UPDATE: Originally Posted July 26, 2014. There is currently an issue for $7 on eBay.
The December 1945 Issue of Outdoor Life Magazine contained an article titled “A Jeep Will Get You There”. It is filled with photos of a VEC CJ-2A used for a fishing trip. The photos aren’t the best, but still an interesting article. Outdoor Life also featured the story on the front cover.
I had a conversation not long ago about front license plate tee brackets and slots in the bumpers. This shows clearly that the early CJ2As came with brackets. What I can’t see are slots. Since the early bumpers were of a much thicker gauge steel then the MBs or the later CJ2As, my guess is they did not have slots. Slots in heavy gauge steel are likely more difficult to punch out
That was great, as I was reading it, all I could hear in my head was that classic narrators voice of time passed.
Great commercial photography from that era, lot’s of fill flash was used. The one of the fisherman in the stream is the only one that is too heavy handed.
I have a copy of this magazine. my dad made copies of the cover and we both had them framed and hanging on the wall. i have the complete issue in excellent condition.
I wonder how many jeeps this article alone sold.
did you notice sasquatch in the second last photo center right at the edge of the stream? he’s checking out this jeep too. also second what bill says about the front bumpers.
My father in law, Robert Welch, is the Jeep driver (easily spotted by us on the third page). He was a tech rep for Willys in the MidAtlantic Region. During WWII he was a trainer at Fort Lee, VA for the mechanics who were going to work on the Jeeps overseas. We still have his fishing rod from the photo shoot!
Thanks for that bit of history Joan!
– Dave
I never saw this article and didn’t use my 59 cj3b in high school much for fishing, but I did use it to ford many a small stream and take it cross terrain where no Jeep had gone before. Just like this article shows it doing.
Joan, that is impressive that this made contact with anyone who actually knew anyone in this photo shoot. To have that rod and have these framed in your home (or cabin) would be pretty special. Im sure we’d all love to see any other photos you might have regarding this.
I agree there probably was fill flash going on. The odd lighting conditions made that a needed thing. That was tough to do in those days too as flash sync speeds were very low.
This is a very cool article for sure.
I’ll bet you can’t just go find a stream and drive your jeep in it like that on public land in PA anymore.I think I was born in the wrong time!
How cool is that ……..I was born in December 1945 !! I gotta find this copy since I still haven’t gotten myself a birthday present this year !
Reminds me of all the all night fishing trips with dads 48 cj2a. He would park it up on the bank, and we would listen to the radio wile we fished.