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About eWillys
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.
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 .
Roy Rogers and Post Cereals had a licensing agreement for an unknown period of time, but it at least covered the period between 1952-1955 (I’m sure the Roy Rogers & Dale Evans archives can better answer the time period question). Together, the entertainer and cereal manufacturer produced a series of TV spots, print ads, and merchandise.
Here’s an example of a Post Cereal Commercial with Roy Rogers, Pat Brady and a hint of Nelly Belle (see many more commercials here):
In 1952 and 1953, Roy Rogers teamed up with Post Cereals to produce a series of 36 pop-out cards about Roy’s epic adventures. View references to the names for the entire list of cards here.
Card #4 “Pat Brady and Hi Jeep, “Nelly Bell”. Of course, the front is actually the same size as the back. See better images here.
Post Cereals also released a series of 3D cards with Roy Rogers, a few that included jeeps, that required the use of 3D glasses. Here are two examples that include jeeps (there are some of these 3D items for sale on eBay).
UPDATE: Matt shared this awesome pic of a Stork FC with a plow taken at the 2019 Great Willys Picnic.
I happened upon the Stork’s Plows website the other day. The company operates out of Bernsville, Pennsylvania. It looks like they carry a wide range of replacement parts for plows and other equipment, though how many vintage parts they have for those items isn’t clear. According to the website’s history page, the company started fixing plows and has a history of jeep support. They also sell some jeep parts on eBay.
“This auction is for one awesome IT’s A BEAUTY !!!! WE DO SHIPPED TO CANADA.. we do COMBINED SHIPPING COST !! 1950 JACKIE ROBINSON – DUKE SNIDER – PEE WEE REESE – CARL FURILLO – ROY CAMPANELLA Brooklyn Dodgers NL Team ” RIDING In A JEEP ” 8×10 TEAM PHOTO ! !!! awesome Made from super negative !!”
I find it rewarding to find the backstories to folks see in the old photos like this. You can read Harry’s full biography here.
This photo published in the Jackson Advocate on June 22, 1946, was taken in Leghorn, Italy, and shows Harry and his wife Orlean together again after being separated during WWII. Born in Mississippi, in 1909, Harry rose to the rank of Major, serving in both WWII and the Korean War. A writer, editor and highly educated man, after spending time in Germany, France, Korea, California, Africa, and other places, he eventually returned to Mississippi, become the first black teacher at the Gulfport High School. He went on to win a variety of awards and was a member of a number of societies. Major Harry C. Tartt passed away in 2008, with Orlean preceding him.
While the sign reads “approved”, to me this particular sign does not look like Willys approved signage. There are too many signs of slight overspray. Perhaps it was done by a service station owner? I’ve also not seen one with that background color. Anyone seen another like this?
Marked form FS-F514105, this brochure highlights some of the tool bar implements available for jeeps, including the Rotary Lister Planter, the Conventional Moldboard Middle Buster, The Roatry Bottom Middle Buster, the Field Cultivator and the Row Fertilizer Attachment.
Barry Thomas suggests that some or all of these may be ex-newgren items that, following Newgren’s struggles, Willys-Overland began to market and sell under ‘Jeep’. I’m not as versed as some folks on the individual implements, so maybe someone can confirm this?
One thing is clear to me; Willys-Overland did not devote much marketing resources to this sales effort. These brochures are pretty simplistic compared to many other marketing documents of the time. Maybe there was a small team with a tight budget assigned to try to make something happen with this niche of farming and implements?
This unusual little lighter is engraved with Willys, Packard, and Mack. Kenneth B. Schleicher ran a dealership out of Lehighton, Pennsylvania, for fifteen years. He passed away in 1984.
Chris spotted this wonderful video showing the capabilities of ‘Jeep’ Audiovisual unit. There are lots of great details, including how to use the PTO to power the generator which operates the equipment. So cool! Thanks to Indiana University for preserving this unique film!
I can’t imagine that Willys was fielding enough Land Rover questions that the sales department thought it needed to highlight the Jeep’s advantages over it?
“This is an original 8.25″ x 5.5″ 20-page Willys Motors booklet made for Jeep dealers to help familiarize them with the 4 X 4 features & help sell their vehicles by showing they can go anywhere,anytime,under any conditions.It’s in nice condition with only minor wear on the covers”
This modest four page brochure was spotted by Maury on eBay along with five other cool brochures which I’ll share over the next few days. They are great brochures at a killer buy-it-now price.
Each of the brochures had consecutive form numbers, from FS-514100 to FS-514105. The brochure below included extra digits at the front: FS-4 FS-514102.
I do think it’s odd that while the brand ‘Jeep’ dominates much of the consumer facing literature by 1958, the marketing department still uses the ‘Willys’ term. Of course, the company’s name is Willys Motors, but that’s pretty much a legacy name by this time (at least in retrospect).
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.
“943 Press Photo Sicilian kids ride American jeep, World War II, Sicily. This is an original press photo. World War II – Sicily. Friendly youngsters crowd themselves into an American jeep, parked on a street in Sicily. Scene is from U.S. Army Signal Corps Newsreel Film. Photo measures 9.25 x 7 inches. Photo is dated 8-10-1943.”
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.
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.
UPDATE: These various photos show the early testing of Mighty Mites.
(02/29/2020) This photo appears to show one of the prototype Mighty Mites. It’s hood number (179849) is 3 numbers away from another Mighty Mite (179846) that appeared in the press video at the bottom of this post.
“1954 Sikorsky S-56 Helicopter Backing Jeep into Cargo area … Press Photo”
Here’s the Mighty Mite press video:
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Originally Posted May of 2018: The hood and windshield on this jeep are different from the standard Mighty Mite. This may have been an early prototype. See the photo at the bottom for another view of a vehicle that may be one until earlier than the vehicle in the press photo. (the one in the press photo is #179849).
“1954 Press Photo Jeep being loaded into Sikorsky XHR25 helicopter, Connecticut. This is an original press photo. Three loaded jeeps or 26 men can be carried by a new giant helicopter demonstrated at Bridgeport, Connecticut, Monday. The Sikorsky XHR25 is being built in quantity for the armed forces. It has twin engines, retractable landing gear and rotors that fold, making it easy to handle aboard aircraft carriers. It will fly faster than 150 miles an hour. (Aero-Helicopter) Photo measures 10 x 7 inches. Photo is dated 01-19-1954.”
Originally Posted September 2018:Cool, but odd photo, given the roadway behind it. Lots of competing visual angles.
“This is an original press photo. Light enough to be airlifted by helicopter but tough enough to pull through knee deep mud, the mighty mite is to be produced by American Motors Corp. for the military forces. The mighty mite weighs 1,300 pounds less than the jeep and is 43 inches shorter. It is capable of climbing an 87% grade and can do 57 miles an hour on the highway. Its powerful aluminum die cast, air cooled engine enables the vehicle to carry a payload of 500 pounds while towing another 1,000 pounds over rough terrain. United States – Army – Equipment – Vehicles Photo measures 9 x 7.25 inches. Photo is dated 12-05-1954”
The newest issue of the Dispatcher Magazine arrived at my mailbox. It’s another great issue full of vintage jeep info, including a listing for the “world’s oldest jeep touring company” out of Ouray, Colorado, that is for sale (yes, the owner is considering retirement).
However, the article that really snagged me was Bill Norris’ Maverick article (Thank You Bill!). I now finally understand the Maverick Wagon history (1958-1964) and how some Maverick TV show drama resulted in the 1960-1964 ‘Maverick’ wagons not really being Maverick’s anymore, despite having the Maverick pre-fix. It’s also why some folks are pro ‘1958-1959 were the years that the only true Maverick wagons were produced’, while other folks point to the pre-fix in the years 1959-1964 and argue that any wagons that used the pre-fix are actual Maverick wagons.