Universal “Jeep” can do almost Anything, the company breaks down the CJ-2A’s functionality into four categories: 1) As a Truck, 2) As a Runabout, 3) As a Mobile Power Unit, and 4) As a Tractor. But, absent from this page is the 4-in-1 branding.
The Four-Function Jeep: The very next month, Willys-Overland inches closer to the 4-in-1 concept by proclaiming in a second two-page ad on December 02, 1945, in the Saturday Evening Post, that the ‘Jeep’ was a “The Four-Function” vehicle.
Once again, Willys-Overland listed four categories, but this time a) changed the order, 2) softened the “truck” claim, changing it to a Light Truck, and c) softened the “tractor” claim, changing it to Light Tractor as the following category headers show: 1) Use it as a Runabout, 2) Use it as a Light Tractor, 3) Use it as a Mobile Power Unit, and 4) Use it as a Light Truck.
Still, as of December 1945, the term 4-in-1 still wasn’t used in the company’s major advertising campaigns.
The 4-IN-1 Jeep: That changed on January 19, 1945, when W-O published a third two-page-ad with the title “For Business Or Farm, The 4-IN-1 ‘Jeep’ Does More Jobs … Tougher Jobs“.
Bill shared this video about the origins of the Land Rover. The early footage is particularly interesting.
Blaine shared this post showing a vintage camping thread from the 1970s. If like me, you camped with a motor home, I expect this will feel very nostalgic. There are even a few jeep pictured. There’s some great Utah/Colorado scenery as well.
https://www.coastresorts.com/cforum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/26221472/print/true.cfm
This 1944 letter looks like it appeared in a newspaper. The eBay description isn’t very helpful.
View all the information on ebay
“WWII
Army
Christmas V-Mail
Art Letter
63rd Signal Battalion
Willys Jeep
Named: T4 Robert Glashauser
Look over pictures to see the exact item you will receive and to determine the overall condition of this item.:
Cool lego jeep, but things didn’t quite go as planned….
Barry shared this June 1971 Ad from “The Progressive Farmer”. It touts the Jeepster Commando as a “Farm Hand” jeep, a term used as far back as the February 03, 1945, Willys-Overland Ad (at bottom). While off-road capable, I never pictured this model being used regularly as a Farm Jeep (maybe it was?).
From February, 1945:
UPDATE: The consensus seems to be that this bolts to the back fo the transfercase like a type of PTO, but no one has recognized it yet.
David picked up this gear box at RFJP’s shop. Anyone recognize it?
I haven’t run across many Schramm generators for sale. I’m not sure how many are left. But, I imagine this booklet could be useful for someone.
View all the information on eBay
“WW II Portable Engine Driven Generator manual. WIllys jeep engine. This one book contains the Operations manual, maintenance manual and parts list. 64 pages total. size is 9″ x 6″. My favorite part is the price list, oil pump were listed for $5.50 for replacement cost while the entire engine block was $49.00! LOL You need this book for your MB/GPW or WWII manual collection.”
Bill shared this Hemmings article that discusses the use of an iPhone as a scanner for car 3D parts. I know that for several years there have been some Willys wagon knobs and other items 3D printed and available for purchase.
But, to take that from a hobbyist endeavor to a commercial scale, with mechanics or parts resellers producing parts with 3D printers in-house is an intriguing idea. Practical? Certainly not now for multiple reasons, but it’s not a stretch to believe that car parts for vintage vehicles will only become more difficult to find. So, I’m hoping that some magnitudinal advances can occur in this arena.
I tried to win this unusual Ringling Brothers circus jeep (here are a couple real-life examples of a Ringling circus jeep and Charlton Heston in one here), but I was out bid (it went for $31.99 and I bid $31). This has some nice details on it as you can see in the pics.
Here’s a rare floating jeep mechanical pencil with an engraving of Archer Motor Company from Burlington, Iowa.
View all the information on eBay
“RARE!!WILLY’S OVERLAND*Archer Motor Co.*Burlington,IA”FLOATING JEEP”Pencil/Works. This is very close to mint if not. I didn’t find anything really wrong with it.This is for the most discriminating collector or someone looking for a center piece for a Jeep display, it’s the origin of the JEEP.”
This looks like a former M-38 that was modified into a brush jeep. Cool pic!
View all the information on eBay
“Burrillville (RI) 1952 Willys Jeep Brush/Forestry/Wildland – Glendale VFD. Credit to the original photographer, who retains any copyright.”
This is priced at $55. It is a mid-1950s Special Equipment binder into which someone put Willys Motors and Willys Export bulletins from 1957-1962.
View all the information on eBay
“Willys motors Inc. and Willys – Overland export corporation Toledo Ohio kaiser jeep corporation parts and accessories bulletins 1957 to 1962
Shop worn and notebook inside is dirty but pages good overall. – inside notebook cover shows wear, especially where the metal clasps and notebook edges hold the paper – paper pages in good condition- Readable no tears a lot of spotting on the edges yellowing of pages overall all intact and in good condition”
I don’t remember seeing this brochure previously. It is 12 pages, but unclear how many cover the jeep line. I didn’t know Mitsubishi did a Fire Jeep.
View all the information on eBay
“1958 Mitsubishi sales brochure with Willys Jeep, Jupiter Trucks & 500 Sedan. Size is 8.25 x 11.5 with 12 pages. Bent corner, creased.”
