I thought I had posted this issue a few years ago, but somehow I missed it. So, here is the 8-page May 1956 issue of Willys News.
Page one highlights that thousands of feet of film was taken as part of creating new promo films for Willys Motors. No doubt that film is long gone. Page two has an article explaining the importance of jeeps to rural readers of North Carolina’s Statesville Record and Landmark newspaper. Page two also claims that the first registered CJ-2A appeared in Mt. Kisco, New York, a claim debated on this post.
Page three has a great photo of Bonner’s Willys Motors out of Texas, a part of which eventually became Barney’s Jeep Parts in Ohio. Page five indicates that at least 100 audio-visual wagons (though the paper calls them ‘trucks’) had been assembled. An article on Page six shares the news that Dispatchers were proving popular as delivery vehicles, with an accompanying testimonial from Carolina Tool.
Page seven highlights “Miss Maude”, an excerpt of which I posted back in 2014. Page eight covers the April 1956 Truth or Consequences “Journal de Jeeps” cross-country race.
Special THANKS to Dave for providing these papers here. It has been especially helpful as we trace our “Jeep roots” in my hometown of Houston Texas. In fact, our legacy traces to WOODIE’S JEEPS on Washington Ave which closed when Chrysler bought Jeep in 86. We bought the library and remnants from the daughter of Lupe Gutierrez, their parts manager who helped open the dealership after WWII. We believe, based on the address of Woodie’s, that the original name was Palmer Motors. I dealt with Woodie’s as a teenager ’71 and had not heard of Bonner’s Willys Motors until Dave posted a paper a couple weeks ago. I am now trying to trace it’s history. It was located at 1616 Pease which is now a parking lot and elec. sub station in downtown Houston. Based on the 7-didget phone number beginning with FA… it was still in business in the 60s at least. (Boston Library post card library). I believe this may have been a Willys dealership that predated the war and Jeep. Our next step will be newspapers.com. Any additional information will be helpful.
May ’56 & there’s already ’57 model grilles on pages 3 & 4. The 1st year of two-tone paint scheme? ! Always entertaining Dave.