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1946 Powered By Willys Engine Badge

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Maury pointed out that a porcelain sign of this badge sold in 2017 (see bottom).

In the April of 1946 issue of the Saturday Evening Post (same month in Colliers, too), Willys-Overland introduced a new advertising badge for the Willys engine.

1946-powered-by-the-world-famous-willys-jeep-engine-badge

As you can see in the introduction ad (A New Chapter), it was matched with the announcement of the Willys-Overland Jeep Station Wagon, though the ad hides the wagon in anticipation of its summer of 1946 launch.

1946-04-13-sat-evening-post-soon-we-will-write-a-great-new-chapter-pg61-lores

The badge made a second appearance within the release-announcement of the station wagon in the August 18, 1946, issue of the Saturday Evening Post.

1946-08-17-sat-evening-post-new-station-wagon-ad-pgs-67-66

The next month, in September of 1946, the badge appears for a third time, again associated with the wagon.

1946-09-21-sat-evening-post-new-station-wagon-49

As quickly as the badge appeared, it disappeared with the same speed. For the October 1946 ad, which included a wagon in it, the Saturday Evening Post seemingly replaced the engine badge with a smaller badge, one with a “W” over the “O”. It’s the earliest jeep ad I can find with that badge (if anyone knows of another, earlier ad, please let me know).

1946-10-w-o-badge 1946-10-19-sat-evening-post-jeep-station-wagon-pg48

At some point, there was a porcelain version of the sign. One sold on eBay in 2017:

jeep-engine-sign

 

10 Comments on “1946 Powered By Willys Engine Badge

  1. Bob in nc

    Dave
    Good morning.
    Would like to make t shirts with the original badge on back of shirt and the newer W on t-shirt pocket.
    Anybody know of good place to get some t- shirts made?

  2. David Eilers Post author

    Maury: Thanks, I’ve updated the post.

    Bob: Decal Impressions in Cincinnati has been great to deal with t-shirts, posters, and stickers. I don’t have a hires version of the badge design, so building that would be the first step.

  3. Bob in nc

    Dave
    Just talked to Brian.
    Happy to send you t-shirt or two or three. How do I get high resolution image for him to copy? Once made hope I can put some for sale on Ewillys.

  4. David Eilers Post author

    Bob: I would have sent you his number if I’d known how serious you are. Sure, I’d post them for sale for you.

    I don’t have a hi res graphic of this at the moment. I would have to build it. I’ll see what I can put together. It might be a couple days.

  5. 4-63 FOREVER

    the one farmer in the ad says ” what a honey ” — on the farm too long ??

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