I find this ad from the June 22, 1964, issue of the Staunton Leader out of Staunton, Virginia, a good early example of a begining move from the jeep as a utility vehicle to it as a vehicle for outdoor recreation. Though the ad still focuses on the jeep as a way to get to these fun endeavors, it wasn’t too much longer before an inflection point where the jeep-journey itself was advertised as fun.

Remember that by 1964, Four Wheeler Magazine had been out for two years, a publication that helped spread the message and the hobby of four wheeling pursuits (clubs, jeeping, modifications, and racing).

UPDATE: The March 19, 1948, ad art was later used for this 1949 CJ-3A brochure.

The firm of Caver-Wiggins advertised jeeps for sale in the Pascagoula, Mississippi, Chronicle Star newspaper from July 1946 to November 1947.

In October of 1947, the Caver-Wiggins corporate charter was changed and the firm renamed to Runnels-Wiggins, with Julius Wiggins and Davage Runnels taking control of the entity.

In November of 1947, a week after the final Caver-Wiggins jeep ad, Runnel-Wiggins began advertising jeeps in the Chronicle Star. The ads only appear to last through April of 1948. No additional information appeared in the Chronicle Star about Runnel-Wiggins.

Later that year, in December of 1948, Coast Cities Motor Sales announced its status as a new jeep dealer in Pascagoula and began advertising in the Chronicle Star.

Below are some Runnels-Wiggins ads:

November 14, 1947 The Farm Vehicle That Works 12 Months a Year:

February 06, 1948 Get the Facts and You’ll Get a ‘Jeep’:

February 13, 1948 Winter Chores are Easier with the Universal ‘Jeep’:

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Just a few updates today…

Jeep dealer Caver-Wiggins began operations in January of 1946 with three people incorporating the company: W. Ed Wiggins, Julius E. Wiggins, and J. B. Caver. Mr. W. Ed Wiggins was President of Pascagoula’s Rotary Club at the time.

The firm of Caver-Wiggins advertised jeeps for sale in the Pascagoula, Mississippi, Chronicle Star newspaper from July 1946 to November 1947. Caver-Wiggins also advertised Crosley automobiles in October of 1946 and Kaiser Frazier vehicles in November of 1946.

In October of 1947, the Caver-Wiggins corporate charter was changed and the firm renamed to Runnels-Wiggins, with Julius Wiggins and Davage Runnels taking control of the entity.

Subsequently, in February of 1948, Runnel-Wiggins became the Chronicle Star’s main jeep advertiser. Runnels-Wiggins ads began in February of 1948, then stopped in April of 1948.

Later, in December of 1948, Coast Cities Motor Sales would supplant Runnels-Wiggins as the main advertiser.

Below are some Caver-Wiggins ads:

July 05, 1946 Get a ‘Jeep’:

July 19, 1946 If you have Tough Jobs … and lots of ’em GET A ‘Jeep’:

March 28, 1947 The Versatile Farm Vehicle: 

April 25, 1947 Speed Up Work with the Vehicle that Does More Jobs:

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UPDATE: Some updated information and ads.

Coast Cities Motor Sales announced the opening of the Jeep dealership in a December 10, 1948, article in the Pascagoula, Mississippi, Chronicle Star. Subsequently, for eleven months, from December 1948 through October 1949 they published ads in the same paper.

Later, In May of 1950, a new seller, Jackson County Motor Company, appeared. Perhaps, not coincidently, Jackson County Motors launches on the same highway (HWY 90) as Coast Cities Motor Sales had been located.

Prior to Coast Cities Motors Sales. jeep dealer Caver-Wiggins advertised from July 1946 to November 1947 in the Chronicle Star. Subsequently, in a corporate restructuring, Runnel-Wiggins became the main seller/advertiser. Runnel-Wiggins ran ads from November of 1947 through April of 1948. No additional information appeared in the Chronicle Star about Runnel-Wiggins.

After April, the next Jeep ad for 1948 was the December 10th, 1948 ad by Coast Cities Motors. Whether Coast Cities Motor Sales was related to the previous dealer isn’t clear, as they were located in a different places.

Below are some Coast Cities Motor Sales ad example:

December 17, 1948  & January 07, 1949: Pascagoula’s New Dealer For The World’s Most Useful Vehicles
(The ad shown is actually the January 07 ad. The December 17, 1948, ad has only minor text differences from the January ad. This is a long one-column ad, so it’s been chopped to better fit the page)

January 14, 1949: Announcing … Another Home for the World’s Most Useful Vehicles

January 24, 1949: Launch of Coast Cities Motor Sales

February 11, 1949: One Farm Vehicle You Can Count on in Any Weather

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