This year the Bantam Festival has a fantastic lineup of early jeeps courtesy of Omix-ADA. The BRC built by Duncan Rolls, along with a host of other early jeeps should make for a great show.
Features Research Archives
More Photos from Charles
Neat follow me jeep from the belgian air force 1ste wing-1950
Note the accordion on the front of this jeep.
1949 All-Wheel Drive Means All-Year Usefuleness Ad
Another ‘the jeep can do it all’ ad. This one was published on June 1, 1949, in Utah’s Deseret News.
Quick Trip Down to Utah
On Monday we drove down to Boise where we met up with Josh to see his prized four-wheel-steer Bantam BRC-40, which appears to have been converted to two-wheel-steer by the military. According to Josh, the four wheel-steer-jeeps were horrendous to drive, so they weren’t used that way for long. He’s in the process of gathering the parts he needs to do a full restoration on it.
Two interesting tidbits about the four wheel steer Bantams. In the first photo, the inner sides of the wheel wells were beaten with hammers to accommodate the four-wheel-steer mechanisms.
One way to identify a four-wheel-steer is by shocks mounted inside and in back of the springs like the ones shown below.
Josh has a few other jeeps around as well. I got so busy talking with him that I forgot to photograph the others. Meanwhile, my photographer got chilly, so she returned to the jeep. Zollie accompanied us on our trip, so Ann posed him in front of this jeep.
After spending Monday night in Boise, we drove down to Salt Lake on Tuesday. We picked up the boys and went to eat some delicious food at the Mahider Ethiopian restaurant. Below is the huge plate of food we ordered. To eat, you tear some of the spongy, fermented bread called Injera from the edges of the plate and scoop up food with it.
On Wednesday we went to Kimball Junction to see the Topeka Hiway Mower for sale here. After that we returned to Salt Lake City and took Colter to a movie (Karson was busy with college). Unfortunately, by Wednesday afternoon snow was predicted on the Blue Mountains in Oregon, so we decided to head back Thursday night.
It was a short visit to Utah, but a good one.
Willys Quad Historical Landmark Display on eBay
Here’s an unusual item.
“INTERNATIONAL HISTORICAL LANDMARK DISPLAY
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING -WILLYS OVERLAND JEEP MODEL MB
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS
APPROX. 40 INCHES TALL”
1960? Jeep Trucks FCs Mailing Brochure
UPDATE: This was likely published in 1959, 1960, or 1961. I can’t make out the form number to verify. This was sold on eBay in 2015.
Plus the brochure the seller will include a Scheneker Plow Ad.
“Up for auction no reserve! A Mailing Brochure for Willys Jeep trucks also the CJ-5 jeep Brochure folds out to a nice display sheet measuring 11 inches tall 17 across. please see pics condition is very good a little paper aging as expected for the age. Also a one sided brochure Ad for Schenecker Snow Plow Universal mount for Jeep. age stains light crease across middle small paper loss left center in pic”
Specialized Equipment Brochure **SOLD**
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
“UP FOR AUCTION IS THIS RARE OLD JEEP CATALOG. 27 PAGES FULL OF ALL KINDS OF RARE JEEP EQUIPMENT. LIKE A BACK HOE, POST HOLE DIGGER, AMBULANCE, ETC, ETC CONDITION IS VERY GOOD FOR ITS AGE. SELLING WITH NO RESERVE. PLEASE KEEP ME IN YOUR WATCH. I HAVE ALOT MORE VINTAGE JEEP BROCHURES I WILL BE LISTING.”
Louisville Apothecary Used Wagons and DJs
This February 1956 photo and caption from Willys News reported that the Louisville Apothecary, which had used jeeps for delivery since 1946, was welcoming their first DJ-3A Dispatcher to their lineup.
The 1955 Trek Across Australia in a Buick Sedan
Buz shared this unique story of Keith’s Adams’ trek across Australia in an extra-ordinary 1948 Buick Sedan. Keith and his family filmed their adventure in color. It looks like an interesting story.
http://northernsafari.com/project/buick/
At one spot the family encountered a modified MB/GPW that looks pretty dead:
M-201 Hotchkiss from Tahiti
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.
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”