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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 .
Gayland shard this photo posted on the Navy Seabee Museum site that features Seabees working on a jeep and some other vehicles. The Navy’s Seabee website has done a good job of organizing its digital collections based on multiple factors (time period and location in most cases).
If you haven’t ever visited the museum, it’s located in Port Hueneme. We had a chance to visit back in 2014 while it was undergoing updates. I’m sure it’s even better now.
Maury spotted this jeep-family ad from Kaiser-Willys of Canada.
View all the information on eBay
“1956 Canadian Kaiser Willys print ad Jeep Universal, Wagon, & Pickup. Original magazine advertisement measures 7 X 9.5 inches (approx.).”
UPDATE II: Somehow I missed this second version of the Senators with Charles Payne driving down he steps on May 20, 1941:
PHOTO CREDIT: Florida State University’s Digital Repository https://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/islandora/object/fsu%3A154424
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Published March 28, 2021: Here’s another, earlier jeep photo, including a dedication by Charles Payne, related to Senator Claude Pepper in a Bantam BRC-40. According to the Florida State University Digital Archives, Senator Robert Reynolds is driving the jeep, Senator Claude Pepper is in the passenger seat, and Charles Payne and Harold Crist are seated in the back. The photo is dated May 1941.
https://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/islandora/object/fsu%3A117598
Also, according to a June 02, 1968, column by Larry King in the Miami Herald, there was a video taken of Senator Pepper riding up the steps and it was to be shown on TV on June 30, 1968. I was unable to find the video on the internet.
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ORIGINALLY POSTED DECEMBER 09, 2012: This pictures tells the tale of Senator Claude Pepper‘s bid for re-election as a Senator from Florida in the 1950 race. Like his jeep, Senator Pepper’s campaign crashed that year as well.
PHOTO CREDIT: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/36090 CAPTION: Addressed to George Smathers from his friend Carl L. Hahn, an accompanying note says, “Here’s what is left of the Pepper machine in Palm Beach County – Souvenir of your successful 1950 campaign.”
The accident led to a lawsuit against the driver and Senator Claude Pepper. The appeared in the August 04, 1950, issue of the Palm Beach Post:
This unusual ad appeared in the December 18, 1945, issue of the Poughkeepsie Journal. I guess marketers figured adding the “jeep” name to most anything was a good bet for increasing sales?
This pledge for Jeep-O club drivers was published in the July 07, 1943, issue of the Leaf Chronicle out of Clarksville, Tennessee. This pledge appears to have been unique to the Clarksville area.
In April of 1943, the Kiawanis Club of Anniston, Alabama, started the Jeep-O Club, an effort to alleviate the transportation problem facing soldiers by pledging to give rides in their vehicles to soldiers who needed one. It was an early Uber system, only with volunteer drivers.
It’s possible the Kiwanis Jeep-O movement got is name from the previous November’s Jeep-O gram movement in Texas.
This photo shows an actual Jeep-O stop. It appeared in the April 15, 1943, issue of the Huntsville Times:
By May, the Jeep-O club idea had already spread to 22 states:
A couple months later, in the July 07, 1943, issue of the Leaf Chronicle out of Clarksville, Tennessee, the paper reported how a Jeep-O club was staring up there: Continue reading
UPDATE: The other day I realized that the jeep in this photo from a collection of early jeep information published in 2014 looks very similar to an illustrated jeep that appeared in a 1947 newspaper ad. Here’s the image and it’s associated testimonial:
Here’s the advertisement from the June 3, 1947, ad published in the Sullivan Daily Times, out of Sullivan, Indiana, that highlights the ability of the jeep to be an efficient, low-cost option as a road-service vehicle.
Jerry shared this 2015 story published in AutoRevolution about a 1941 Willys MB that is “Almost 100% original. Some stuff has been removed but very little has been replaced. A couple of needed mods have been made, but nothing substantial”. Hmm … challenge accepted.
Upon inspection, the jeep fails the “almost 100%” original claim. For example, the spring hangers are not original, but as I looked closer at the frame I realized that when someone put a newer CJ chassis underneath the jeep, they never removed the frame-mounted CJ-shock mount (visible just in front of the rear tire on the frame). In addition, the rims and rear axle are incorrect. My guess is that this body is sitting on a newer chassis and powertrain of some type.
Given the drain holes are blocked, I blew up the photo to check out the back and it sure seems like there’s tailgate lip sticking up along the rear. Yet, this does have the cutout in the body for the vertical shock mount, so this may be an original WWII body that’s had a tailgate added? I just can’t tell either way for sure. .
Derek published this story on the CJ-3B Page about three Brazilian Boy Scouts (Gabriel Paula Fonseca Jr., Everardo de Mello Nogueira, and Paulo Pinheiro de Andrade) who traveled the world, calling themselves the Baden-Powell AfricaEuropeAmerica Expedition.
Leaving in 1957, just after Hugo Vidal and his friend returned from their Operation Pineapple adventure, the Baden-Powell party used a CJ-5 that was styled and outfitted in a way similar to the Operation Pineapple CJ-3B jeep.Their goal was to attend the 9th Annual Boy Scouts Jamboree, one that also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Scout’s founding and the Centennial of Robert Baden-Powell, the Boy Scouts’ founder.
In 2018, a story was published in English called: 1957: From Cape Town to the Nordkap on a Jeep – Three Brazilians youngsters set out to discovery the world. I just purchased it ($6.50) for the kindle, so will be reading it as I can.
In 2017 a story was published about the trip on this site, but it appears you have to log in to access it. Some pics from this story can be seen on the internet. Based on these pics, the trio may have used the same “built with Brazilian” parts that Operation Pineapple used to fund the expedition:
Anyone ever seen this documentary? It apparently includes a discussion of the early days of Willys-Overland.
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“This is “TOLEDO STORIES: WHEELS,” a previously-owned video-cassette (VHS) with all original artwork (shows very little wear). It was issued by WGTE and plays beautifully (double-checked).
“Wheels” shares the story that the automotive industry has played in Toledo, Ohio’s history. For 150 years, Toledo’s economy has been interwoven with the manufacture of all kinds of vehicles. The film covers the Jeep Corporation’s early beginnings as Willys-Overland, the dozens of 19th century carriage and wagonmakers in the area, and eight major bicycle manufacturers.”
Ann found a great price on a china hutch for the new house, so that consumed my Tuesday. So, no updates Wednesday.
But, here is an Operation Market Garden video that compares WWII locations with their current look:
This image capture shows the only flat fender that I saw while fast forwarding through the episode. Naturally, some folks blocked a clear view of it.
On March 11, 1978, an episode of Kojak aired that featured the Clark County Jeep Posse. No doubt some of you are wondering who Kojak is, but for those old enough to remember the detective series, this was the second to the last episode of the series (episode 21 of the 22 shows that year), as that show was cancelled in 1978. The show feels pretty dated in a variety of ways.
LIonel Hall, a son to one of the Jeep Posse members that appears in the episode, alerted me to the presence of the group in the show. By 1978, there weren’t a lot of jeeps left in the Posse, and only one vintage flat fender that I could spot, but it’s still pretty neat to see the jeeps appear in the episode.
The episode can be viewed, with commercial breaks, at Daily Motion, which for some reason has the show reversed (all the text is backwards and the drivers are all on the right side of the vehicles). the name of the episode is 60 Miles to Hell:
Thanks go to Joe-in-Mesa for sending me one of the Willys Rally Essential Workers T-Shirt. I think this t-shirt is a pretty clever way to marry the pandemic with the old Willys workhorses (you can order one here).
This year’s Willys Rally is currently scheduled for May 14-16, 2021, in Moab, Utah. You can learn more at the Willys Rally website.
I snagged this small “Jeep Owners Club of New Zealand” hat pin from eBay for cheap. Having biked around the South Island of New Zealand when I was 20 years old, I’ve always had a soft spot for the country. I lived off New Zealand meat pies and banana chocolate chip ice cream while there … Boy did they have great ice cream!
UPDATE: I found an inexpensive issue of the February 2, 1946 Collier’s Magazine, so I scanned the cover. It has the Welcome Home Johnny sign celebrating’s soldiers homecoming as a farmer races his jeep down the road. I found no jeep related stuff on the inside.
This full page article with photos shows a group that called themselves the “Jeepological Survey” exploring the Panamint Range Canyons. This was published in the November 13, 1953, issue of the Valley Times out of San Fernando, California.
I bought one of this seller’s Morrison brochure. It’s in very good condition. It is unclear how many of these he has. I suspect it’s from the late 1940s, given it only features CJ-2As.
View all the information on ebay
“You are buying or bidding on a rare vintage early 1950’s “The Morrison-Built Rogers Sno-Dozer For Jeeps” brochure. This was originally sold as a plow and scraper and was from the late 40’s. They were later produced by the Morrison Railway Supply Corp. Buffalo, New York. This is 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ opens twice to a 11″ x 8 1/2″. This is in excellent condition.(see pics)”
UPDATE: This looks to have been an MPC model, as MPC created a variety of jeep-related models. One particular kit by MPC allowed for the creation of three different kinds of jeep: ! Hill Climbing Dune Buggy Jeep, A Stock Jeep, or a Service Station Jeep. Here’s an example of that model on eBay.
Here’s a better example of the service station CJ-5 model from Barney Goodwin:
And here is a 16 minute video on the history of the AMT model company (and explains how MPC formed). I found it interesting (no mention of jeeps):
Here’s another CJ-5 Service Station model that is labeled an MPC:
https://skidsplace.forumotion.com/t3457-mpc-jeep-cj5
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This model sold on eBay yesterday for $25. What I found interesting was the level of detail, from the Dauntless engine mounts, to the Canfield Push-Plate on the front, to the Meyer half-cab details.
UPDATE: This sold years ago on eBay, but I never posted all the pics I got from the auction. It is a good example of Koenig’s Wrecker and road service brochure. Along with tow packages, it includes helper springs, PTO add-ons, push-bumpers, and more.
It is bulletin 155 (which likely means it was published in January of 1955) and then revised in April of 1955.
There are three lapel pins on eBay for $21.05/each (or make offer + $7.65 shipping) that come from Germany. I can’t speak to their history or whether they are all that old.
View all the information on ebay
“Jeep Lapel Pin Willys Varnished 60er Years – Dimensions 0 25/32×0 15/32in”
The truck is located at the Painted Desert Visitors center along Route 66 and I-40 at Petrified National Park in Arizona.
Eric posted some pics of a modified 1955 Willys fire truck to Facebook the other day. Apparently, the truck was originally stationed at the Chiricahua National Monument, then at the Fort Bowie National Monument, before arriving in 2016 at the Petrified Forest National Park.
Somehow, I have never been to any one of these three national parks. As a boy, we’d go jeeping at the Beverly Sand Dunes and finding petrified wood was no big deal, so I’ve never seen a reason to stop at the Petrified Forest NP. There other two are definitely worth a stop on our next Arizona trip; When will that be? Maybe spring of 2022?.
The truck pictured looks to be a Valley Fire Truck model, white the white truck appears more like a General Fire modified truck.
My guess is the jeep pictured in this National Park sign is a Valley Fire modified truck, while, given the low rear bed, I think the white fire truck was likely originally modified by General Fire into a model they called “The General Commando”. According to the CJ-3B page, the General Commando came in both open top (similar to a Personnel Carrier) and a closed top, more typical of a standard truck.
I could imagine that for the forest service’s use, remove the interior portion of the fire truck bed, then covering it was a practical way to get more utility out of the truck.
This March 24, 1955, article from the Santa Cruz Sentinel shows Boys Scouts readying a jeep display to demonstrate both traffic safety and jeep camping.
Pictured are Bruce Donald, Bill Scout, Pete Schipper and advisor Charles Cloud. The group was affiliated with Explorer Post 89.
This press photo’s caption’s text and ID number looks identical to the one posted in 2019 (at bottom), except now the caption paper itself is trimmed and now in color (unlike the one at bottom).
View all the information on eBay
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Originally posted May 16, 2019: This press photo shows the lost point in the Burma Road (as of 1944).
“American Jeep on the Burma Road.
An American Jeep Rides through a section of the Burma Road in China that is cut right into the rocky mountainside. This is at the road’s lowest point of elevation, 2960 feet. Picture form the Chinese Ministry of information. Associated Press Photo EEM 10-13-1944 430P CNS.”
UPDATE: This is back up for sale on eBay.
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At the very least, this Country Gentleman Magazine ad appears on page 41 of Country Gentleman’s March 1948 issue. It may appear in other issues as well. If you want the entire issue, rather than just the ad, try this link: 1948 March Country Gentleman
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.”
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).