Alex’s friend took this photo of a M-201 Hotchkiss. There are about ten of these in Tahiti that are leftover from the French nuclear test period. Only one or two are in running condition.
Features Research Archives
Rare Jeep Lego Set
Thanks to Dan for spotting this just completed auction. A rare Jeep Lego set just sold on eBay for $1,069!
You can get the full story at Yahoo: https://autos.yahoo.com/news/vintage-lego-jeep-costs-more-actual-jeeps-143012173.html
FC-Roundup Music Video
In anticipation of the 2015 FC Roundup in Phoenix, Craig Brockhaus compiled this great FC Music Video from past Roundup photos taken by Scott Lehman.
American Bantam Plow
Ted Jordan forwarded me the following photos of a rare American Bantam plow with serial plate he just acquired. He also forwarded several emails about the plow and Barry Thomas’ efforts to learn more about it. I’m sure Barry will continue to dig into this issue. You can follow his efforts at http://farmjeep.com & his farm jeep blog.
That got me doing my own research. There’s an interesting interrelationship between the Monroe Auto, Newgren and American Bantam companies. I’m sure some of you have information you can add to this, but for now the history below is what I managed to cobble together.
Monroe Auto Parts senior project engineer Ivan N. Schatzka helped the company develop a hydraulic lift in 1946. In the same year the Newgren Company became the distributor of the Love hydraulic lift, developed by J. B. Love. At some point Monroe Auto acquired the Newgren company (and discontinued the Love Hydraulic lift in favor of the Monroe lift?). By 1948 Newgren was advertising that its implements were operated in conjunction with the Monroe lift.
Meanwhile, American Bantam was struggling. During WWII American Bantam had annual sales around $25 million. In 1945 that amount dropped to $19 million. In a failed attempt to shift course and sell post-war civilian trailers, American Bantam sales plunged to $3.8 million in 1946 and further to $3.7 million in 1947. Unable to meet dividends, American Bantam struggled, and may have been close to shutting its doors.
For reasons that aren’t quite clear to me, on July 5, 1948, Monroe Auto Parts offered American Bantam directors a proposal. Monroe wanted to sell the Newgren Company to American Bantam. In exchange, the MacIntyre brothers, who led the Monroe Company, would take over American Bantam. Thus, Monroe was divesting itself of the Newgren company, but maintaining control of Newgren by gaining control of its new parent company, American Bantam. All of the common stock in American Bantam would become non-voting preferred stock. In exchange for the Newgren Company, American Bantam would pay the Monroe Company $600,000 in a new class of stock.
My theory is that Monroe’s management was not optimistic about the future of jeep implements, but were bullish on the auto part industry in general. Fearing Newgren could become a drag, due to its focus on jeep parts, they moved it to American Bantam. This put the Monroe company on a path to focus on the auto parts industry, yet allowed them to maintain control of Newgren by selling it to American Bantam.
1942 Photo of MP Jeeps in a line on eBay
It looks like the first and third military police jeeps are Slat Grilles to me.
View all the information on eBay
Warn Summer Hubs **SOLD**
Plenty of Snow in Vermont, Too
Like Ted in Connecticut, Craig reports there is plenty of snow in Vermont. None of these jeeps will be moving anytime soon!
Salt Lake City Bound Monday
Ann and I are driving south monday morning. After an overnight stop in Boise Monday night we’ll be in Salt Lake to visit my boys Tuesday and Wednesday. We decided to take advantage of the lack of snow, the warm temperatures, and low gas prices.
Snowed Over in the Northeast
Most of you know the northeast has been hit hard with snow this year. Some know because you are in the middle of it! One of those is Ted, who shared these photos:
Monroe 3 Point Parts
Ted posted these Monroe 3 Point parts on eBay. View all the information on eBay
1. Monroe 3 Point View all the information on eBay
2. Monroe 3 Point Arms View all the information on eBay
24 KT Gold Plated CJ-5 Retiree Jeep on eBay
How many of these gold plated CJ-5 models did Kaiser Jeep make?
“This is a hard to find piece, this was only given to plant retirees in the 1950’s. This jeep is in amazing condition. It still has the 24kt. tag under the hood and the paper telling how to care for the gold plated jeep. I have seen a few of these jeeps but never with the original label and paper. Nothing broke or missing, someone engraved some numbers on the underside. *Measures 5 1/2″ L x 2 3/4 W x 3″ T at windshield. Weighs 1 pd. 4 oz.”
1947 Jeep Advertisement
This 1947 ad from the Boise City News includes rare references to a “Jeep Van Truck” and a ” Jeep Canopy Truck”.
Jeep Ambulances in Australia
This May 18, 1959, article from the Sydney Morning Herald announced the assembly of Jeep Ambulances in Australia.
1906 Video of San Francisco
No jeeps here, but Ann and I found this 1906 film shot on Market Street in San Francisco hypnotic. Cars, trolleys, pedestrians, and horse-pulled wagons all compete for space. Shortly after this video the entire area burned from the Earthquake.
Jeeps @ the World Championship Burro Race
This September 1957 article from Willys News highlights an 11 mile jeep race as part of the World Championship Burro races that year (Burro races are still held). The course was originally from Leadville to FairPlay over Mosquito Pass, but heavy snows shortened the course from Alma to FairPlay.
If I read the article correctly, Denver’s Mile High Jeep Club had 600 members in 1957? No wonder it was considered the largest jeep club in the world!
12ft Jeep Sign Albany, OR No Price
Bill shared this cool sign.
https://corvallis.craigslist.org/pts/6465554227.html
“Large Jeep sign on raceway about 12′ long
Monday Thru Friday after 2pm
Saturday, Sunday 10am – 7pm
NO Texting due to Spam… Thank You”
The Glidden Tours — Early Convoys to Promote Automobiles
(This is an updated of a 2009 post, which was a very condensed history of the Glidden Tours.)
I ran across an early video from a 1905 Glidden Tour. It was fun to watch, but the information claimed that 1905 was the first Glidden Tour. That confused me, because I’d also seen the 1904 tour from Boston to St. Louis (World’s Fair) listed as the first Glidden Tour. In fact, that was only the “First Annual Tour”. Technically, the first Glidden Tour didn’t take place until, as stated by the movie, 1905. Which you consider first, their purposes were all designed to call attention to the poor roads and confusing interstate issues of the time. Here’s what that 1905 First Glidden Tour looked like (click here or on image to see video)
THE ROADS PROBLEM:
The AAA website describes the turn of the century road situation:
“… There were no paved highways between cities and no maps of existing wagon roads. Automobiles were not dependable for trips of any length,and motoring laws and regulations reflected the general public’s attitude that automobiles were toys of the idle rich and should be severely restricted,if not totally banned. Fortunately, there were small numbers of those who owned and believed in the automobile. Sharing a common interest, they began forming motor clubs to combat the mounting number of unjust motoring laws and regulations being enacted against them and their automobiles and to fight for better roads….”
EARLY SPEED TRAPS:
Early automobile owners faced forgotten challenges. For example, there was no reciprocity between states, so if you planned to drive your new horseless carriage over state lines, you had to have registered and paid a state tax in both states. Here’s more from the Short History of Highway and Vehicle Regulations:
“…. Actually, the turn of the century did not mark the beginning of political regulation of conveyances. Local and municipal governments were already regulating and licensing bicycle usage within their jurisdictions during the 1880s and 1890s. (Mason 42) For example, the city of Chicago had a “Wheel Tax” ordinance in effect in 1898, which required an annual license fee from all wagons, carriages, coaches, buggies, and bicycles. The year 1901 marked the first attempt at levying a registration fee specifically on autos (New York State-annual revenue for the year -was $954), and at the same time the first law regulating the speed of an automobile was passed in Connecticut (12 mph in the country, 8 mph in the cities). (Labatut 95, 99) By 1907, 31 States required registration of men-or vehicles, the fees vary ing from 25 cents to $25 per vehicle. (Dearing 250) The first traffic code in the world was adopted by New York City in 1903. (Labatut 454) Many “municipalities had their own ordinances regulating speeds, parking, the use of bells, horns and gongs, the making of unnecessary exhaust noise and the emission of noxious gas, smoke or steam, and they imposed fines for violations. These regulations varied widely from city to city and, especially in the smaller municipalities were often enforced in a discriminatory way.” (AMER. HWYS. 57, 60) “Speed traps” were often operated by local police officers in rural communities “with fines going into the local treasury or the pockets of the police, justice, or magistrate. The speed trap racket was so bad in New York prior to 1910, that the Legislature passed an act that year requiring all fines imposed for violations of the motor vehicle laws to be turned over to the State treasurer. This reduced the fines collected from motorists to a mere trickle….”
THE GLIDDEN TOURS
To address and call attention to the issues described above, and more, in 1902 the AAA was formed in Chicago by nine automobile clubs. In 1904 the AAA organized an automobile rally that started in New York, went north to Boston, and ended 18 days and 1,350 miles later in St. Louis at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. Here’s a 1904 photo from that first tour:
THE GREAT ARROW & PIERCE ARROW:
The company that became Pierce Arrow used the Glidden Tours to demonstrate how well its cars performed. Here’s a list of accomplishments from The Old Motor website.
These facts are particularly interesting to me as my great grandfather had a Great Arrow delivered to him in Salt Lake in 1905, the first one in the valley. Here’s a photo and article about it.
1909 GLIDDEN TOUR:
The Glidden Tours were popular for a short time. The photo below shows a huge gathering of automobiles. Below that is a map of their tour.
The Jeep is a Working Girl Newspaper Ad
This Milwaukee Sentinel ad from May 25, 1947, filled an entire page. Part of the ‘Jeep is a Working Girl’ ad campaign Willys Overland published different versions of the ad in magazines as well. This ad also promoted a 1947 Jeep Caravan tour that included demonstrations of eleven pieces of equipment.
1946 Article on Love Hydraulic Lift
This August 21, 1946, article from the Toledo Blade introduces the Love Hydraulic Lift.
Jeeps @ Fort Eustis in Virginia
The United States Transportation Museum in Virginia has a few jeeps. With a 50,000 square-foot building and four outdoor parks there’s plenty of space for vehicles of all types. I’m sure some of you have been here?
Photos of United Nations Jeeps
1940 Photo of Ford Pygmy on eBay
That’s a great early photo!
“WWII Ford Pygmy Pilot Vehicle during Test at Camp Holabird Jeep Orig Press Photo”
1943 Photo of a Jeep Convoy on the Burma Road
That’s the most solid portion of the Burma Road I’ve ever seen.
“WWII Convoy of U.S. Jeeps on Narrow Supply Road to Burma Original Press Photo”
Bantam History Update at Hemmings
Marc pointed out this history update over at Hemmings.
Pre-Jeep: The Belly Flopper
I didn’t know this early Belly Flopper was still around. It’s housed at the National Infantry Museum and Soldiers Center in Columbus, Georgia.
Read more about it at Foxtrot Alpha