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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 .
This “Figment to Face” article about the jeep’s conception-to-reality story landed in a variety of newspapers across the US, though this is the best scan of it so far (which doesn’t speak too highly of the other scans, as it shouldn’t). I wondered how many other drawings were made that weren’t realized with the standardization of the jeep.
The article appeared in the Daily Reporter out of Greenfield, Indiana, on October 19, 1942:
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was listed at $175.
(03/01/2021) This rare package includes a plaque and the original box (pretty cool box). The starting bid is $175.
“THIS AUCTION IS FOR A WILLYS JEEP MODEL FC 170 GOLD PLATED ASH TRAY IN ITS ORIGINAL BOX AND INCLUDES “CARE” INSERT.
WILLYS MOTORS INC. OF TOLEDO, OHIO
GOLD PLATED WITH 22K GOLD PLATE
THE ASHTRAY IS IN GREAT SHAPE WITH MINIMAL WEAR.
THE BOX IS IN GODD SHAPE ALSO WITH GOOD COLOR AND GRAPHICS.
50’S VINTAGE
A NICE, RARE, JEEP TOY”
UPDATE: Here’s an example of a Windsor, Canada, data plate, one of the CJ-5s that was imported from Canada to keep up with sales demand in the US.
===================
On August 21, 1959, the first Canadian-built jeep, a CJ-5, rolled out of the assembly plant in Windsor, Canada. Below are two articles and one advertisement that celebrates the acheivement.
This first article appeared August 22, 1959, in the Windsor Star and shows the actual first CJ-5.
This second article appeared September 19, 1959, in the National Post our to Torono, Ontario, Canada, and shows the actual Windsor Plant.
This third item is an advertisement that appeared in the August 25, 1959, issue of The Province, a Vancouver newspaper.
Nate spotted this article in the 1st Responder Newspaper about the Kennebunk Fire Department’s 1947 CJ-2A, which is still in service.
There’s also a pic of the jeep on the department’s website:
UPDATE: In the comments section you’ll see a reference to another, similar Command Car on eBay. Yet, there are differences between the two. I’m not sure what’s going on with these.
Roger Martin spotted this hand built Command Car model. It is 15″ long, so it’s a good size. I told Roger that I’d buy it, but it’s not a good use of my budget.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/291299039023339
“Hand made Military Jeep by a WWII Veteran who served in North Africa. All metal Modeled after the Jeep he drove . One of a kind . Built meticulously no details left off. Great for Military collectors 15” L 7” h. 51/2 “ w .”
Bill shared this announcement: Jeep has Resto-modded a Commando for Easter Jeep Safari. Jeep calls it the Jeepster Beach. According to Hemmings, it is basically a Jeepster body on a Rubicon chassis. As much as I am a believer in safety, I don’t think the roll bar works. It looks like an after thought to me. Still, it looks like a fun ride.
Barney shared photos of this neat WWII Ashtray. Created in 1944, it celebrated the liberation of Holland prior to the end of the war.
This photo captures a jeep coming ashore on Guadacanal. I tried to find this image in a newspaper, but had no luck
View all the information on eBay
1942 Press Photo U.S. Marines landing jeep ashore at Guadalcanal in World War II. This is an original press photo. Jeep comes ashore at Guadalcanal —- U.S. Marines land a jeep from a new-type landing barge during their offensive against the Japanese on Guadalcanal Island in the Solomons.Photo measures 9 x 7.25inches. Photo is dated 08-30-1942″
I imagine this were part of a Jeepster Club? They are priced at $29.95.
“LOT OF ( 18 ) VINTAGE UNUSED STICKERS FROM WILLYS OVERLAND JEEPSTER CONVERTIBLE 40TH YEAR 1948-1988.”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $11,111.
I suspect the price is just a placeholder. It’s been almost two years since the last documented Safari-Kai popped up for sale. Here’s a brochure about the short-lived Safari-Kai business.
“1975 Jeep DJ5. Summertime is the perfect time for open air cruising and this little Jeep gets you where you want to go in style. Like new in appearance, this 2WD AMC Jeep DJ5 was completely reconditioned 25 years ago by Safari Kar International – one of only about 500 units built. It is economical and easy to drive with a reliable AMC in-line six cylinder engine, power steering and brakes, and a floor shifted 3 speed automatic transmission.
There are less than 1500 miles on the odometer since its rebirth as it was stored for over 20 years and has just emerged to give joy to a new generation. This is a great utility vehicle with new seats, a sturdy roll bar, a bimini top to provide some shade, a flawless Shamrock Green paint job, and new floor coverings. The tires show virtually no tread wear and the 15 inch chrome Centerline rims glitter like diamonds.
This is not the kind of luxury SUV with power accessories, air conditioning, and a stereo system. It is the kind of fun machine that is perfect for beach cruising, backroad touring or just use it in the neighborhood as an eye catching grocery getter. This is the kind of vehicle that will lure lots of new friends who will want to know all about it. There is no rust and only a little bit of dust. It has always been garaged, and it starts easily and runs great. It does not have a full top or doors, but who needs ‘em? Just hop in this breezy ride and seize the day. Carpe diem!”
This home video (stabilized and improved by Peerklota, the person that posted it) shows the Germans fleeing and the British arriving in Oosterbeek. Lots of jeeps are shown in the film. One commenter spotted her father in the video!
In this video, the same poster visited Oosterbeek and identified several locations from the video.
Maury spotted this unusual good luck charm from Fort Lewis Motors in Salem, Georgia.
View all the information on eBay
“You are bidding on an encased 1946 penny good luck charm.”
This booklet started out last year on ebay with a price of $279. A lack of interest caused the price to plummet until it fell into my hands. This rare mobile motion picture unit sports a Tornado engine, which places the copyright date of the instruction booklet at 1962 or 1963.
Unfortunately, attempts to research this unit further using Google result in a bunch of results related to the “First Motion Picture Unit” during World War II or the associated government archives, which while interesting, isn’t helpful to our present query.
The booklet runs about 25 pages and is mostly focused on the operation of the generator. There aren’t enough photos for me to determine whether this is a modified 4WD sedan delivery wagon or a Traveller. Most of the pics have number references; the numbers are referenced to specific parts in the back of the book.
This press photo appeared in multiple newspapers, including the July 20, 1950, edition of the Austin Statesman.
View all the information on ebay
“AMERICAN SOLDIERS In JEEP w .50 CAL MACHINE GUN In KOREA 1950 Press Photo. Size is approximately 7×9 to 8×10 inches. If significantly smaller or larger the specific size will be accurately described.”
Here’s the newspaper clipping:
While searching for this press photo I also spotted this photo of a unique gun mount. It was published in the August 04, 1950, issue of the Arizona Republic:
This August 28, 1950, photo from the Spokane Chronicle shows an Air Police MB Jeep. There might be enough there to recreate an Air Police themed jeep like this.
This was something new to me. Some war bond buyers were allowed to sign scrolls that would then be loaded on bombers and dropped over Axis-controlled countries. This photo and caption appeared in the May 20, 1943, issue of the Star Tribune out of Minneapolis.
This article discusses the ongoing investigation into the jeep name business. Minnesota had a particular interest in this issue, due to Minneapolis-Moline’s development of a vehicle that was called a jeep prior to the completion of the Bantam BRC in late September of 1940. Unlike Willys-Overland, Minneapolis-Moline had no interest in owning the name; instead, they felt the name jeep belonged to the government.
This first article is from the August 21, 1940, issue of the Minneapolis Star and identifies the new Minneapolis-Moline tractor as a “jeep”:
The second article, dated June 05, 1944, goes into Minneapolis-Moline’s views on the jeep name:
David Bradley trailers are often an after thought among trailers, but for a woman named Diane, her family’s trailer continues to provide warm memories of Colorado camping with her parents and siblings. You can reader her brief story at the end of a forum thread that Maury started years ago about David Bradley trailers on the ECJ5 site.
If you have some time, you might want to check out the Bantam BRC-40 that will be included in a made-in-Pennsylvania 5-car auto show at the Harmony Museum in Harmony, Pennsylvania. The show is scheduled to last from March 27-April 11. From the website, it looks like a pretty neat place. It looks like we have another place to visit on our next trip to Pennsylvania!
Bill shared this Hemmings find-of-the-day by Daniel Strohl. It looks like the CJ-10 may be gaining popularity.
The particular CJ-10 that Hemmings highlights has been nicely rebuilt and has a price of $46,900:
https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/jeep/scrambler/2470398.html#&gid=1&pid=19
Sadly, Tremaine Coooper of Bluemont, Virginia, was in an accident Saturday and passed away. He was 52 years old.
Here is Tremaine in front of a jump I’m assuming he designed. The photo is from his Facebook page.
While his main focus in life was Equestrian Event Course Design (read a short obituary about him and his event history here and view some of his creative event courses here on Facebook), for which he was internationally recognized, he too was afflicted with the Willys Sickness. He had been a regular reader of eWillys over the years and we corresponded on an irregular basis about jeeps.
In December of 2019, he learned about my trip to Virginia and hoped to meet up so he could show me the local jeeps around Bluemont (he put together several collections for us to see). I suspect it would have been a great visit. Regrettably, as often happens, I ran short on time, so I had to put it off. Then, the pandemic hit, so I had to cancel plans to fly back to Virginia in the spring of 2020.
In late 2020, Tremaine visited Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water and Kentuk Knob, where he learned that Frank Lloyd Wright had owned jeeps, among other cars. He was excited to share what he learned, which led to this post.
In January of 2021 he wrote that he was hoping to have some work out in the PNW during the summer of 2021, so hoped to meet up at that time.
Alas, now we’ll have to schedule a visit together in that big jeepers reunion and parts swap meet in the afterworld. My warmest regards to Brian and Tremaine’s family.
UPDATE: This Parker, Arizona, event begins this Friday. I’m sorry I can’t be down there to support Joe and the rest of the group, as this would be a nice break from our craziness here, but if all goes well and the event is held next year, we will make an effort to be down there (then head to the final FC Roundup, assuming it’s held in March of 2022).
(02/16/2021) Joe-in-Mesa forwarded plans for a military vehicle display and swap meet next month over the weekend of March 18-21 at La Pax County Park in Parker, Arizona. The weather should be beautiful that time of year.Here is the basic information.
A PDF version of the below application can be downloaded here:
John found this video which shows a pretty cool shot of a jeep being unloaded (begins at the 2:12 mark). Now that’s the way to exit a ship!
“Various shots of large battleship in dock. Shots of warships off shore. Several shots of HMS ‘Invincible’ making her way up the estuary. People watch from the shore. Shots of the ship docking. A crane lifts a jeep from the deck of the ship to the shore. Several shots of crew members walking down steps to the shore. M/Ss of the Captain (?) giving speech (no sound).”
Maury shared this eBay ad. The price is $65, but the seller will consider offers. The “Jeep Means Business is from 1954”, the “Public Service” is from 1955, as is the “Completely New” CJ-5 brochure. The DJ-3A brochure is from 1956.
View all the information on ebay
UPDATE: Status Unknown. Was $16,000.
Bill shared this MB on eBay, currently listed at $16,000.
