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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 .
I am wondering if this was originally named “Kathie”, but then the solider got permission to bring the jeep home? The photo is dated 11/21/1945, so it is post-war.
View all the information on eBay
“This photo belonged to Lt. Robert J. Dobuski – Serial #33052063. He was with the 3482nd Ordnance MAM Company. WWII US GI Photo – Street View Of 3482nd Ordnance Jeep “Taking Kathie Home” – The photograph measures Roughly 3 1/4″ x 4 1/2″.
Bidding starts at $15. This is listed as a 1950 creation, but I would think it was published earlier than that. Given it includes a truck, but no CJ-3A, I’d say more like 1948? I’ll have to verify with my copy.
View all the information on eBay
“THE STORY OF THE UNIVERSAL JEEP – PROMOTIONAL COMIC
PUBLISHED BY WILLYS – OVERLAND, CREATOR OF THE JEEP
JEEP UNIVERSAL WAS A NAME USED BY WILLYS FOR ITS 1/4 TON CJ UTILITY VEHICLES
BACK COVER HAS AN AD FOR THE UNIVERSAL JEEP AND JEEP TRUCKS
16 PAGES, FULL COLOR, STANDARD COMIC SIZE”
This old Christmas photo featuring a decorated M-38A1 and trailer is for sale on eBay. It’s a pretty faded photo, but just seemed perfect for this year’ s pandemic Christmas … things are just a bit off this year!
View all the information on ebay
“Vintage 1957 Christmas Photograph Santa Merry Christmas Jeep Reindeer Funny.”
Bill shared this story about a 1000 jeeps and drivers in Martinsburg, West Virginia, giving a young cancer patient home for Christmas a parade to remember. The event was called “Jeeps for Georgie”. Read more here:
UPDATE: Mark found this photo which seems like it could have been taken at the same time the video was shot: https://www.morrisonhotelgallery.com/photographs/T9XmZX/Neil-Young-Broken-Arrow-Ranch-1971
Mike spotted this video of Neil Young driving his 1951 Jeepster. Unfortunately, I cannot embed the video, so a screenshot will have to make do. You can see the video snippet of the Jeepster at the start of a video with Neil Young playing “Old Man”. It appears the old man rancher that inspired the song can also be seen.
I believe this is the same Jeepster that Vernon (and his aliases) have mentioned over the years. Neil’s Jeepster has the Lightning (inline 6) engine. It also has the JEEP brass tag and a 673 has the emblem, plug Vernon’s overdrive solenoid.
Per Vernon, “noted rock star NEIL YOUNG opted for the 51 — in 69 he drove it from LA to his new ranch in LA HONDA , guitars in the back , gold records , the TURTLES drummer JOHNNY BARBATA rode shotgun — he had to get out of LA and hide in the wilderness , people were picking him apart”
… and …
“NEIL YOUNG wont drive his fossil fueled classic cars anymore — he’s went utterly , completely GREEN ( listen to his GREENDALE album ) — his 1951 WILLYS OVERLAND JEEPSTER PHAETON is now a ” museum piece ” gathering dust”.
Neil Young in his 1951 Jeepster. Standing next to it looks like David Crosby to me.
Here’s a photo of a Willys MA in action.
“Offered is an original WWII time period photograph. It belonged Lt. Salvador Joseph Cuttitta who was enlisted with the 6th Armored Infantry and trained with 1st Armored Division. He was then transferred to serve with the 5th Armored Division. There is some tape on the corners as seen. Picture measures approximately 3 1/4″ x 4 1/2″ inches.”
This photo is part of a collection of photos of the 333rd Engineers. No date is given. It looks like this jeep was nicely updated until a wreck or something else caused damage.
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I’d be very interested to know if the driver’s kidney issues improved once he his jeep driving days in the military were over. This article appeared in the February 21, 1946, issue of the Atlanta Constitution.
This 1944 newspaper photo of Santa in a jeep shows a military jeep with a taller-than-normal windshield, almost 2A like. This was published in the December 28, 1942, in the Bull Horn out of Norman, Oklahoma.
This press photo was taken March 30, 1947, at a Japanese department story where kids got to test out riding jeeps from a Japanese manufacturer who added “Kiroy was Here” to the dash. I don’t think these models of riding jeeps have been documented.
View all the information on ebay
“1947 Press Photo Children playing with toy jeeps at a department store in Japan. This is an original press photo. Japan (General). Japanese children, visiting a Tokyo department store, try out toy jeeps bearing the slogan “Kilroy was here,” placed on them by the Japanese manufacturer.Photo measures 7 x 8.75inches. Photo is dated 3-30-1947. ”
I was able to locate a corresponding photo in a newspaper. This one appeared in the March 31, 1947, issue of the Des Moines Tribune out of Iowa:
This looks like it may have been a full-page ad for Carl’s Motor company, despite the news stories sprinkled within. Note the photo of Bob Hope in a CJ-2A that seems to be promoting Carl’s Motors (I wonder if Bob Hope knew it).
As of December 1946, Wyoming County Schools in West Virginia still had 52 one-room schools attended by 1200 students. To serve and maintain those schools throughout the year, the county purchased a CJ-2A.
More details about the rural schools in this article from the December 27, 1946, issue of the Beckley Post Herald out of West Virginia.
Roger Martin pointed me to a Facebook photo from the 1964 movie Ride the Wild Surf. Pictured is Shelley Fabares (who had a higher billing than her female co-star) and Barbara Eden. The beach party movie also starred Fabian and a DJ-3A Gala.
This is a video clip from the beach scene:
Here’s another short video clip of a Gala in the movie:
This article in the June 28, 1948, issue of Newsweek covers how the Keystone Automobile Club’s three jeeps were transformed into mobile video units for the 1948 Republican and Democratic Conventions that were being held in Philadelphia.
Six months earlier in January, the same jeeps had been setup with radios to help manage road patrol issues (multiple news articles mentioned this), so adding television service expanded, albeit temporarily, the capabilities of the jeeps.
Last year we saw a different pic of one of the jeeps that is housed in Philadlephia’s free library:
PHOTO CREDIT: Free Library of Philadelphia .. PHOTO CAPTION: Keystone Automobile Club – Road Patrol Service.
Screen shot from The Salzburg Connection.
Bill spotted a scene with a jeep in the 1972 movie The Salzburg Connection (it might appear other places, as I didn’t have a chance to watch it). You can see the jeep scene between 41:45 and 42:35. It looks to be an MB.
By the end of the scene, the driver is deliriously (Psychotically?) happy. Maybe he was just really happy to be driving a jeep?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7RyQw1g8fU
Here’s a photo that was posted to the IMCDB site:
Jay just purchased a WWII jeep with this unusual exhaust modification. There are lots of guesses on Facebook about what it is or why it existed. Any thoughts?
(This is the only pic he currently has, as he is still awaiting delivery of the jeep.)
This Merry Christmas card with Santa in a Jeep promoted war bonds for the 1943 Christmas season.
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“1943 Santa Claus World War II Military Jeep Buy War Stamps Merry Christmas Card. has some glue and paper on the back from the scrapbook it was in. See photos for details.”
The Dolds’ family wishing their friends and family Merry Crhistmas. The windshield and the passenger step have already both been modified on this jeep.
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“This Auction is for 1 VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPH TYPE CARD
1950’S-60’S ERA? MIGHT BE BY BROAD RIPPLE, INDIANA?
CHRISTMAS CARD-JEEP-DACHSHUND DOG IN INDIANA
THE PHOTO IS CLEAR 1-2 FEET AWAY, THE PHOTO IS CLEAR UNDER MAGNIFY GLASS, BUT DARK. OPEN FACE CARD, BLANK BACK, WITH CAPTION. THESE CARDS WERE MADE MOST LIKELY FROM A DEPARTMENT STORE AND GIVEN TO NEIGHBOR’S, FAMILY & FRIENDS DURING THE HOLIDAYS.
CAPTION:” THE DOLDS? ”
A whole ‘flock’ of Slat Grilles flying over a battle field.
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“What It Is
A wonderful original magazine ad from 1942 for
Tobe Deutschmann Corp. Filterettes and Capacitors – Canton, Massachusetts
wonderfully illustrated by Walter Richards
Those Jeep Riders have an ear cocked for radio instructions.
Specifications
Ad is about 7.5 x 11 inches
Condition Note
It’s rather difficult to get the color and the contrast of the original in a scan AND preserve any flaws, which tend to get muted, so this text will describe flaws, if any.”
A September 23, 1956, article in the Lansing State Journal (Michigan) tells the story of an auto parts dealer who bought some surplus fuel, only to find out it was a special type of fuel.
Mike shared this June 18, 1962, Willys Motors Service Bulletin that has an updated 1000-mile inspection checklist. It’s both a handy checklist for the inspection of your current vintage jeep or for use when checking out a new jeep.
PDF Version of Checklist
(or an Alternative Checklist create by a reader years ago)
This photo shows New York Governor Lehman and Col. Broadus sitting in a jeep.
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“1942 Press Photo New York Governor takes ride in military jeep. This is an original press photo. New York – jeep – Lieutenant … reviews, Colonel Broadus salutes, Governor Lehman takes a ride Photo measures 8.25 x 5.25 inches. Photo is dated 04-07-1942.”
A 1955 newspaper ad for jeep looks familiar to me. Noticing that the spare tire was mounted like that of a CJ-2, I realized that the CJ-5 portion of the photo had been illustrated and an extra tree added.
Here’s how the ad looks, edited and cropped, in 1955 (ad is on eBay):
Here’s how the original 1945 press photo looked:
A guy in Seattle sold several lots of jeep stuff from his collection on eBay and I was a the fortunate recipient. So, Merry Christmas to me! The items that particularly interested me were the two different Baier lighters and the two wooden jeep pipes.
The Baier lighters were heavier and in better shape than I expected, while the two wooden pipes are both from France, each with engraved differently on the bottom.
The jeep toys range in quality, but I didn’t have any of them, so they were just a fun bonus.
Here’s a close up of the two Baier lighters. To ignite the lighter on the large jeep with the map on the top, you turn the door handles (either the passenger side and drivers side). Turning the handle releases the hood piece, causing the lighter to spark (no fuel in it currently). The smaller jeep is the same principle, only there’s a single button above the driver’s door and the lighter piece that pops up is in the top, not the hood.
My growing collection of jeep lighters and smoking related jeeps hasn’t been planned, but does seem to be growing….
