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Willys-Overland Saturday Evening Post Ads 1948-1949

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

These are all the ads I could find on Saturday Evening Posts published between January 1948 and December 1949. Again, it seems Willys-Overland’s advertising was an exercise in experimentation. Some notes:

  1. City-And-City Campaign: The first obvious item is that Willys-Overland ran its wagon city-and-city campaign in 1948, but did not run all the ads produced in the Saturday Evening Posts (as documented here). Collier’s Magazine also got a few as did Life Magazine.
  2. W-O Graphic: In a November 11, 1946 (see 1946-1947 ads here), ad Willys-Overland used script for Willys Overland Motors. In December 21, 1946, the script was accompanied by the graphical representation of Willys-Overland in the form of an yellow “O”, colored red on the inside, with a yellow “W” atop that design.
    1946-12-21-willys-script-wo-logo
    The scipt disappeared in January on 1947, leaving only the W-O logo. In February and March of 1947 the W-O logo was absent from ads, but then in April of 1947 it made a brief return, before disappearing again.
    1946-10-w-o-badge
    In Febrary of 1948, the W-O logo reappeared, this time with the ‘Jeep’ logo hovering above it. That combo was used through May of 1948.
    1948-02-07-jeep-wo-logo
    In June of 1948, the ‘Jeep’ was dropped in favor of just the W-O logo. By July, the W-O logo disappeared for 1948 and 1949.
  3. CJ-2A Barely Advertised: Trucks and wagons dominate the advertising. There’s only one ad in two years for the CJ-2A and none for the CJ-3A. One reason for this is that Willys-Overland expanded their advertising to other magazines. The Farming magazines (Farm Journal, Country Gentleman, and others) were more CJ-ad oriented.
  4. ‘Jeep’ Product Badge: Through 1948 and most of 1949 Willys-Overland was advertising ‘Jeep’ Trucks and ‘Jeep’ Station Wagons. However, in late 1949 the company began a switch to WILLYS ‘Jeep’ Station Wagons (see October 15, 1949 ad), then the ‘Jeep’ name was relegated in December 1949 to a small (new) badge, while WILLYS became the more prominent branding once again. Here’s how the badge looked.
    1950-jan-07-jeep-product-badge
    In January of 1950, the company shortened WILLYS ‘Jeep’ Station Wagons to Willys Station Wagons, dropping the ‘Jeep’ entirely.

    1950-01-07-sat-evening-post-station-wagon-pg86-650px

    January 07, 1950 Willys -Overland ad in the Sat Evening Post, page 86. Note the use of the ‘Jeep’ badge and the return of WILLYS as the primary brand.

  5. From ‘Jeep’ to WILLYS: After February 1950, Willys-Overland dropped the ‘Jeep’ badge and the ‘Jeep’ branding of the wagon as a ‘Jeep’. Instead, the company went full WILLYS branding, as seen in the September ad below. This seems incredibly strange, given the company had finally won the Trademark for JEEP that year  (June 13, 1950 Awarded JEEP registered trademark).
    1950-09-23-sat-evening-post-willys-makes-sense-pg57-650px

    September 23, 1950, Willys-Overland ad in the Sat evening Post, page 57. Note that ‘Jeep’ has disappeared completely from the advertising.

    Why did Willys-Overland drop ‘Jeep’? I have no idea. But, it’s no wonder the average person is/was confused about whether a wagon is a ‘Jeep’ wagon or a Willys wagon!

  6. In October of 1946, Willys-Overland introduced the phrase, “Makers of America’s Most Useful Vehicles” within its ads. That phrase would accompany ads into the 1950s. However, in December of 1949, Willys-Overland introduced a new phrase, “World’s Largest Maker of 4-Wheel-Drive Vehicles”. This phrase was only used once in 1949, but a variation of that phrase would eventually grace Willys-Overland ads (or Willys Motors) in the form of  “World’s largest manufacturer of 4-Wheel-Drive Vehicles”. I don’t have dates for when the former was dropped and the latter adopted … yet.

Below are the 1948-1949 ads from the Saturday Evening Journal:
1948-1949-sat-evening-post-images-flat-650px

 
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Army Story Includes a General and Bob Hope

• CATEGORIES: Features, Magazine This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This story appeared in the August 12, 1950, issue of the Saturday Evening Post, page 56. It highlights the challenges of being an Army jeep driver.

1950-08-12-sat-eve-post-perfect-squelch-bob-hope-story-pg56

 
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1943 Bantam BRC-40 Postcard on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs, Features, Postcards This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Another of these postcards is now on eBay.

View all the information on eBay

“U. S. Army Signal Corps. Jeep Soldiers Out For Refreshments.”

1943-bantam-brc-40-refreshments-postcard1 1943-bantam-brc-40-refreshments-postcard2

Original Post February 20, 2014:

“You are bidding on a vintage 1943 photo postcard of a Jeep, soldiers and a lady. The card reads, Photo by U S Army Signal Corps. The card is postmarked Camp Pickett, VA 1943. The card is in very good condition.”

1943-bantam-postcard1

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The K And K Mower Patent

• CATEGORIES: Documents, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

In February of 1948 Allan Keyser filed a patent for a side mower. It appears this became the design for the K And K Manufacturing Company’s Mower as seen in the brochures at bottom. You can view other early mowing apparatuses here.

“This invention relates to a mower attachment for the presently popular small, four-wheel drive, automotive vehicles popularly known as jeeps, and has for its principal object the provision of means whereby a mower bar can be quickly and easily attached to, or detached from, the vehicle so that it will be easily visible and easily controlled by the driver of the vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide highly efficient means whereby the angle of attack of a mower bar may be adjusted to suit the desires of the user and the requirements of the particular crop being harvested.”

1948-02-04-kayser-mower-patent-k-and-k1 1948-02-04-kayser-mower-patent-k-and-k2 1948-02-04-kayser-mower-patent-k-and-k3

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Break-in Instructions for a 1961 Wagon

• CATEGORIES: Documents, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Frank shared this pic of instructions that accompanied his 1961 wagon.

He wrote, “Thought you might find this interesting. It is the sleeve that came on the visor of my 61 Wagon. When I bought it it had 32,000 miles and now 42,000. The jack was wrapped in a newspaper dated 1961.”

Willys-Wagon-break-in-procedures-frank

 
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1944 Photo of Eisenhower in France **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.

This photo appears to have been published as part of Eisenhower’s 1948 book “Crusade in Europe”.

“Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower in a jeep at front line positions in France in September, 1944 . . . Get. Eisenhower’s own book of the war, “Crusade in Europe,” to be published Nov. 22, will be a treat to military men in studying the strategy of the war and its campaigns, but perhaps the most interesting part of it to the layman is his inside estimate of the war leaders. . .”

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Willys Special Service Tools Brochure

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This Essential Special Service Tools brochure by the Miller Manufacturing Company appears to have been first published in late 1945 or early 1946 (I’m assuming this based on the Willys-Cars-Trucks-J sign on the cover). It was then updated with this second edition in December of 1948.

These aren’t best scans, so I’ve had to do repairs in Photoshop. I’ve actually had this digital brochure scan for several years, but finally had a chance to assembled the scans yesterday, after Maury noted that this has the Willys sign, which would make it the latest document we’ve found with the Willys-Cars-Trucks-J sign on it. There’s a companion brochure for Trucks in the post below.

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Willys Truck Special Service Tools Brochure

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This Essential Special Service Tools for Trucks brochure by the Miller Manufacturing Company appears to have been first published in January of 1948. It was then updated with this second edition in December of 1948.

These aren’t best scans. so I’ve had to do repairs in Photoshop. I’ve actually had this digital brochure scan for several years, but finally had a chance to assembled the scans yesterday, after Maury noted that this has the Willys sign, which would make it the latest document we’ve found with the Willys-Cars-Trucks-J sign on it. There’s a companion brochure for CJ-2As in the post above.
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Jeep Day at “The Buck” — June 1, 2019

• CATEGORIES: Event, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Mark Smith from JeepTruck.com is encouraging any vintage jeepers to join in Jeep Day at “The Buck”, June 1, 2019, in Quarryville, PA. You can show off your jeep, put it through an event, or just watch!

2019-06-01-buck-motorsports

 
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1946 Powered By Willys Engine Badge

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Maury pointed out that a porcelain sign of this badge sold in 2017 (see bottom).

In the April of 1946 issue of the Saturday Evening Post (same month in Colliers, too), Willys-Overland introduced a new advertising badge for the Willys engine.

1946-powered-by-the-world-famous-willys-jeep-engine-badge

As you can see in the introduction ad (A New Chapter), it was matched with the announcement of the Willys-Overland Jeep Station Wagon, though the ad hides the wagon in anticipation of its summer of 1946 launch.

1946-04-13-sat-evening-post-soon-we-will-write-a-great-new-chapter-pg61-lores

The badge made a second appearance within the release-announcement of the station wagon in the August 18, 1946, issue of the Saturday Evening Post.

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The next month, in September of 1946, the badge appears for a third time, again associated with the wagon.

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As quickly as the badge appeared, it disappeared with the same speed. For the October 1946 ad, which included a wagon in it, the Saturday Evening Post seemingly replaced the engine badge with a smaller badge, one with a “W” over the “O”. It’s the earliest jeep ad I can find with that badge (if anyone knows of another, earlier ad, please let me know).

1946-10-w-o-badge 1946-10-19-sat-evening-post-jeep-station-wagon-pg48

At some point, there was a porcelain version of the sign. One sold on eBay in 2017:

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1946 -1947 Willys-Overland Sat Evening Post Ads

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Below is an aggregation of Saturday Evening Post Ads for the period January 1946 – December 1947.

As mentioned in the post above, there was an engine badge that appeared briefly. Another curiosity is the shift in March 1947 to black and white ads for the CJ-2A. Perhaps that was done to further differentiate them from the wagon and truck ads?

1946-19747-sat-evening-post-images-flat-lores-650px

 
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1957 German Fire/Rescue Wagon

• CATEGORIES: Features, Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Blaine shared http://oldiesfan67.canalblog.com/archives/2016/11/07/34522726.html with pics of this cool wagon.

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Summer Outlook

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

My family spent the weekend celebrating Dad. Friends and family gathered together on Saturday afternoon to hear my overview of Dad and share stories about him. I think Dad would have enjoyed the laughter and lovely memories shared by all. Here’s the front of Dad’s flyer.

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With that final event passed, life should return to normal, at least until mom decides she wants to move.

We don’t foresee many trips this summer, except a few couple-day drives, so I hope to get some good work done. We will also be spending the summer looking around to see where we want to land when we buy a house (assuming everything goes according to plan).

Finally, if anyone has any interest in Rusty, the 1956 DJ-3A that’s been partly restored, drop me an email. I don’t see any way I’ll be getting to Rusty anytime soon (Biscuit will be the first project I tackle once I have a garage again). So, I’d like to find a home where someone can use it. Here’s Rusty’s rebuild thread: http://www.ewillys.com/tag/rusty-dj-3a/?orderby=date&order=ASC&more=1

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Photo of Rusty before work was begun.

 

 
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A Big Thanks!

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

A regular reader, who I’ll keep anonymous unless he’d like to come forward, thought he’d add a few items to my jeep collection, so he sent me a box with all these items in it. So, I big THANK YOU for the donation.

collection-image

 
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Spring 2019 Issue of Dispatcher Has Arrived

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

The newest issue of the Dispatcher Magazine should be hitting your mailbox soon, unless you aren’t a subscriber. If you aren’t a subscriber, then you should be! This week there’s a lenghty article on the Super Wagoneer, something about which I knew very little.

spring-2019-dispatcher

 
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1958 Early Photo of M-679

• CATEGORIES: FC150-FC170-M677, Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This early press photo of the M-679 was on eBay.

“1958 Willys Jeep 4×4 XM 679 Panel Van Press Photo. US Navy. Original.
Condition: Hole punched.
Pages: 1
Details: W 10 x H 8 x D 0.1 Weight 1”

1958-m679-prototype-photo

 
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1958 Brochure of 4 Wagons … Kaiser Foil Contest

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features, Willys Wagons This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Mike found a much better image of the back of this brochure on Facebook. 

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Original Post from Aug 2013: This is one of the stranger brochures I’ve come across. It’s part of Kaiser Foil’s 1st Annual Barbecue contest. The brochure is 28 pages. This one sold on eBay.

“Original color catalog , 7 x 6.5 , 28 pages . Covers and pages have bending at the corner , also all pages are stained and wrinkled at the corner . This brochure is filled will barbecue hints and many recipes showing various products . The rear cover shows a Jeep Station Wagon which was an award in the Kaiser Aluminum Championship . The covers of this catalog are made from aluminum .”

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2019 Willys Jeep Reunion May 17-18 Aurora, OH

• CATEGORIES: Event, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Reminder that the Willys Reunion takes place this coming weekend. No, we won’t be there, but a bunch of other folks plan to go.

2019-spring-willys-reunion

The 27th Annual Willys Jeep Reunion will be held May 17-18 at the Bertram Inn in Aurora, Ohio. As usual, we expect to see in excess of 100 Jeeps in attendance. Plus, at the swap meet, there will be vendors from all over the country selling New-Old-Stock and good used parts to help you with your restoration project or to find that rare replacement part you have been hunting for. Who knows what treasures and bargains you might unearth there?

Continue reading

 
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Dualmatic Hubs Parker, CO **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $100.

Might interest someone.

“Front axle from a 1957 Willys CJ5, has the original Dualmatic locking hubs manufactured in Longmont, CO.”

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2019 Pics of the Liberation Celebration from Pilsner, Czech Republic

• CATEGORIES: Event, Features, International This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Petr took part in the celebration. He recorded some of his experience below.

Our roving correspondent Dallas Durham was able to attend the 2019 Liberation Celebration from Pilsner, Czech Republic. He shared a few pics he took there. (I didn’t realize our correspondent budget was that good … I need to take advantage of an international trip .. hopefully, soon).

There is also a 40 minute video now available about the event. I’ll post the video first.

Here are Dallas’ pics:

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1957 Press Photo of Jeep with Wide Wheels on Tracks on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

We’ve seen this photo in the past, but I’m not sure if I’ve seen a press photo of it. It also just occurred to me (and maybe it did before, too), but that could be a DJ-3A body and front clip.

View all the information on eBay

1957-photo-jeep-on-tracks

“1957 Willys Jeep With Wide Tires on Railroad Tracks Press Photo.
Pages: 1
Details: W 10 x H 8 x D 0.1 Weight 1”

 
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Chain Control Clutch Waldport, OR $75

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Bill share this. It’s a good price compared to new ones.

https://oregoncoast.craigslist.org/pts/6884637709.html

“Advance adapters pn 716640 chain control for 1946-1970 jeeps. Brand new never used on project”

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Canyonlands Poster W/ Wagon

• CATEGORIES: Artists/Drawings, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I found this Canyonlands poster while in Moab last weekend. I bought it there but you can find it online also. It’s 14″ x 22″, so it isn’t a huge poster, but I do like the artwork.

https://scenichwys.com/product/canyonlands-shafer-trail

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Willys Jeeps in the Maze

• CATEGORIES: Features, videos This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Graham shared a link to s series of flat fender videos from an unofficial flat fender run in Moab this past April. This is some old school wheeling:

 
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Hudson Steering Modification Pics

• CATEGORIES: Builds, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Barry Ogletree has been working on another great project, this time has installed a Hudson Steering system on a Willys frame. I’ve seen several jeeps for sale with this system over the years, but I’d never seen the parts up close. According to Barry:

I have found a unique steering conversion on the chassis of the wooden bodied Willys (Woody) that is worth a look. I have tracked down that it is a Hudson Car box. The beauty is that it sits about perfect in the Willys frame rail. 3 bolts and you are done, and it tucks perfectly against the frame for exhaust/pitman arm clearance. This is the best fit that I have seen in years of this kind of work. Regards Barry Ogletree.

Barry was awesome enough to post a bunch of pics at this location: https://texasflatfenders.smugmug.com/STEERING-BOX-HUDSON/

Below are a handful of pics: hudson-steering-mod-barry01 hudson-steering-mod-barry0 hudson-steering-mod-barry2 hudson-steering-mod-barry3 hudson-steering-mod-barry4