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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: **SOLD** Was in Sweden for Around $5700.
Oscar spotted this Austin Champ for sale in Sweden. Looks like it might be a good price (if it runs).
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
Not many of photos of Austin Champs pop up as good as this.
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
An original running Austin Champ? That’s a miracle!
“A rare opportunity to own a piece of motoring history! This is a truly rare truck.
Very original and unrestored austin champ, nice and almost rustfree condition, runs and drive very good without problems.paint is decent but not perfect, complete with softtop, for more info please contact us.
This version of the Champ is built and used an Austin A90 Atlantic motor”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $500.
(07/26/2013) This is pretty rough. Hard to get inexpensive parts for these.
“I have a austin champ
Very rare vehicle, only 15000 made total
They were made in the uk so there is only a handfull in the us
It has a rolls royce 4 cyl mk2
And a 5 speed transmission
5 forward gears and 5 reverse gears, goes same speed in reverse as driving
This is a pretty rough unit, but does have great potential
It has flat tires
Does not run but motor is free, it has a 24v system
Has gun holsters, shovel bracket, pick ax bracket
You wont find to many of these around here
Not in any hurry to sell, the value is going up daily on this item
Restored ones can bring up to 50k”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was Make Offer.
Another sad Austin Champ.
“51 austin champ. british millitary jeep looking thing. right hand drive. motor rolls over by hand. tires are shot. its a bit beat but it is restorable. only thing mechanical thats missing is the coil. has the bow for the soft top. make an offer. if it doesnt sell its going to scrap. text or call works best. 54I 27O 6I26. email works but i dont check it every day”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $6000.
“1960 Austin Champ British Military vehicle. Licensed in CA. Complete except no canvas top. Rolls Royce 4-cylinder motor. Right-hand drive. Please see photos for condition. Vehicle is located at Modern Specialist Inc. German Auto Repair at 6190 Cherry Ave Long Beach. Call or visit if you need more information”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was Make Offer
“this is a 1956 English jeep project
right hand drive
texas title
engine and running gear intact
I was going to pull the body and drop it on something else…it’s now being used as field art, a conversation piece while beer drinking and a photo prop for red necks”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $8500
(08/23/2012) This might not be a bad price. One of these looks in pretty good shape.
“Very rare Jeep, 4×4 or 2×4, Austin Champ, 24Volts, everything water proof, four independent wheels heavy duty, 4 cylinder in line Rolls Royce. I have two ready to be restore, unfortunately I have no place and time to work on it. Both are in great shape, both engines are free, and one of them did runs.”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $2000
This Austin Champ is rough.
“I have a austin champ. Very rare vehicle, only 15000 made total
They were made in the uk so there is only a handfull in the us
It has a rolls royce 4 cyl mk2
And a 5 speed transmission
5 forward gears and 5 reverse gears, goes same speed in reverse as driving
This is a pretty rough unit, but does have great potential
It has flat tires
Does not run but motor is free, it has a 24v system
Has gun holsters, shovel bracket, pick ax bracket
You wont find to many of these around here
Not in any hurry to sell, the value is going up daily on this item
Restored ones can bring up to 50k”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $29000
As a former owner of three of these, I can attest to their lack of value.
“Austin was commissioned to build the Champ to replace WWII Willys Jeeps in the British Military service. It is powered by a modular Rolls-Royce engine that produces 80 horsepower. The engine is linked to a 5 speed synchromesh transmission that has no integral reverse gear, drive being taken by the propshaft to a rear transaxle which incorporated a reverse mechanism that acted on all five ratios and is controlled by a separate lever. The suspension is fully independent double wishbones with a longitudinal torsion bar and telescopic hydraulic damper at all four wheels.
Recently, over $8,000 was spent replacing all the axle seals and gaskets for the front and rear differentials. The front and rear shocks were also replaced and the entire undercarriage and suspension was cleaned, undercoated, and detailed.]”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
(03/03/2011) This is the nicest Champ I’ve ever seen.
“UP4AUCTION hosted by Discover Classic Cars is very pleased to offer you this 1963 AUSTIN CHAMP JEEP! This a rather rare vehicle, these were the civilian versions of the British combat vehicles. This has 12,130 ACTUAL miles and will definitely cause heads to turn wherever you show up in it. This is not a daily driver and is not built for highway driving. Normal speed is roughly 30mph and its maximum speed is 60mph at 3,700rpm. This Champ will also ford to a depth of 1 foot 6 inches.
The temperature gauge is in-op presently, Red main indicator light is burned out and the hand brake is in need of an adjustment.
Finished in Maroon with Blue fenders, the exterior of this Austin shows well. There are a few blemishes in the paint, please view the photographs below or call us for additional details. The White vinyl removable soft top and doors are in very good condition. The Maroon vinyl seats are in good condition, there is minor wear present and a tear on the inside of the passenger seat. The carpeting also shows minor wear just so you’re aware. Please view all of the photographs below or call us for details….”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $2500.
Well, I do have some experience buying and selling these .. lol.
“I have a 1967 Austin Champ British Military Jeep that I wanted to restore, but I can’t seem to find the time or money! It has a 4 cylinder Rolls Royce engine, and is a left hand drive 4 wheel drive. It would make a great Christmas gift to someone who could restore it. I’m asking $2500 or best offer. Call me with questions:”
This truly deserves a longer story, but the coffee shop will close soon and I need to eat & to get back on the road to Boise. A Big THANKS to Josh for alerting me to this opportunity!
Yes, tonight I bought 3 Austin Champs. It turns out one of them is a Royal Marines RN Champ. There are only 3 of these know in existence (it’s the gray one). You can see some big pics here.
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $2000
It doesn’t have the original drive train, but still cool.
“THIS IS FOR A REAL NEAT 4X4 IT IS RIGHT HAND STEERING. IT IS PAINTE O D GREEN. ENGINE AND TRANS HAS BEEN SWAPED FOR A PINTO SETUP BUT IS STILL 4 WHEEL DRIVE.”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $3000
As I discussed in this post, the original jeep was possibly based on the Austin 7. Here’s a later model Austin, of which I’ve only seen one other for sale in two years. A spare Austin Champ is also available.
“1953 Austin Champ Runs and drives. Mechanically sound and ready for cosmetic restoration this is serial #10515. Does contain the Rolls-Royce engine. For those interested please look at http://www.austinchamp.com/ for more info and specs. Also available for increased $$ is parts spare that is cosmetically better but not running.”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $2000
Brian forwarded this ad to me. I’ve never knew these existed. According to Wikipedia, these were built from 1951 – 1956 and were excellent cross country vehicles, apparently surpassing the capabilities of the Land Rover. However, though the Land Rover could only do 80% of what the Champ could do, the Land Rover cost much less to produce, so the Champ contract was eventually cancelled. Interestingly, the Champ had a 5 speed synchromesh tranny with reverse adapted to the rear drive line apart from the tranny, so that the Champ could do 5 speeds backwards as well. Finally, the Champ had no transfercase, instead the driveline went to the rear differential and then there was a takeoff to the front differential (which had a clutch to control 2wd/4wd mode). These would make a very interesting project.”
UPDATE: Still Available.
(04/08/2024) These are hard to find vehicles. Not sure if they are easier or harder to get parts for than the Austin Champs. Thanks to TJ for sharing.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/806488888171902
“I have 2 Autumn Gipsy’s that I was going to use to make 1 nice one. They are both projects, one has a pretty good body and ran when I put them away, the other has a hard top, and a lot of good parts and pieces the the other one needs. Both are independent suspension. This is just a project that I’m not going to get to. If the ad is up, they are still available. Let’s not waste each other’s time.”
Jon share this ad of an aspiring music student selling these Dinky toys. This is the closest I want to come to owning an Austin Champ again!
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2344965485825787/
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was listed at $3200.
“I am selling my 1974 Right Hand Drive DJ5 Jeep. I bought it to deliver mail but never got to use it as my route assignment got changed. It drives like a champ! It is automatic transmission with manual steering. It has a brand new engine (6 cyl AMC 232) and transmission(727-TF). The body has a little surface rust but nothing is rusted through. It has a spare tire and several other extra parts that were given to me when I bought it. Like a brand new in the box set of brake shoes. It has good tires! I have a clear title. It is Texas registered and inspected thru March 2015. It has a radio and speakers. Seat is in good shape with no holes or tears and comes with a mail tray that you could remove and replace with a passenger seat.”
UPDATE: Was listed at $800. Status Unknown.
Eric spotted this rare Austin Gipsy for sale. This was built after the Champ.
“Great car. These were made to compete with the Land Rover and were used by the British military all over the world. This beauty has some rust issues in the rocker area. The rest of the car is pretty good. The only major dent is from an old elephant hit years ago. The motor is complete and turns by hand. The carb needs to be rebuilt – I have the kit. I also have some points, etc, and a service book. No gas tank or exhaust system. It has sat for many years. One of my plans was to place the body on a Jeep chassis. The tires hold air!!! Look at the pictures. I am serious about selling and am only looking to get $800.00”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay
Guy spotted this rare Austin Gypsy, the older cousin of the Austin Champ.
“This is a 1962 Austin Gypsy jeep. This vehicle was partially restored in 2001 and is a good sold vehicle. Great for the beach and can be used in all weather”
So, I’m doing my best to avoid going out to my parents very cold, damp garage to finish fixing my mom’s car. Of course, the internet is one of the best avoidance tools ever invented.
FLAT FENDER BABES:
On a lark, I typed in ‘Flat Fender Babes’ into google just to see if anything came up. While most of the links were garbage, one link lead me to a list of significant production automobiles, created by Angry Stan at AngryStan’s blog. Naturally, one of the vehicles listed was the Willys MB. What was interesting about the MB’s inclusion was Stan’s comment that the MB was “very loosely based on the Austin 7”.
Whoa .. news to me. What you talkin’ ’bout Stan?
Expanding from the previous post about Austin Champs, the Austin Gipsy was a chance for Austin Champ designers to start from scratch using what they had learned from the Champ.
One of the most interesting features was an independent suspension design as seen in the drawing to the right.
Austin Gipsy Links:
“
Expanding from the previous post about Austin Champs, and continuing our brief tour of british 4x4s, the Austin Gipsy was a chance for Austin Champ designers to start from scratch using what they had learned from the Champ.
One of the most interesting features was an independent suspension design as seen in the drawing to the right.
Austin Gipsy Links:
I bought this August 1953 issue of Cars magazine for the jeep article, but it also has all kinds of interesting information in it. The article “The Jeep Goes International” by Evan Jones highlights how various companies in different countries were capitalizing on the demand for jeep vehicles by manufacturing jeep-like vehicles of their own. The story discusses the new Austin Champ, the Fiat Campagnola, the Land Rover, and the Delahaye V.I.R.
