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Welcome to eWillys.com, a website for vintage jeep enthusiasts. I update this website nearly every day with jeep deals, jeep history, interesting reader projects, jeep related info, and more.
These quick searches can help you find things on eBay. People list in the wrong categories all the time, so don't be surprised to see brochures in the parts area for example.
The links to posts below show jeeps grouped by models, condition, and other ways. Some of these jeeps are for sale and others have been sold. If you are unsure whether a vehicle is still for sale or not, email me at d [at] ewillys.com for more info.
There are plenty of interesting, unusual, historic and surprising stories related to Jeeps and their owners. In addition, some of these features have nothing to do with jeeps. This link will display all featured stories starting from the latest.
Looking for parts and not sure where to go? There are a variety of large and small new and used parts sellers both online and offline.
Importantly, the allure of buying a project jeep can be romantic. The reality of restoring a jeep can be quite different, expensive and overwhelming without the right tools and resources. So, tread carefully when purchasing a "project". If you have any concerns about buying a vintage jeep, or run across a scam, feel free to contact me for help, comments or concerns .
This Go-For-Digger trencher brochure is undated and has no form number. It’s likely from the late 1950s.
This first image shows the front page:
This is how the brochure looks when fully opened:
The is the back page:
There’s no date on this Back Hoe Brochure from Go For Digger, but it is likely from the late 1950s. This brochure was accompanied by a letter:
The April 27, 1944, article in the Star Tribune out of Minneapolis argues that Ford, GM, and Chrysler did not believe the post-war jeep would be as successful as hoped, due to (1) the hard suspension and (2) a lack of appeal to the “woman of the family”. It seems they were right to be wary from a family perspective, but the big three didn’t foresee the wagons, which attempted to address both of these issues.
This photo captures three friends traveling from Hawaii to the midwest via Minnesota. Akira Tanaka, sitting in the driver’s seat, helped establish the military intelligence company that was part of Camp Savage in Minnesota.This was published in the September 16, 1946, issue of The Minneapolis Star.
I tried to learn more about these three, but didn’t have much luck. There was an Akira Tanaka that went to work for General Motors and built himself a home that was featured in a 1955 article in the Detroit Press. So, it’s possible that he graduated from College in Michigan, then went to work for GM. If that’s the case, he developed several automotive patents for the company.
This brochure pushes the wide-ranging capabilities of the Jeep truck. It is Form No. 62-06.
The is the front of the unopened brochure:
This is the back:
When first unfolded, these complementary flaps appear:
When the page flaps are opened, the brochure is fully opened revealing this page:
This is the back of the brochure when fully opened:
It’s a one page ad from a magazine, but it contains a couple photos of the rare Australian Jeep Sportster (more about them and the Combat here).
View all the information on eBay
“This is an original A4 size advertisement for the 1968 Kaiser Willys Jeep Sportster. Advertisement is in good condition for it’s age. Advert measures 28 x 20cm or 11 x 8in. All advertisements are mailed in clear plastic slip with cardboard backing for protection. Please email me if you have any questions. Will post overseas.”
This 1957 French-Canadian ad for the Forward Control Jeep was published in August. The magazine is unknown.
A side photo of Smiley, John Henkels ‘new’ Ford GP.
The January 30, 1944, Sunday issue of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune made John Henkels and his son front page news for the purchase of their 1941 Ford GP from Wilensky’s auto parts. What a cold drive back to Fulda, Minnesota, that must have been!
This ad appeared within the classified ad section of the October 04, 1946, issue of the Minneapolis Star. It was posted by American Motor Sales, which was located at 1220 West Broadway. Whether the company actually had Ford GPs for sale isn’t clear; most likely, it was just standard MBs or GPWs.
A few days later, the Downtown Chevrolet Company advertised in the October 09, 1946, issue of the Minneapolis Star that they had 100 surplus jeeps available for customers:
Subsequently, an ad was placed by Twin City Motors, which also claimed to have jeeps (either GPWs or FORD GPs or both):
So, how did these companies obtain the jeeps? As we saw yesterday, there were some bidding opportunities that allowed Hyman Berg and others the opportunity to purchase multiple prototype jeeps. So, perhaps these Minneapolis-based companies also scored some prototypes that way?
What we do know is that the government was selling jeeps to veterans (previous stories highlight sale in Hawaii and California). And, those jeeps sold pretty quickly.
For example, in late 1945, the government’s War Asset group put 10,000 jeeps up for purchase by veterans. Those 10,000 jeeps were promptly sold (November 30, 1945, the Star Tribune):
A month later, an article from the Dec 08, 1945, issue of the Minneapolis Star, announced that another batch of 10,000 jeeps had been made available as of December 1945:
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This is Koenig bulletin #156, one that I finally purchased and scanned. This brochure marked a change in model numbers from Koenig’s 1955 brochure; the “-5″s were eliminated in favor of individual hardtop numbers (which I imagine was easier for consumers to understand). See a Koenig hardtop brochure history here.
Unfortunately, the seller won’t ship model, which is very Willys-MA-like. Otherwise, I would have snagged this. Great price.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2600242193600795
“No holds No shipping Cash only Xposted”
Here’s an unusual collection of belt buckles from past Jeep Safaris.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/406060797361623
“Selling the lot for $85 or best offer! Shipping is available!”
This Berg’s brochure is interesting in that it contains no references to the CJ-2A or a civilian jeep, suggesting that it came out between 1944-1945 (to me it looks a little earlier than this Berg mailer). Within the flier, Berg claims Berg Truck & Parts Co. was begun in December of 1942 to sell JEEPS. He also notes that the company had appeared in news reels, magazines, and Life Magazine.
Here’s the front page of the brochure:
This is the back page. 
When opened, you’ll find this third small page. Since Berg is offering standard jeep parts for sale, it can be assumed that this flier is at least from 1944. Note the trailer chassis ad, too.
When flipped over, the brochure offers an array of Ford, Willys, and Bantam jeep parts.
When fully opened, there are even more military-related parts, but no word of civilian parts:
This is how the back looks when fully opened.
Interestingly, while Berg’s Truck Parts may have opened in 1942, Berg didn’t receive any jeeps until November of 1943 and it was only 16 jeeps (likely aall were prototypes). Here’s a report of those first jeeps from the November 27,1943, issue of the Chicago Tribune:
A month later, in December of 1943, this press photo showed the ‘King of Jeeps’ himself Hyman Berg loading up one of those jeeps, a Bantam BRC-40:
UPDATE: The press photo at bottom appeared in the January 24, 1944, issue of the Minneapolis Morning Tribune (seen below). It seems that Harvey Wilensky must have also won a bid for jeeps about the same time as Hyman Berg did.
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Originally Posted November 16, 2013: This photo shows a lineup of surplus Ford GPs for sale. The selling price: $750 at Wilensky Auto Parts in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The one-page brochure is Bulletin 149 from Koenig Iron Works and showcases the full hardtop (more on Koenig hardtops here).
This January 1957 ad appeared in an unknown publication on behalf of Willys of Canada.It featured an introduction to the new FC-150.
Updates will resume Tuesday morning.
In the meantime, Bill shared this video by Nick. In it, he obtains a ran-when-parked jeep, only to discover that a ‘2-hour’ repair job took a little longer than he planned. This is always the danger of a ran-when-parked jeep. Note that this has a rare Worman half-cab.
This 1950 or 1951 brochure focuses on the main 4WD vehicles offered by Willys-Overland, including the 4WD Sedan Delivery, he 4WD Truck, the 4WD Station Wagon, and the CJ-3A Universal Jeep. There is no form number on it. I’m dating this as 1951 because 1) it doesn’t mention the f-head being ‘new’ and 2) the 1950 truck and wagon brochures are more colorful and larger, whereas the 1951 brochures feel a little more subdued in their use of color.
The article shares information on why the GI’s had to use jeeps on the tracks and the dangers they faced. The photo is from a later newspaper.
January 31, 1945, in the Evening Sun, Baltimore, Maryland.
From the Tucson Daily Citizen, October 23, 1944:
This photo shows jeep driver Angelo Temesta sleeping on the hood of his jeep.
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“For sale is an Original WW2 US Army Press Photograph of a named Solider Sleeping on Jeep Willys in St. Lo France, dated July, 1944. Measures 5″ x 7″. There is wear and a creases in the middle. Other edge wear and minor creases. Please see all photos.”
This rare 1952 brochure highlights the signage available for dealers and includes an order brochure. What you’ll notice is that there’s no reference to ‘jeep’ anywhere (unlike the 1946 brochure) and demonstrates Willys-Overland’s efforts to reduce the ‘jeep’ branding within the company.
You’ll also note the somewhat awkward use of “Common Sense” within the title. This may have been a nod to the “Willys Makes Sense” ad campaign during 1951.
This ad appeared in a 1957 magazine, but don’t which one. It shows the truck, FC-150, Sedan Delivery (4wd?) and CJ-5. I guess the 3B isn’t profitable? Given the lack of an FC-170, I’d say this was likely printed early in 1957.
UPDATE: One of these brochures is available on Bay for $9.95 +shipping.
View all the information on eBay
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Originally posted September 25, 2020:
This brochure has a form number of CJ3A-M1-250M-9-49, which seems to indicate it was published in September of 1949. Some of the art for this brochure was completed a year and a half earlier for a newspaper ad (see bottom of post).
These two 1947 photos can be found as part of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway digital archives.
CREDIT: Indianapolis Motor Speedway: https://ulib.iupuidigital.org/digital/collection/IMS/id/1153
CREDIT: Indianapolis Motor Speedway: https://ulib.iupuidigital.org/digital/collection/IMS/id/1048
A variety of newspapers announced on March 09, 1943, that Ford would being producing Ford GPA (SEEPS) at its production plant in Detroit.
