Features Research Archives

To Top

1952 Photo of Emily Osborne and a CJ-3A(?)

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

This looks to be a CJ-3A (the rubber seal around the edge of the windshield is one clue) with a Worman hardtop. Emily Osborne owns both the jeep and the farm.

https://collections.mnhs.org/cms/display?irn=10736646

“Emily Osborne works an eighty acre farm north of Albert Lea; she is shown here checking the oil in her jeep.”

1952-emily-osborne-cj3a-mn

 
To Top

1942 Video of Akyab Landing

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

John shared this video. It shows the first landing of troops in Burma on the island of Akyab. Jeeps (looks like all Willys MBs) only appear in the first 16 seconds of the video.

This second video gives more of an overview (with narration) of the same landing force, which arrived unopposed (no jeeps).

 
To Top

Photos From the Museum of American Armor

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

Nick visited the Museum of American Armor in Old Bethpage State Park, Long Island, New York, and took these photos for us.

Here’s a video from the Museum’s website:

Nick wrote, “Right when you walk in and scattered throughout with the heavy artillery are a number of well preserver/restored jeeps. The second vehicle you see when entering is a nice GPW. Then, there are blue and yellow newer-looking jeeps (looked like a 3a and an m38a1), which they drive and use around the park. The museum has a very nice OD m38a1 and an M-718 ambulance jeep. They also have an M-274 Mule, a Mighty mite, and an MB.

They have several volunteers that restore the vehicles and many are driven around. And, if you want to take a ride in a tank in an old battlefield setting, I believe you can for a reasonable donation (think it’s like $125).

Here’s a GPW:

2021-museum-of-american-armor-nick-6

This M-38A1 looks well restored:

2021-museum-of-american-armor-nick-7

This CJ-3A? may have an aftermarket hood. It looks like there’s possibly a “Follow Me” M-38A1 behind the blue jeep:

2021-museum-of-american-armor-nick-2

This appears to be an MB:

2021-museum-of-american-armor-nick-3

And another MB amongst a Commando car on the left and an M-151 on the right:

2021-museum-of-american-armor-nick-4

 

 
To Top

1945 Photo of a Follow Me Jeep

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

This photo shows Police Chief Schrage in the new Burbank airport “Follow Me” jeep used for the escort parking of aircraft. The aircraft in front of the jeep is a Lockheed Hudson, also known as a Lodestar. Note the camouflage in background. The photo is an 8 x 10 in. black and white photograph.

https://digital-collections.csun.edu/digital/collection/SFVH/id/3889

 
To Top

Jeep’s Best Burlap Potato Sack

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

This potato sack sold for over $60, though I don’t know the exact selling price. Jevon Aasand (1921-2000) owned the Aasand Potato company, but I’m not sure who owned/managed the Jeep’s Best brand.

jeeps-best-potatoes-osseo-mn

 
To Top

1960 “A Jeep Can Go Anywhere” Article

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

Columnist Russ Leadabrand thinks the jeep is the best way to see California. This column appeared in the June 29, 1960, issue of the Pasadena Independent:

1960-06-29-pasadena-independent-jeep-exploring-lores

 
To Top

February 1945 Photo on Iwo Jima of Ambulance Jeep

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

This National Archives photo was taken on Iwo Jima in February of 1945. The Original Caption read: Duck Row—Enroute to the front lines, a stretcher jeep travels a matting runway as it passes a pool of amphibious trucks near the beach at Iwo.

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/32607197

1945-02-iwo-jima1 1945-02-iwo-jima2

 
To Top

The Jeepster at the I-95 Welcome Center

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

In 2018 when driving south from Philadelphia to Delaware, a reader recommended we stop at the northbound welcome center along I-95. Unfortunately, as we were driving south, we got a little confused, then we realized that to turn around was going to take more time than we’d allotted. So, we never got to see what was at the Welcome Center.

Yesterday, someone posted a picture of a Jeepster that sits inside the Welcome Center, so now we know what we missed! We’ll definitely stop on our next trip, should we head north on I-95.

 
To Top

Report from the 2021 Parker Arizona Military Event

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

Joe-in-Mesa filed this report from last weekend’s Parker Military Vehicle Display and Swap Meet in Parker, Arizona.

The inaugural Parker event was a great time, and very relaxing. No signal to speak of at the display area and campsite along the river, so we actually just communicated with one another with no outside world interruptions. Signal was normal once you got out onto highway 95 and back at our hotel in Parker.  The highlight for me was a true “Bucket List” item: trail ride to The Desert Bar (Nellie E. Saloon) Saturday afternoon. I also enjoyed the Friday night dinner and presentation about the WWII desert training areas Patton established in that area, mostly Arizona and California.

Here is a rest stop pic of the convoy to Parker with us up front (first time towing BOTH my WWII jeeps – new truck and trailer) and my friend David Webster with his MB and trailer.

2021-parker-arizona-event-00

parker-arizona

Parker, Arizona, is located along the Colorado River on the western edge of Arizona.

Below are my wife Jan and David mugging during set up day one with my jeeps sporting the awesome covers I got from Ian Liljeblad (www.bigwillyjeep.com)

2021-parker-arizona-event-01

Lots of vendors displayed parts and militaria.  Military Vehicles on display were mostly 1/4 ton to 3/4 ton (more than 2 dozen).

2021-parker-arizona-event-02

Friends’ jeeps and a mule (far left) parked for the dinner and presentation on Friday night about the WWII Desert Training Area by a Yuma Proving Ground museum curator. 

2021-parker-arizona-event-03

The weather was perfect. On Friday evening we enjoy this beautiful sunset over the Colorado River looking west from the La Paz County Campgrounds, Parker, Arizona.

Continue reading

 
To Top

1954 Tractor Field Book Farm Jeep Ad

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

This Farm Jeep ad from this 1954 Tractor Field Book Magazine purchased off eBay shows that the Farm Jeep was still being advertised as late at 1954 (though there’s no record any Jeep Tractors were made past 1951). In fact, it’s estimated that in 1954 only 12 Farm Jeeps were produced, and the ones that were made were of the CJ-3B-Farm-Jeep variety rather than the CJ-3A version. This ad below shows the CJ-3B version, serial number prefix 454-GC2.

1954-tractor-field-work-mag-farm-jeep-cj3b-ad

 

 

 
To Top

1945 BF-Goodrich Tires Ad on ebay

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

This ad with women sipping tea while soldiers push through thick mud just expired on eBay, but will likely be relisted. It seems a bit unfair to women, as if they didn’t know a war was going on. I would imagine that most women likely were the main food shoppers and had to deal with shortages beyond just rubber.

View all the information on eBay

“Condition:  Near Mint
Size (approximate): 10″ X 12″
Source: Magazine
Miscellaneous: One page print advertisement”

1945-bf-goodrich-ad-women-tea

 
To Top

Mid 1950s Kaiser-Willys of Canada Ads

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

This ad appeared in the March 28, 1955, issue of Canada’s National Post. I didn’t realize Kaiser Willys of Canada was using the phrase “Canada’s Most Useful Vehicles”.

1955-03-28-national-post-willys-canada-ad-lores

A year later, in 1956, the company was still using the phrase. This was posted in the September 22, 1956, issue of the Financial Post:

1956-09-22-national-post-jeep-ads-lores

 

 
To Top

August 1942 Photo from Guadacanal

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

This photo appeared in the August 21, 1942, issue of the LA Times, along with a number of other newspapers.

1942-08-31-latimes-jeeps-guadalcanal-lores

 
To Top

Waterproofing a Jeep; Only Takes 45 Hours!

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

John shared this video. It shows some of the steps involved with waterproofing a jeep.

 
To Top

Joe Dope Slams on His Brakes

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

A good digital example of Joe Dope slamming on his brakes from the National Archives:

joe-dope-slams-brakes-national-archives-lores

 
To Top

Willys-Jeep Wood Model with Trailer on ebay

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

This is a curious model. It looks like someone may have been trying to make a Willys MA.The grille and the double gauges make me think that. Just how ‘vintage’ it might be isn’t clear to me. It’s currently priced at $189.99. No description provided.

View all the information on ebay

wood-jeep-trailer-01 wood-jeep-trailer-0 wood-jeep-trailer-1 wood-jeep-trailer-2 wood-jeep-trailer-3

Continue reading

 
To Top

Western’s 1947 Aluminum/Steel Kid’s Pedal Jeeps

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

UPDATE: The University of Washington’s Digital Collections includes the below photo with a more accurate date (1947) and description. According to the UW Library, pictured in the top photo is Joe Woolfe and his grandson

=====================

Previously Posted February 11, 2019: These images were posted on Facebook and the toy jeeps attributed to Boeing. However, as a commenter pointed out below, these were actually produced by Western Toy Company in 1959. Here are some other examples.

(02/11/2019) These jeeps are pictured in front of the old Seattle Art Museum (we did field trips there in high school) which is inside Volunteer Park in Seattle, Washington.

boeing-aluminum-toy-jeep3

boeing-aluminum-toy-jeep2

 
To Top

“Powered By The Famous Hurricane Engine” Emblem

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

UPDATE: The mystery is solved. These badges were used on mid-1905s Mercury Kiedhaefer outboard motors (and possibly other models). Thanks to Mike for greatly helping solve this issue.

This example is a 1955 MERCURY KIEKHAEFER 18 HP, MARK 28 HURRICANE with the “Powered by the Famous Hurricane Engine” emblem/badge:

mercury-mark-28-powered-by-hurricane3

mercury-mark-28-powered-by-hurricane2

====================

Originally Posted March 24, 2021: I’d hoped to explore this topic a little more, but life had other plans in store last night … Hopefully, someone can shed some light on this topic …..

A truck listed here has an unfamiliar emblem that reads ‘Powered By The Famous Hurricane Engine’.  I’m not familiar with this emblem.

1949-truck-lehi-ca1

The first reference I found to that phrase was from a Willys-Overland 50th Anniversary Ad, which included an image of a Willys Aero-Eagle and, underneath, a reference to that phrase as seen here. In 1953, the Aero-Eagle was powered by the F-161 Hurricane Engine:

powered-by-the-famous-hurricane-engine-emblem5

From this 1953 ad showing the Willys-Overland models:

1953-life-magazine-powered-by-ad

Next, I found the phrase in this newspaper Ad:

1953-05-07-heppner-gazette-times-cj3b-ad

My theory is that maybe it was a emblem that was added to some Hurricane engines of the era?? But, I just can’t get any research traction on the issue.

OTHER EMBLEMS:

Here are pics of two other similar emblems. This dark blue one was sold at some auction:

powered-by-the-famous-hurricane-engine-emblem1 powered-by-the-famous-hurricane-engine-emblem2

And this one was on eBay at some point:

powered-by-the-famous-hurricane-engine-emblem3

 
To Top

The Meyer Hardtop Built by Orroville

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

A Mark III Meyer hardtop for a CJ-5

A couple days ago a reader named Jeremy asked me about his top (above), referring to it as an “Orville Meyers” top. As I read that, I thought … hmmm … I’d never heard of an “Orville Meyers” hardtop.

While I had heard of a Meyer (without an “s”) hardtop (like the one above) and I’d heard of a Meyers (with an s) hardtop, better known as the manufacturer of the Allstate/Sears hardtops, I had never encountered a “Orville Meyers” top. I thought I’d better do a search, because I figure Jeremy must have gotten the name from somewhere.

The search results revealed that some of the folks over at the earlyCJ5 forum use various iterations of Orville Meyer(s) to describe what was marketed in the 60s as a Meyer hardtop. The addition of Orville made me think that the Orville connection must have originated from somewhere given its prevalence over there.

Several searches later, I learned how Orrville (2 “r”s and 2 “l”s) Body Company, was connected with the Meyer Products company.

At some point in the late 1950s or early 1960s, the Meyer Products company, from Cleveland, Ohio, chose to enter the hardtop market for the jeep. Up to that point, Meyer was known more for its snow plows, a product Meyer had built for vehicles before the jeep ever existed.

 

orrville-cabs

The Short History of Orrville Body Works (read the long history here): The Orrville Body Works seems to have gotten it’s name from the city of Orrville, Ohio, a city southwest of Akron. Started as a small cabinet shop under a different name, by 1925 it had become the Orrville Body Works that produced a variety of truck cabs. Soon the name changed to the Oroville Body Company.

Meyer buys Orrville: Fast forwarding to the early 1960s, at some unknown time, Meyer contracted with Orrville to build custom jeeps cabs, though it’s not clear what tops Orrville initially built. What we do know is that the president and owner of Oroville died in September of 1964. A year later, in late 1965, Orrville was purchased by Meyer and was made a subsidiary of Meyer for the purpose of adding a line of jeep hardtops to Orrville’s portfolio of product, but with the tops marketed under the Meyer brand. The name of the company was changed from the Orrville Body Company to Orrville products, Inc.

meyer-hardtop-orville

The Meyer Mark III jeep cab on a Meyer CJ-5, possibly a tux park.

Meyer introduces the new hardtops: A year after the purchase, Meyer introduced it’s new line of hardtops. According to the December 16, 1966, issue of the Orrville Courier Crescent,

“Jeep News, a publication of the Kaiser-Jeep Corp. of Toledo, is featuring in its current issue a new all-steel ‘M-III’ cab designed especially for its famous four-wheel vehicle by the Meyer Products Co., Inc., of Cleveland which is now being built here in the Orrville Products Co. plant, a subsidiary of Meyer Products.

“Built-in standard features of the cab include sound deadening, streamlined appearance, almost complete visibility in every direction and snug cold-weather comfort for owners of Jeep Universal. Two styles are available; each custom engineered for either the CJ 5 or CJ 6 model.

“The ‘owner-designed’ Meyer cab has welded and sealed drip moldings for maximum water run-off, and a four-step baked enamel finish for utmost durability. All components are steam cleaned, phosphate – coated and primed with a special rust-preventing coating before painting. The hard enamel finish coat is precision-baked in a special oven under close temperature control. Lustrous glacier white enamel is standard but other colors are available on quantity orders.

“Optional accessories provide Meyer cab users additional comfort and convenience. A two-position air vent gives the driver finger-tip control for drawing in fresh air or exhausting stale air. A roof-mounted tire rack assembly puts the spare tire up out of the way, yet easily accessible when needed. Continue reading

 
To Top

My New “Monopoly” Jeep

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

I picked up this tiny little jeep on eBay. It was made in France, most likely recently. I bought it because it seemed a perfect size for a Monopoly piece, a game my kids and I still play on occasion. Unfortunately, they’ve figured out some of my strategies for beating them, so I don’t win as often!

View all the information on eBay

jeep-pewter-monopoly

 
To Top

AVM Automatic Hub

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

avm-brazil-automatic-hub-hugo-vidal

This photo showing an AVM Automatic hub popped up on the ECJ5 forum the other day. You’ll note it makes a reference to Warn. While I’ve yet to confirm this with Hugo Vidal, this looks to be a great example of an AVM automatic hub that was patterned after the Warn automatic hub, a brief and failed experiment by Warn to have hubs that didn’t require manual engagement.

For those that don’t know, AVM was started by Hugo Vidal in 1957 (AVM) after a handshake-deal with Arthur Warn while Hugo and his two friends were driving a CJ-3B around the Americas (Brasil to Alaska, 1955 on CJ3B.info). Using Warn’s specs, Hugo was able to resell Warn tech under the AVM brand. Eventually, AVM expanded outside of Brazil. After 50 years, Hugo retired from AVM. Hugo and Warn (and his son) never had an actual contract. It was always a handshake deal built on trust.

Hugo was so important to Brazil’s jeep history that FCA Brazil called him First Citizen of Jeep Nation in a 2018 video that can be seen here: Post Alaska Or Rust Item: FCA Brazil’s Video of Hugo Vidal

 
To Top

2 Jeepster Jacket Patches on eBay

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

These two Jeepster patches are on eBay. According to the seller, they may be from the 1980s, but someone else might be able to give a more accurate date.

  1. 5 1/2″ wide Willys Yellow Jeepster unused jacket patch:
    eepster-jacket-patch-yellow
  2. 5 1/2″ wide Willys red Jeepster unused jacket patch:
    jeepster-jacket-patch-red
 
To Top

2 Different Willys-Overland Jeepster Club Jacket Patches on eBay

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

These two patches are on eBay. According to the seller, they may be from the 1980s, but someone else might be able to give a more accurate date.

  1. 5″x6″ Willys-Overland Jeepster Club Jacket Patch
    willys-overland-jeepster-club-patch1
  2. 4 1/8″ Willys-Overland Midstates Jeepster Association Jacket Patch:
    willys-overland-jeepster-club-patch2
 
To Top

Ten-Passenger Personnel Carrier

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

On eBay the other day there were these two different technical sheets from Willys of Canada Limited. The truck spec seems pretty straight forward, though the company labeled it a 126″ Jeep Truck (named for the wheelbase length … why wasn’t it the standard 118″ wheelbase?). But, the wagon had me scratching my head. Given the split windshield of wagon (I can’t tell if the truck has it), my instant thought was that these were both pre-1960 vehicles, especially given they both used the Superhurricane L-head.

As we learned yesterday, Canada didn’t have it’s own production plant until mid-1959, so if these personnel carriers are earlier than that, then they must have been made in the US and imported into Canada. The lack of the ‘hockey stick’ trim suggests they were earlier than the Traveller. Are they a precursor to the Traveller or were they concurrent to the Traveller? If the latter, why the split windshield and why wouldn’t they have been named ‘Traveller’?

Meanwhile, searches for any reference to the 126″ Jeep Truck or the Ten-Passenger Personnel Carrier haven’t yielded any newspaper ads or brochures.

Here is the Ten-Passenger Personnel Carrier spect sheet:
year-ten-passenger-personnel-wagon-canada1-lores year-ten-passenger-personnel-wagon-canada2-lores

Here is the 126″ Jeep Truck spec sheet. Was it a coincidence that the J-300 truck introduced in 1962 was also had a 126″ wheel base?

Over the years I’ve heard about two Willys truck bed sizes, a shorter one and a longer one, but all the info I’ve read indicated the Willys Jeep truck beds were all the same size. If a bed was made to fit this longer wheelbase, it may have meant the creation of a longer bed. This might explain the rumor of the longer beds?

year-126-jeep-truck-canada1-lores

 
To Top

1942 Jeep Figment to Fact Article

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

This “Figment to Face” article about the jeep’s conception-to-reality story landed in a variety of newspapers across the US, though this is the best scan of it so far (which doesn’t speak too highly of the other scans, as it shouldn’t). I wondered how many other drawings were made that weren’t realized with the standardization of the jeep.

The article appeared in the Daily Reporter out of Greenfield, Indiana, on October 19, 1942:

1942-10-19-daily-reporter-greenfield-in-jeep-drawings-vs-reality-lores