Features Research Archives

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Postcard: 1940s Motor Pool at Camp Banding, Florida

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

Chris sent this postcard with a Christmas letter. It shows one of the motor pools and Camp Landing. The postcard describes Army life as “busy” and “never a dull moment”. At the end, the author Bob asks how deer hunting was. It’s dated December 8, 1943. Many thanks Chris!

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1952 Custom Wagon Fortuna, CA $14,500

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

UPDATE: As far as I know, this was last listed in 2014.

(04/12/2013) It reminds me of the San Juan Scenic Jeep Tour wagons.

“Willys 2 door wagon converted to Surry. 4cyl. F engine 4×4 converted to12v. 3 speed overdrive new tires needs nothing. Also comes with rear enclosure for back that matches top. Very fun always garaged. Price is O.B.O. will accept best cash offer. if its posted its for sake no b.s. no tirekickers”

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/275285585513826/

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November 1958 Jeep News

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

At twelve pages, the November 1958 Jeep News is one of the largest issues published.

Page one contains various dealer info stories. Page two discusses the growth of jeep clubs and their potential as unofficial ‘salesmen’ for the product and brand. Also on page two is a discussion of the jeep-name origin. You’ll note the appearance in that discussion of the term “G P”, which I’ve yet to see definitive proof to if being used prior to the introduction of the Ford GP in early 1941. Bill Norris was able to locate a blurb, possibly from May of 1942, that suggests the letters “G P” that “appeared on all orders for the specifically made car”, however it’s not clear which orders such letters appeared on or when they appeared. But, it’s an avenue worth exploring.

Page three highlights dealer news, while page four shares how popular jeep exhibits had become at local and state fairs. Page five covers the importance of lighting to jeep dealerships, while page six and seven announce that dealerships have penetrated areas all over the US, though none of the dealerships shown are west of Oklahoma (still 1300 miles to LA from OK). Page eight and nine are again mostly dealer news, though page nine does cover a druggists satisfaction with the new DJ-3A dispatcher.

Pages ten and eleven have a wide variety of stories, but I thought the custom DJ-3A “The Goody Cart” ice cream jeep on page ten was particularly interesting. Page twelve covers a story about some jeepers capturing California horse rustlers.

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May 1956 Willys News

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

I thought I had posted this issue a few years ago, but somehow I missed it. So, here is the 8-page May 1956 issue of Willys News.

Page one highlights that thousands of feet of film was taken as part of creating new promo films for Willys Motors. No doubt that film is long gone. Page two has an article explaining the importance of jeeps to rural readers of North Carolina’s Statesville Record and Landmark newspaper. Page two also claims that the first registered CJ-2A appeared in Mt. Kisco, New York, a claim debated on this post.

Page three has a great photo of Bonner’s Willys Motors out of Texas, a part of which eventually became Barney’s Jeep Parts in Ohio. Page five indicates that at least 100 audio-visual wagons (though the paper calls them ‘trucks’) had been assembled. An article on Page six shares the news that Dispatchers were proving popular as delivery vehicles, with an accompanying testimonial from Carolina Tool.

Page seven highlights “Miss Maude”, an excerpt of which I posted back in 2014. Page eight covers the April 1956 Truth or Consequences “Journal de Jeeps” cross-country race.

 

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Santa in a Jeep History from FarmJeep.com

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

Barry just updated Farmjeep.com with this great bit of research into Santa’s appearance in jeeps.

https://www.farmjeep.com/stories-shows-questions/stories/santas-jeep-a-brief-history/

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Joe’s St. Nicholas Poem

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

Joe shared this shamelessly hacked poem he wrote for this Christmas season … Thanks Joe!

A Shop Visit from St. Nicholas
(BASED IN ITS ENTIRETY ON THE CLASSIC POEM OF CLEMENT CLARKE MOORE, WHO WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY BE APPALLED BY ALL OF THE SHAMELESS HACKS THAT HAVE BEEN PERPETRATED ON HIS SKILLFULLY WOVEN DEATHLESS PROSE.)

It was the night before Christmas, and all through my shop,
Not one project was running, not a brake drum could stop;
Some small bits were hung on the paint rack with care,
But I’d blown my parts budget buying presents and beer.

The Grandkids were all nestled at their folks in their beds;
While memories of “ice cream runs” played back in their heads.
And their Grams in her nightie and our dog in her lap,
They were all settling down for some long winter’s naps.

Then when out in my driveway I heard such a clamor,
I climbed up from my creeper to see what was the matter.
Off to the garage door I sped like the Flash,
I peered out one small window, my chin on the sash.

The moonlight shining off of the near-record snow,
Gave the luster of midday to my yard art below.
And then what to my bifocaled eyes should appear?
But an engine-less Jeep pulled by tiny reindeer,
With a portly old driver so rotund and so thick,
I got a weird feeling the dude was Saint Nick.

As if powered by hemis his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and bellowed, and shouted their names:
“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!
To the right of that flagpole! Look out for that wall!
Bang a left! Hang a right! Jeez, follow my calls!”

As leaves that behind a Super Hurricane would fly,
Should they meet with an obstacle, watch out for this guy!

So out towards my backyard this lash-up it flew,
With a bed full of packages, and Saint Nicholas too —
And then, in an instant, I heard on the roof,
The screeching of tires and banging of hooves.

As I covered my head, and began scrambling around,
Through the back door Saint Nicholas crashed with a bound!
Dressed all in red Carhartt, from his hat to his boots,
His duds were all covered with grease stains and soot.
A boatload of stuff he had crammed in a sack,
And he looked quite the character. (Hey, what’s in that pack?)

His eyes — they were bloodshot, his balance… was scary!
His cheeks were quite stubbly, his nose red as a cherry!
His mischievous grin was curved up like a bow,
The mustache on his lip was as white as the snow.
The stump of a stogie was clenched in his teeth,
And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath.

He clutched a cold brew and had an ample beer belly,
Both sloshed as he moved, just like pools full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right pudgy old elf,
And I knew that I liked him, in spite of myself.
A wink of an eye and a nod of his head,
Made me strongly suspect I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
Laid new parts on my workbench; then he turned with a jerk,
And sliding two fingers up inside his nose,
Then forcing a toot, out the back door he blows!

Bounced back in his Willys, and to his team he did whistle,
And away they all shot, like a ballistic missile.
But I heard him yell out, as they streaked out of sight —
“Pleasant wrenching to you, and to your loved ones — good night!”

 
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Merry Christmas, 1983!

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

Merry Christmas (eve) everyone!

I must have seen this commercial when it aired back in 1983, but I don’t remember it. I guess I had other things on my mind? I graduated in the summer of ’83, for which my parents bought me the first jeep of my own (I’d driven Dad’s CJ-5 for a couple years), a patched together, blue, modified CJ-3A with a Buick V-6 and T-15 for $1500. I spent the summer cruising around in it, then the Fall driving it to my first (and last) quarter at a community college, before pretty much flunking out (I just didn’t care about college at that point).

Instead of college, I traded labor for a rundown, hacked together racer, took that apart, and started building what would become my first project jeep. Too young, dumb, and stubborn to fail, I got a part time job cooking and used those meager funds to cobble together a custom jeep over the subsequent year and a half.

 
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December 1961 Jeep News

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

The December 1961 issue of Jeep News was only six pages, but still packed into a few interesting items. In the center column of the front page you can see the California Association of ‘Jeep’ Clubs had already come up with rules for jeeping on publics lands. Here in the PNW, we’ve seen a small contingent of folks doing stupid things that ruins it for everyone else. Such is life. Also note the bottom of page one showing the two giant billboards. I’ve never seen pics of these.

An article on page two references a 28-page two-color booklet titled “Your Ten Major Retail Markets”. That’s not one I’ve seen. Anyone else run across it? There’s also a reference to a Fleetvan comparison brochure. You can see pics of that here: http://www.ewillys.com/2016/03/29/1961-fleet-van-c…brochure-on-ebay/ (Not sure if I have a copy).

Page three contains something really unique: An Army FC-170 with a camper! The FC camper, an Army FC-170 with a Stahl bed, and an Army Traveller wagon were all headed to Alaska. Page three also has pics from a Billings, Montana, Rough Riders Jeep Club road event.

Page five and six contain a variety of stories, with several photos of FC-170 Fire trucks. Page seven shares the story of a New Jersey firm that operated pizza delivery wagons. Anything you can add to that story Mike?

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Photo of GPW From Warbird Website

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

John shared this neat photo from the Warbird Website. You can even see the Ford tires on it. I tried to find the hood number (20145236), but it appears the G503 search has changed. Maybe someone else can have more luck determining if it is in the database.

gpw-on-warbird-website

 

 
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Photo of Elvis & Bazooka

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

Mark shared this image of Elvis holding a Bazooka posted to the Armory Life website. Even more interesting, this M-38A1 has a rare defroster mounted on the windshield.

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February 1959 Jeep News

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

UPDATE: This was supposed to publish Friday morning, but didn’t for some reason… just discover this Friday night!

This eight-page February 1959 issue of Jeep News begins with a recap of the 1960 Chicago Autoshow, where the all-white jeep lineup on display was called, by some industry veterans, the most attractive commercial display at the show. Page three shows several different FCs adapted to various speciality tasks.

Page four and five share a report and multiple images from the auto show. There’s also a reference to two films played at the show. One was Jeep Frolics, a video shown in the post below, and another video showing a wide variety of tasks jeeps could perform (not sure which video this might be).

Page six contains an article about Warn’s successful hub sales. the article estimated that by 1959 there were 135,000 jeeps using Warn hubs. Page seven covers the use of jeeps in Detroit’s underground salt mines (also captured in pics from this post). Page eight features several stories, including another example of a custom FC camping unit.

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Jeep Frolics from 1958(ish)

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

Willys Motors featured this Jeep Frolics film at the 1959 Chicago Autoshow, as explained in the February 1959 Jeep News. It features color clips from the Jeepers Jamboree out of Georgetown, California, ‘Jeep’ Roadeo racing from Yakima, Washington, and the ‘Jeep’ Endurance run staged at Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. According to the Jeep News issue, the film was a popular attraction at the auto show.

 
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Jeeps in the Detroit Salt Mines

• CATEGORIES: Features, Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: More on the Detroit Salt Mines from this February 1959 issue of Jeep News.

I saw a reference to jeeps in Detroit’s salt mines on Facebook. After a some research, I found a few more images. The salt is used exclusively as road de-icer.

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https://ephemeraldetroit.blogspot.com/2015/06/salt-city-beneath-detroit-booklet-1971.html

 
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August/September 1958 Jeep News

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

UPDATE: A version of this issue was previously run in Oct 2020. I’ve improved the pics and added a little more detail to the introduction.

Here’s another six-page issue of Jeep News for the months August and September, which is followed in the post below by a special four-page “MAVERICK” Extra edition for the month of September.

Page one includes a short article about the US Post Office purchasing ninety FC-170s, all with power tailgates, which could mean that if you find an FC-170 with a power tailgate, it might have been a USPS jeep. Of the ninety, sixty-two had snow plows. All were stake bodies and painted red, white and blue.

Page two is all dealer-related info. Page three is mostly devoted to the Mile High ‘Jeep’ Club’s second annual ‘Jeep’ Endurance Run at FairPlay, Colorado.

Page four shows off a pretty neat truck, set up for fishing and camping. Also on page four, under “1943 Military ‘Jeep’ Vehicle Stars in Big Portland Rose Parade”, the article shares a little about the jeep and the parade. However, the jeep that’s pictured is actually an M-38. I can only suspect that the wrong photo was added to the article?

Page five has a misplaced headline for the Jeepers Jamboree (story on page six), when the story is actually about Meyer snow plows and other equipment (headline on page six). Page six is devoted to the Jeepers Jamboree.

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September 1958 Jeep News Maverick Extra

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

This September 1958 four-page issue of Jeep News is devoted to the Maverick show.

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1962 Press Photo of CJ-3B Fruit Fly Sprayer on eBay

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

This June 16, 1962, photo shows Dick Burke setting up a fruit fly sprayer on a CJ-3B.

View all the information on ebay

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Hub Dust Covers for Wagons? on eBay

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

Anyone familiar with these dust covers? I’m not familiar with any company using that name and font.

View all the information on ebay

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“Offered here are two Reproduction 1950’s Willys Jeep Wagon Wheel Hub Dust Covers. Marked Western on both that I presume to show they were sold by the old and now long gone Western Auto stores. Measure 4.50″ tall x 4 3/8″ diameter at the bottom flange. Acquired with other 1950’s era Willys Jeep Wagon parts from the collection of a long time Ouray Colorado”

 
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Colonial Camping Jeep Knife on eBay

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

I can’t recall seeing this AMC Jeep-branded camp knife.

View al the information eBay

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“Offering this Colonial Camping knife with Jeep Logo;
Haven’t found any information or likeness in my searches, . . .
Possible a gift for Jeep purchase (??);
Condition is ‘Like New’ in (unmarked box).
Pictures tell it all.”

 
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B’laster Loosen Up Lager Beer?

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

I thought this was an unusual brand decision. B’laster has joined forces with brewer Collision Bend to create a limited supply of ‘Loosen Up Lager’.

https://www.facebook.com/buz.bowling/posts/pfbid02hBP1WUt5qXN1pJ1uBAWR7q9ADU6GLzYDDVq9ZXpzUv8dhbh2mcWwvua8zZUgo2yUl

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“B’laster 🤝 Collision Bend Brewing Company
The Cleveland collaboration you never knew you needed is here! We got together with our friends at Collision Bend to help you Loosen Up! Hitting stores this week, Loosen Up Lager is an amber lager brewed with German Saaz and Tradition hops that is sure to help you Loosen Up.
#pbblaster #blasterfreakinworks
Note this is a limited edition BEER. The PB B’laster Penetrating Catalyst in your garage is not. As stated on the front of the actual chemical product best for busting nuts, it is harmful or fatal if swallowed. If you’re thirsty, head to Cleveland for a cold brew!”

 
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May 1958 Jeep News

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

The May 1958 issue of Jeep News was only four pages, but the marketing managed to pack in some interesting tidbits. On page one the company discussed the new 3/4 mechanical mule-like prototype. Included is a pic of a model; I wonder what happend to the model? Also on page one, in the lower right of the page is a story about Hugh Smith purposefully driving a jeep through a garage wall to save his brother from a burning garage.

Page two features several FCs, but the one that looks the most interesting (to me) is the unit with the  “Samp-O-Rama” traveling meat counter built for Armour and Company in Atlanta.

Page three has a few DJ-3As. Page four features a story about Mr. S. W. Christie, whose contracting company owned 24 jeeps. Despite all the jeeps he owned, he decided to build his young boys a toy jeep of their own.

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July 1958 Jeep News

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

Because the May 1958 issue was so short, I figured it made sense to include the July 1958 Jeep News issue, which is also short at only six pages. I guess some folks at Willys Motors took some time off during the summer of 1958?

Page one explains some of the improvements made to the new line of Forward Control Jeeps. Page three includes multiple photos of the rare Leveloader FC. Page five shows a couple FCs that were customized to meet particular needs. Page six covers the Jeep Roadeo races in Yakima.

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Baier Lighter and Ashtray Gresham, OR $135

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

UPDATE: Price has dropped to $135.

Blaine shared this lighter and ashtray from Baier. This one seems to be one of the more common ones, with no map on top. Compare it with these twohttp://www.ewillys.com/2020/11/24/baier-jeep-lighters-sold-on-ebay/#more-400806 or this one http://www.ewillys.com/2011/01/08/a-flatfender-ashtray-and-lighter-woods-cross-ut-80/. And here is a list of all the ones I’ve documented: http://www.ewillys.com/?s=baier

https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/atq/d/gresham-wwii-germany-ges-gesch-willys/7692050573.html

“Vintage WWII GERMANY GES-GESCH Willys JEEP Petrol Lighter & Ashtray Trailer. Very cool, made of aluminum with rubber tires. Under the top you would have kept your cigarettes. Measures 9 inch in length and stands 3 1/8 tall.”

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February 1958 Willys News

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

This eight-page issue of Willys News is the last “Willys News”. In March of 1958, the name was changed to “Jeep News”, though under the banner the “Willys Motors, Inc.” moniker remains unchanged over subsequent years.

The first page makes a reference to a commercial that ran in 1958 highlighting the new M-274 Mechanical Mule. I tried to find that commercial on YouTube, but didn’t have any success.

Pages two and three is dominated by dealer news. Pages four and five covers the use of jeep vehicles by ATT and its affiliates. Page six features an article on the new Sacramento Jeep Club. Page seven is a potpourri of stories, while page eight discusses “wetter water” and its use with jeeps against red ants.

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Lots of Jeep News Issues on eBay

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

The seller from whom I bought a bunch of issues of Jeep News has just listed the remainder he has. Most are 1960 or later, many I’ve never seen for sale.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sop=10&_svsrch=1&_nkw=jeep+news&_folent=30948389207&mkevt=1&mkpid=0&emsid=e11021.m44.l1150&mkcid=7&ch=osgood&euid=53c9d21c0ed04390b6b84183779e2c9d&bu=43195832166&ut=RU&osub=-1%7E1&crd=20231213013653&segname=11021

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1959 Jeep Commercial M-274 Mule

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

This 1959 Jeep commercial was run during the Maverick TV show (and probably other places, too).