emailNeed to contact me and don't have my email? Click on email button.
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 .
Here’s an odd cover for a kid’s coloring book. Those cats(?) look rather evil.
“You are bidding on a vintage Jeepers coloring book from the 1940s. Features a Willys Jeep on the front and back color. Some pages are colored. In good shape, considering. Would look cool framed! It’s a Jeep thing…”
The July 23, 1945, issue of Life Magazine has a three page article by Joe Weston that describes a jeep trip through Sweden in what I would guess was May or June of 1945. Based on the three cartoons (show below) they were driving a Willys MA.
The article describes crowds of people gawking at the jeep wherever they went. In Stockholm people started removing parts off of it. The article was a funny read.
Read the entire article within Google Books or
Below are the three cartoons:
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay
The seller is from Canada, so shipping to the US is expensive. This would be a cool piece to have, but between shipping and the purchase price it’s a bit steep for me.
” Bidding for a so-so condition vintage Willys dealer poster.This was on a wall at an old dealership that was also a garage of course.I have actually spent some time to clean this up quite a bit.There are numerous rear clear tape repairs I had to do at quite a few edges and in the main body itself,water staining,dust discoloration,pin or staple holes,crinkles etc..Large pics should provide an idea of the condition.SX-233-4 form number I believe at bottom left corner.I had some other items from the garage that were all dated either 1954 or 1955 so this would be from the same time I`d say.Listed it because I know these are hard to find these days,better than nothing at all.Old original dealer stock,great for the collection.Questions have to be asked a day before sale end.Will combine shipping whenever possible,multiple or frequent bid winners will benefit,so check out my other listings.Shipping is $22.50 $US to the USA,$18.00 to within Canada.I`ll have to roll it up as well as possible and ship in square or tubular box.I ship one to three times a week now,depending when I go to town,fuel is super expensive up here now,and my local post office can no longer ship parcels.Canada post from up here to the US may take one or two weeks,border,travel time,size of item being shipped,destination,etc.,often for something like this it is much faster,please be patient,it`ll get there.I pack very well. pst in Mb.”
This Roberto Flores illustration was commissioned by Mike Hardesty, for http://www.jeepchasm.com/
See the entire process at Roberto’s website.
Unlike the advertising by Willys Overland, this ad by New York City based A.W. Pickett is sedate and forgettable.
View all the information on eBay
I”m not sure what these ads were used for, but I found them on Advertolog.com. They were released during 2001 by Ogilvy & Mather Frankfurt for the Chrysler company in Germany.
http://www.advertolog.com/jeep/print-outdoor/least-popular-imported-car-2897855/
http://www.advertolog.com/jeep/print-outdoor/minor-landmine-damage-3608705/
UPDATE: Brochure sold on eBay.
I spotted this 1960 Catalog from Berg’s Truck and Parts Company tonight. Hyman Berg, a Ukrainian by emigre, was possibly the first distributor of Willys Parts (though I have no information that definitively backs this claim). Mr. Berg founded the international truck and jeep parts company in the 1940s. In the 1950s, he founded Amsco Parts Co. Both were at 1608 S. Wabash, Chicago, Illinois. Apparently, JC Whitneys was right down the street from Bergs for some period of time. According to Berg’s grandson, the family was immersed in Marketing for decades, hence the decision by Hy to be known as the “King of Jeeps”.
In addition, as suggested by this G503 thread, Hy sold Sears Jeep parts and also sold Jeep parts to the Phillipines. He bought some early prototype jeeps and housed them at this same location, which is where this photograph was taken. There is more information about Berg here, too, from G503.
Hyman Berg died in 1986 at the age of 75.
The CJ-3B Page has a cover of a 1958 Catalog.
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
There’s a neat drawing of a dealership on the back of this program. The Schotts owned a Willys Dealership (more than 1?). This is the same Schotts that would eventually own the Cincinnati Reds. There are a few items from their dealership still around, including this altoy jeepster and this ashtray plate.
Here are two New Yorker Magazines with jeeps on the cover.
The first one is from May 27th, 1944. View the Magazine information on eBay
This picture appeared on the cover of the March 11, 1944, of New Yorker Magazine. View the Magazine information on eBay
I looked up the artist’s name, Pettinato, but couldn’t find anything else by him/her. The body style seemed like a Ford Pygmy to me.
“Newly printed photo poster on the highest quality photographic paper . Photo poster size is 16 inches x 20 inches , image size may be slightly smaller . Please see scan for exact image . This beautiful poster is a great item to frame and display on your wall! It will fit in a commonly available 16 inch x 20 inch frame.”
View all the information on eBay
Here’s a rarely seen WW2 poster with a jeep that Alex shared.
Alex forwarded me a variety of Joe Dope posters from WWII. I posted a couple several years ago, but didn’t realize how many others there were.
Roberto forwarded this to me the other day. My french is rusty, so feel free to translate.
In this story from Gus and the Model Garage, Gus investigates the centrifugal-advance mechanism. “Gus and the Case of the Councilman’s Car” was published in October 1968.
http://www.gus-stories.org/html/october_1968.htm
According to the website, “Dennis Avery, land owner of Galleta Meadows Estates in Borrego Springs envisioned the idea of adding ‘free standing art’ to his property with original steel welded sculptures created by ‘Perris Jurassic Park’ owner/artist/welder Ricardo Breceda based in Perris, California.” One of the sculptures he commissioned was a tribute to the jeep (or jeeping, I don’t have specific information about the sculpture).
You can see a variety of jeep pictures here
These pictures were photographed by Bob Perry and posted at Flickr. Note that there are no boulders under the jeep at the time they were taken in 2010. However, as of 2012 there are now boulders, suggesting the jeep is climbing over them.
This is another story about a jeep from the Gus and the Model Garage series published in Popular Science Monthly. This particular article was published in June of 1955. In this story Gus learns about the oil float in the old Willys motors.
http://www.gus-stories.org/june_1955.htm
In this story from Gus and the Model Garage, Gus explains what happens when synthetic rubber gets old. The story is called “Gus Goes Hunting … For Trouble” and was published in November of 1953.
http://www.gus-stories.org/html/november_1953.htm
This is a Topps chewing gum card that shows a CJ-3B. At Dean’s Cards, this is only $5.00. I looked for some other Topps cards with jeeps, but couldn’t find any more.
“1954/55, I would grade very good with light wear. Please see scans to make your own evaluation. E-mail with any questions. Thanks for looking!”
View all the info and pics on eBay
Buz pointed me to this story title “Gus and the Miracle Jeep”, publish in the August 1950 of Popular Science Monthly. The story is part of the Gus and the Model Garage series. I’d never read any Gus stories, and Buz didn’t tell me much, other than I should read it. So, I didn’t know what to expect.
After reading it I suggest you read it too. It just begs the question, what other things did the Army try?
http://www.gus-stories.org/august_1950.htm
That is just one of more than 500 stories about Gus and the Model Garage, written by Martin Bunn over the span of three decades. Who was Martin Bunn? That was a pen name for a variety of authors who churned out a monthly story designed to describe car problems in ways the average person would understand. In a way, it’s like Encyclopedia Brown (which I loved reading as a kid) for people interested in automotive mechanics.
Thanks to Mike Hammerberg, there is an entire website devoted to Gus and the Model Garage stories.
From Gus and the Model Garage comes this tale. It is more adventure story than mechanic story, but it does feature a Ford GP. It is titled “Gus Helps Land a Big Catch” and published in July, 1961.
http://www.gus-stories.org/html/july_1961.htm
Roberto has created a new t-shirt picturing a Willys MB. You can see all his T-shirts here:
http://www.robertoflores.com/tienda/catalog/index.php/cPath/51_21_55
I’ve never seen this ad before now.” This is the actual ad and not a copy of one. It was published in 1947.
Also, there are a bunch of other ads currently on ebay
Gerald forwarded pictures of this sign (thanks!). While the Willys Wagon is featured prominently on this sign, I couldn’t find any evidence of its existence elsewhere within the restaurant. Layton’s is located in Ocean City, Md, and is supposed to be pretty good according to Urbanspoon.
Roberto forwarded these two illustrations. The process of illustrating the Commando is also shown. Thanks Roberto!
You can see the entire slideshow here
I spotted this neat little drawing by David McMullen over at Sun Compass, which has a page about the Rat Patrol.
http://suncompass.fandom.tv/military_vehicles.htm
