This photo was published in the February 09, 1945, issue of the Saturday Evening Post, page 12. It shows a Weasel getting a muddy test with a jeep next to it.
Features Research Archives
The Whens and Whys of the Willys-Overland “J” Logo
UPDATE IV: Branden found this 1945 Parts List booklet that includes a prominent “J” logo. This is the most prominent use of the logo that I’ve seen. It’s not clear to me whether this booklet was introduced with the jeep in August of ’45 or a little later in ’45.
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UPDATE III (04/07/2019): Maury spotted the a “J” dealership sign example on this Miller Tools brochure:
UPDATE II: I’ve added two examples of ‘dark’ “J”s, dark (blue or black) background with white letters. Now that I think about it, I guess this is similar to the black and white newspaper versions.

CREDIT: Douglass, Neal. Harry Payne Motors, photograph, June 3, 1942; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth34338/m1/1/: accessed April 7, 2019), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Austin History Center, Austin Public Library. … MY NOTES: The photo year is more likely late 1947 or 1948.
UPDATE: This is best described as a working draft that Maury Hurt and I have constructed in the hopes of understanding Willys-Overland’s “J” logo better …. If you have input, please email me or add it in a comment at the bottom of the post.
In January of this year, Maury emailed me about a Willys/Cars•Trucks/Jeep logo that he was hoping to reproduce, wondering if I had any better examples of it. That simple email turned into a mission: Find out the history behind the logo.
It turned out that we could find no articles or discussion about the evolution of the logo. So, we spent a month looking through old brochures and advertisements to develop a theory of what it should look like, when it was used, and why.
What’s the logo supposed to look like?
Our first challenge was to determine what the logo was supposed to look like. As these examples show, different fonts and slightly different looks were used in the printing of the logo.
or even this one …

Our suspicion is that this is from overseas, possibly Australia? We don’t have a time frame on this one.
And, the list would not be complete without some matchbook covers:
How should the “J” look?
1943 Color Photo of Smoke Screen Demonstration
1954 Wagon Brochure on eBay
This no reserve brochure is only $.99 (plus shipping) right now. It’s a good price on a nice brochure that folds out pretty large.
View all the information on ebay
“1954 Willy’s Jeep Station Wagon Original Sales Brochure. Condition is Used. Great condition! Shipped with USPS First Class Package.”
Jeeps @ the Portland Swap Meet
Paul Barry is at this year’s Portland Swap Meet in Oregon. He spotted several jeeps for sale.
Looks like a Parkway, but isn’t:
A couple Jeepsters for $7000:
Where Did March Go? Some Updates
March was a complete blur. Last I remember there was still snow on the ground here in Pasco. Now, the snow is long gone, the trees are budding, and the temperatures have warmed. I’m amazed I got any eWillys updates completed last month.
Speaking of updates, here are a few ….
The Funeral:
I wanted to say a final thanks to everyone who sent us well-wishes on dad’s passing. Anyone who has followed his story on here probably understands that, ever since his close call with death in 2011, all the years and time together since then have been a bonus. So, we were fortunate to have the extra time with him.
Thanks to perfect weather, my oldest son Karson and I drove Patterson to the funeral. The fact it was all back roads made it possible. I hadn’t driven the jeep that far since the Alaska Highway, so I didn’t really know what to expect. Still, we all agreed it was proper to have a jeep there, so we ignored the chance for a breakdown and drove anyway (but carried tow equipment just in case). The engine water temp gauge acted hot right away, so that made me a bit nervous on the drive, but there were no overheating signs, fortunately.
Just to make things interesting, the brakes were pulling to one side, so that made stopping all that more ‘fun’. And, the steering box was a little looser than I’d like, as I’d back off the ross box screw for towing it (but had forgotten about that), so we wandered a little. Still, the drive and purpose were worth any of those inconveniences.
I gave a short eulogy at the funeral (a little longer than the piece I published here) and managed not to crack with emotion as I read it. That was a win. Then, Karson and I managed to make it all the way back home without breaking down. Another win.
All-in-all it was a relatively happy event. We all understood where Dad was at in life, so there were more smiles than tears.
The Memorial:
I know some of you will be joining us at Dad’s Memorial. It is tentatively set for May 11th (a Saturday). The location has not been determined just yet.
Travels:
The only travel plan we have marked in our calendars is a visit to Utah in early May. My daughter Kasia is graduating from college with a Chemical Engineering degree. She already has a great job in California lined up working for a long-established industrial insurance company (so we’ll be in the bay area at least a couple times over the next two years).
After that, we do not have any large trip planned (other than the White Rim trip below), though we are considering a September trip to Iowa to attend Dan’s FC Jamboree in Iowa. We haven’t traveled east that late in the year, so we thought it might be a nice change.
Canyonlands White Rim Trail:
My son Karson has invited me to join him on an exploration of the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park in early May, so after Kasia’s graduation, we’ll head down there.
He’s biked the length of the trail, but he thought I’d like to jeep it. So he offered, as an early birthday present, to rent a jeep in Moab and have us drive the trail’s 100 miles together. It was a very thoughtful present and I jumped at the chance.
I guess that’s all for now. I hope everyone is close to putting winter behind them and looking forward to some Spring weather!
1954 Photo Repro of Jimmy Stewart in WW2 on eBay
As I read it, this photo of Jimmy Stewart and other service members from WW2 was taken in 1944 and reproduced on January 15, 1954 (or maybe just used on that date?).
View all the information on eBay
“Well-preserved 1944 Associated Press 8×11 glossy photo of Jimmy Stewart, an Army major, driving fliers to their planes in Britain less than two months before D-Day. A pencil mark appears above Stewart’s head. On the back is an “Associated Press Wirephoto” stamp.”
Wooden WWII Jeep on eBay
This looked like an interesting jeep.
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“Vintage WWII era hand made wood model of a U.S. Army Jeep. Missing front bumper blocks and one rear corner wire guard, overall good condition. Measures aprox. 5” x 2 1/2” x 1 3/4”, great bit of military folkart.”
1943 Photo of Roosevelt in Casablanca on eBay
Note the modified side entrance of this jeep on the February 2, 1943, photo of President Roosevelt.
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Coca-Cola-Themed FC-170(?)
Blaine shared this modified FC-170 (or is it an FC van?) with a Coca-Cola theme. Anyone have more info about it? It was posted to Pinterest.