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Welcome to eWillys.com, a website for vintage jeep enthusiasts. I update this website nearly every day with jeep deals, jeep history, interesting reader projects, jeep related info, and more.
These quick searches can help you find things on eBay. People list in the wrong categories all the time, so don't be surprised to see brochures in the parts area for example.
The links to posts below show jeeps grouped by models, condition, and other ways. Some of these jeeps are for sale and others have been sold. If you are unsure whether a vehicle is still for sale or not, email me at d [at] ewillys.com for more info.
There are plenty of interesting, unusual, historic and surprising stories related to Jeeps and their owners. In addition, some of these features have nothing to do with jeeps. This link will display all featured stories starting from the latest.
Looking for parts and not sure where to go? There are a variety of large and small new and used parts sellers both online and offline.
Importantly, the allure of buying a project jeep can be romantic. The reality of restoring a jeep can be quite different, expensive and overwhelming without the right tools and resources. So, tread carefully when purchasing a "project". If you have any concerns about buying a vintage jeep, or run across a scam, feel free to contact me for help, comments or concerns .
This 24-page Universal Jeep Brochure provides a look at both the CJ-2A and CJ-3A, with pics of both. That led me to believe this was most likely published in early 1949. Most of this appears to be images/info that we’ve seen bundled in other brochures and documents.
The last issue of Willys News I posted was from the summer of 1956. I don’t have any others for 1956. I also don’t have the January 1957 issue, but I do have some eBay pics (from 2013). It looks like a good one (see post below this one).
UPDATE: This was on eBay.
Some good DJ-3A & FC-150 photos and some rare early swamp racing photos.
“Original salesman’s non color catalog , 11 x 17 , 8 pages , includes salesman’s messages , salesman’s contests , shows some models , etc.”
This early Meyer snow plow brochure sold on eBay. I was busy buying a few other things yesterday, so decided to let this one go. If someone out there purchased it, feel free to send me some lo res scans (d @ dealers.com) that I can share with folks.
This was also on eBay. I assume one of the Tux Park guys hopped on this unique resource. Unfortunately, only a couple photos were provided on eBay.
A big thanks to Ted Jordan for making and sharing these scans. When Hubart A. Kelly initially purchased the D. L. Beck Manufacturing Company, which produced CJ-2A hardtops, initially the cab company was called Kemco. At the time Beck was still a working partner at the company. This rare four-page brochure was produced at that time. Not too much later, Kemco was officially became the Kelly Manufacturing Company and Kemco disappeared.
These are the interior two pages.
This is the Dealer’s Confidential Price list:
And here is what the rest of us would likely have paid:
Ted Jordan also shared this early Kelly Manufacturing Hardtop Brochure. Note that the brochure mentions Kemco on the front page, which suggests this was printed shortly after the name was changed to Kelly.
So … this was on eBay yesterday. I’d patiently waited to purchase it, even setting my alarm clock. However, when the day and time arrived, my phone was away from me charging. Meanwhile, I was distracted researching this book 1000page-plus cook book from 100 years ago (1920 in fact), which I found while doing some ewillys posts yesterday (I was killing time awaiting the eBay auction end).
My supportive wife was very excited when I showed her the book images, as she knows I like a good old cookbook. She started chanting, “buy it, just buy it, buy it” … but no, I couldn’t at that price. After some research, I found a free copy on the Internet Archive, but looking through 1000 pages on the IA just isn’t the same as having the real thing in my hands. Eventually, I found a MUCH less expensive copy through Amazon, which Ann purchased for me as a gift (she’s hoping I’ll cook some food from it).
By the time I returned to this eBay auction, it was exactly 2:15pm, the same time that the auction ended. My timing couldn’t have been any worse.
Oh well, at least I got a cookbook out of the deal! Here are the two images from brochure that were posted to eBay.
Looks like a good price.
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/tro/d/renton-willys-trailer-4×6/7104260098.html
Here’s a related newspaper ad for them (originally posted on the earlyCJ-5 page some time back):
Like we saw with the 1948 ads in the Montana Farmer-Stockman, the ads run in the Chronicle-Star out of Pascagoula, Mississippi were more sparse. Moreover, two different dealers posted ads. The first half of the year it was the Runnels-Wiggins Willys Dealer publishing ads. The second half of the year it was the Stewart Motor company out of Mobile, Alabama, publishing ads.
RUNNELS-WIGGINS: February 13, 1948:
RUNNELS-WIGGINS: March 05, 1948:
RUNNELS-WIGGINS: April 09, 1948:
Here’s the 1948 Report On The Universal ‘Jeep’ in Conservation I mentioned last week. At twenty-three pages, it’s larger than I expected with lots of photos. All but three of the photos were taken at the Rio Grande College Farm in Ohio (see last page for more info).
This early Warn manual No. WD-255 sold on eBay for $36.20. My last bid was $35.20, so someone out there outbid me.
In 1949, Willys-Overland halved the number of ads in the Montana Farmer-Stockman from 1948’s eight ads to only four. This may underscore the financial issues Willys-Overland was facing.
The first ad was published January 15, 1949:
Seller’s asking price is $295. The contents are likely very similar to this one, which has been scanned and made available for free.
View all the information on eBay
“”Product Merchandising Manual” by the writers and illustrators of Willys Motors and Willys-Overland Export Corporation, Toledo Ohio. No Copyright information. Assembled and Published by Willys and the Jeep Division in the early 1950s – we make a presumption of 1955 based on the Jeep CJ-5 described herein., Presumed First Edition, NOT Ex-Library. No ISBN. Note – the photos you see are of this binder and sections no ‘Stock Photos’.
A tight firm clean binder containing Forty (I through XL) tabbed sections of promotion information for the Jeep dealer to sell Jeeps to the public. The purpose-made three-ring binder is deep blue/yellow-green lettered and decorated with the large Willys ‘W’, although the information is for Jeep. The binder is 11 1/2″ x 11 1/2″ if you count the big graceful curve of the 3 1/4″ spine. The hinges for the binder are separately hinged so the binder could hold additional information as developed by Willys and Jeep. The pages are 11″ x 8 1/2″ with 3/8″ color-coded plasticized tabs identifying the sections. Those sections, again, total 40. Continue reading
This ad appeared in the October 14, 1954, issue of Oregon’s Heppner Gazette Times. It includes an illustration of the new CJ-3B. It also shows that some KW logos appeared in newspaper ads for a short time.
This ad appeared the following week (October 21, 1954) in the same newspaper with similar elements.
UPDATE: I mistakenly list a September 1949 Ad as a September 1948 ad. I removed that, so now there are only seven ads on this post.
Willys-Overland ran a series of Universal Jeep and Truck ads in the Montana Farmer-Stockman newspaper through 1948. The ads for the Universal Jeep focused on farming and ranching and appear most, but not all months (The paper is archived at the Library of Congress and appears to have been a bi-monthly publication). Below are seven ads I could find. In 1949, the number dropped to only 4 ads.
No February Ad
This old package of Buckeye Silver Liquid Iron includes an endorsement by Willys Motors, Inc.
View all the information on eBay
“THIS AUCTION IS FOR ONE/1 USED RARE/VINTAGE ORIGINAL BOX CONTAINING BUCKEYE SILVER SHIELD LIQUID IRON TESTED & INDORSED BY WILLYS MOTORS.
MADE BY BUCKEYE PAINT AND CHEMICAL CORP. OF TOLEDO OHIO, ALSO HOME OF THE WILLYS JEEP.
ITS A 2 PART ADHESIVE AND FILLER. BOTH PARTS ARE IN THE BOX.
THE HARDENER IS STILL IN LIQUID FORM. THE LIQUID IRON LOOKS MORE OF A PASTE. I DID NOT OPEN EITHER ONE OF THE CONTAINERS.
GREAT GRAPHICS ON BOX. GREAT IMAGE OF A WILLYS JEEP CJ5.”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $25.
This Moriarty Brothers (Manchester, CT) Willys Jeep Key Ring a neat little piece. Some history behind that dealership.
“estate sale find : vintage 1960’s Willys Jeep Keys I was told and leather clip key chain. Back side says Willy’s- Jeep , and front side says : Moriarty Brothers inc. Manchester Connecticut. Lincoln-mercury, Meteor-comet . Phone mitchel 3-5135.”
I purchased this cool booklet off of eBay. It has some great pics. I’ll share once it arrives.
Steve shared this ad for Proto Tools that included a Jeep. It appeared in the March 1953 issue of Mechanix Illustrated.
Maury spotted this one. It was on eBay (sold for $17.50). This 1979 guide seems a clever way to diagnose transmission problems.
“”Kaiser Jeep Corporation Automatic Transmission Circular Slide Rule Calculator” by the writers and illustrators of Kaiser Jeep Corporation, Toledo Ohio. No Copyright data; research indicates Kaiser Jeep used Borg-Warner transmissions at least 1970-1972 – probably longer. Here is a guide for use while servicing those transmissions. Kaiser Jeep published the wheel as a Mechanic’s tool, and as an advertising piece, for their dealers selling retail product in that era. Note – the photos you see are of this mechanic’s tool and advertising piece – no ‘Stock Photos’.
A tight firm clean double-wheel ‘slide rule’ calculator in tan/black, unmarked, a trifle darkened after a half-Century on a shelf. 7 1/4″ in diameter; the inner wheel is 5 1/2″ in diameter.
A guide to when service is required on these transmissions;
The order in which the tests should be made;
The reverse shows the Pressure Levels, where the Transmission selector (gearshift) should be place and what RPM or MPH should be utilized in those tests;
Speeds at which downshifts should be made.
A solid clean circular slide rule – lots of data on the reverse. Direct from a postwar Jeep dealer’s library. No mustiness, No smoke smell. We do try to describe them correctly – We want you back as a customer – hundreds of repeat customers. “
This 4 Wheel Drive Booklet was likely produced between 1955-1957. An accompanying order form (seen at the bottom) suggests it was likely a 1957. The booklet was assigned form W-640. It’s not in the best of shape, but it also wasn’t very expensive.
The is a much better version of this booklet as compared to the earlier version from 1952.
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
Maury spotted this DJ-3A brochure, form number W241-6.
“You are bidding on an old and original undated 8 1/2 x 11″ folder that is advertising the Jeep Dispatcher. It is in excellent condition with some minor storage stress.”
I hadn’t run across this Combat 6 brochure. You can learn more about the Combat 6 here.
View all the information on eBay
“Soft Cover
c. 2 pages
Condition: Fair, light pencil writing at the bottom of brochure, no missing pages, no loose pages, no significant tears. Slight marks, yellowing and creasing.”
UPDATE: Status Unknown. Was $17 + $10 shipping.
My guess is that this Australian produced brochure was probably released circa 1955.
“Soft Cover
c. 5 pages
Printed in USA.
Condition: Fair, no writting, no missing pages, no loose pages, no significant tears. Slight marks, yellowing and creasing.”
I’ve flipped the top image below to make the text easier to read:
