UPDATE III: Another version of this press photo is on eBay.

View all the information on eBay

“1945 Press Photo First Civilian Jeep Tourer Sarah Elizabeth Rodger, New York
This is an original press photo. Sarah Elizabeth Rodger makes local history as she starts tour of the city in first civilian jeep on the streets of New York. A writer, who in private life is the wife of Dr. L. Patrick Moore, has always wanted “to do a new thing first” and, this she did, by jeepers! Photo measures 9 x 7 inches. Photo is dated 09-03-1945.”

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(05/20/2016) UPDATE II: Another version of this press photo is available on eBay.

“1945 Press Photo New York Sara Roger drives civilian jeep NYC -”

(10/15/2014) UPDATE: I’ve added a 1952 newspaper reference near the bottom of this post that suggests the first jeep was sold to the Heines in Kansas. Was for sale on eBay.

According to the caption, writer Sarah Elizabeth Rodger always wanted to do a “new thing first”. If the story is accurate, she got to be the first one to drive CJ-2A #1 on the streets of New York City.

Here’s the photo as it appeared in a 1945 issue of the Geneva New York Daily Times.

According to an article in the May 1956 issue of Willys News, jeep #1 was registered in White Plains, New York. So, it’s possible the story above is correct.

Not surprisingly, there’s confusion about who owned the first civilian jeep. On July 24, 1952, the Hilton Record credited the Heines in Kansas with owning both the first surplus jeep (we might have photos of that) and the first civilian. It’s reported that the Heines jeep eventually went to the Smithsonian.

As another side note, here’s a reference to the first CJ-2A sold in Hollywood. It went to Dick Foran for use on his ranch near Van Nuys, California. This was reported in the November 1, 1945 issue of the California Eagle.