This eight-page holiday  issue is the final issue of 1965 (only 6 issues produced). Page one introduces the first luxury Wagoneer, the Jeep Super Wagoneer. Page two highlights the growing demand for contract plowing. Page three continues the luxury wagon discussion, while also noting that parts can make an “attractive store display”; so, when you start hanging parts in the living room, just show your partner this article and how it can be actually attractive (good luck with that, lol).

Pages four and five share more on Gladiator and Wagoneer vehicles. Page six shows off an unusual display in Peru, while the new Kaiser Argentina Model 101 four-door jeep is depicted. Page seven shares news on the Afton Canyon excursion in Southern California, which is the first I’ve heard of this annual trip. It drew 398 vehicles in 1965.

Page eight includes a story on a New Jersey M-38 fire jeep. Also on the page is a photo of Col. Dave Harbour, an outdoor writer who drove his wagon 100,000 miles, being presented with a model jeep, but I can’t tell what kind of model it is.

This eight-page 1965 Jeep News Volume 11 Number 2 begins by announcing the Vigilante V-8 engine. Unmentioned in the news article was the response by recent purchasers of the six cylinder models, which was a unanimous, “Wow, I coulda had a V8!” .. or am I confusing that with another product? Pages 2-7 continue with more V-8 info, along with marketing and dealer info.

Page eight reports on the 1965 Chicago Auto Show. Jeep showcased eleven vehicles, all decked in a prairie gold color with black vinyl interior trim, which got me thinking … what did Willys Motors and Kaiser Jeep do over the years with their specially trimmed auto show vehicles? Looking back to the 1959 Chicago Auto show (Feb 1959 Jeep News), it was reported that all the vehicles at that show had been sold. Moreover, the display featured a full line of “Willys approved special equipment”, but by 1965 note the second largest word that appears on the display wall: “fun“… the word is written in what might be described as a playful font and style. Moreover, it’s hard to see a piece of special equipment (but the pic on page eight doesn’t show the best view; I tried to find some better pics). I’m beginning to wonder it the marketing firm hired in 1964 had something to do with the shift in perspective, from “useful” vehicles to “fun” vehicles. That could explain it.

This eight-page 1965 Jeep News Volume 11 Number 1 kicked off 1965 with the announcement that 1964 had been the best sales year in history. The article specifically targets the Tux Park CJ-5s as an important driver of the success. Page two shares the news that the Kaiser-backed Willys Overland do Brasil had begun building a second plant in Brazil; also noteworthy is that the Brazilian company was the largest publicly held company in Brazil at that time.

Page three contains an article about Pope Paul IV conferring the order of St. Gregory upon the President of the Industrias Kaiser Argentina S.A., which, to me, seems a curious distinction given all the other people in the world doing important things and the fact that the Knights Commander seems a fairly rare award (I tried to find the total number of recipients, but had no luck). Lower on the page is a photo of a CJ-3B carrying the Pope in Bombay, which causes the cynic in me to wonder about the timing of these two events. I’m sure it’s a coincidence.

Page four is dealer news. Page five covers the use of Tux Parks in former President Kennedy’s inauguration parade. We’ve seen a couple of these with the dash plaque pop up for sale since the start of eWillys. Page six tells the story of the John B. Calfee family, who traveled Europe driving a Wagoneer that pulled a travel trailer. Pages seven and eight have a few different mini-stories and photos.