Features Research Archives

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Cutlas 1961 Power-Lock and Selective Drive Brochures

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

The Form-104 Selective drive brochure I’ve seen previously, but I’ve not seen the 1961 Power-Lock brochure.

This Power-Lock brochure is a tri-fold brochure that folds from 3.5″ x 5.5″ to 10.5″ x 5.5″

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This folded Cutlass Selective drive brochure has a form number of 104, but lacks a date. It is small, only folding in half from 3.5″ x 5.5″ to 7″ x 5.5″

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The “Jeep Club” of El Paso, Texas

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

A January 18, 1953, article in the El Paso Times shared the story of seven young men who formed “the jeep club”. There was no fancy name attached to it. They guys liked to explore the surrounding mountains, hunt jack rabbits, trap coyotes, and play with their jeeps.

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On the same page as the jeep article was an article about the first mail route in the United States, one that operated between Roswell and Torrance, New Mexico. The mail (and the occasional passengers) were ferried on the YELLOW DEVIL, an assemblage of discarded auto parts; that kind of sounds like a few jeeps I’ve known.

Obviously, this article was written before the aliens reached Roswell, because, rather than known for “progress of modern development (was it really known for that?)”, it’s pretty much famous for other-worldly visitors.

Make sure to reach the final story, one in the far right lower corner. Need rats for an experiment? One scientist discovered an easy way to get them …

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A CJ-2A Joins the Circus Ballet

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

This photo from July 04, 1946, in the Portola Register (out of Portola, California) shows famed clown Emmet Kelly helping Aileen Darnay step out of a CJ-2A, a jeep that was new to the circus. I wonder if the “WILLYS JEEP” painted on the hood was a form of advertising that reduced the cost of the jeep to the circus?

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Postcard of Wisconsin Deer Park on eBay

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

UPDATE: Here’s another example of a Wisconsin Dells Jeep Train, probably from the mid-1960s.

View all the information on eBay

“3-1/2 x 5-1/2 (Standard Size) postcard.”

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Originally Posted April of 2017: Seth spotted this postcard depicting a jeep pulling visitor trams at the Wisconsin Deer Park at the Wisconsin Dells. Opened in the 1950s (see history here), the park still operates, but there’s no evidence that the trams are still used, The closest thing to a jeep tram is a kids train.

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1945 Photo Gen. Omar Bradley and Mar. Ivan Koev on eBay

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

UPDATE: Here’s a second version of this press photo.

Also, Thanks to Lester (who found a front view of this same jeep in the Concord Armor At War series # 7058 titled The US Army Jeep at War by Steven Zaloga on page 70) we also now know that the inscription reads: To the Commander of the First Ukrainian Army Group from Soldiers of the American Armies of the 12th Army Group ….  Lester believes the same thing is painted in Russian on the hood. The jeep also has the insignia of the major formations of Bradleys command on the cowling between the hood and windshield. Finally, apparently the picture in the book clearly shows the two extra holes in the front bumper making it a GPW model.

Here’s another press photo that captures the gift of a jeep by General Omar Bradley to Marshal Ivan Konev of the Russian Army. Six days later, Marshal Konev responded in kind with the gift of a horse to General Bradley, the inspection of which was captured in the latter half of this video.

View all the information on eBay

“This is an original press photo. Bradley, Omar (General) (United States of America). General Omar Bradley, commander of the United States Twelfth Army Group, presents an American carbine and jeep foreground to Marshal Ivan Konev of the Russian Army following banquet celebrating the victories of their troops, near Berlin, May 5. This photo was taken by William C. Allen Associated Press Photographer with the wartime still picture pool. Photo measures 10.5 x 7.25inches. Photo is dated 5-5-1945.”

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Here’s another photo of the two with the jeep from Pintrest, which originally found it within the Truman Archives. The there are other jeep photos in the archives:

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Marshal Koniev (foreground, second from left) receives a United States Army Jeep as a gift from General Omar Bradley (foreground, left). General Bradley, commander of the United States 12th Army Group, had crossed over into Russian lines to meet Marshal Koniev, commander of the Russian 1st Ukrainian Army Group’s headquarters which was then located southeast of Torgau. All others are unidentified.

This photo is part of a series of photos shared by the families of famous Russian/Soviet families. There are other photos on this page that captured the first documented meeting of Russians and Americans on April 25,1945, near the German town of Torgau on the Elbe river.

========================== Continue reading

 
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Wooden Kids Wagon with Trailer Princeton, IL $2800

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

UPDATE: Still Available.

(07/12/2020) Looks fun.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/315228506185780/

“1951 Willy’s Jeep replica. Wood body 18 1/2 horse Briggs motor. Fun toy for all ages. Hand made”

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1957 Article on Wheeler-Walker’s Printshot

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

This April 30, 1957, article highlights the speedy service it’s red-themed jeeps and other delivery vehicles make possible. Attempts to learn more about this shop were unsuccessful, as there is a singer from the region named Wheeler Walker, so his stuff dominates the search returns.

Clipping from The Miami News - Newspapers.com

 
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CJ-5 Dealer Promotional Jeep **SOLD**

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

UPDATE: This sold on eBay Sunday night for $57.01 Plus $8.50 shipping. It had some damage in the tail gate area.

“I am offering for sale, a 1950’s-1960’s, Jeep Dealer Sales Promotional Model, Cast Metal. It is in Very Good Condition, Original, 5 3/4 inches, rubber tires, opening hood, folding windshield, heavy, tip of left side of front bumper broke off. Not sure if it was a dealer sales award or what. Nice looking Jeep”

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CJ-5 Farms Jeeps at Farm Jeep

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

In his pursuit of CJ-5 Farm Jeep information, Barry shared the story of two CJ-5s jeeps used with a hay bailer out of California. The post includes many stills and a some youtube video from the jeeps in action.

https://www.farmjeep.com/robert-millers-hayfield-hero-jeeps/

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https://www.farmjeep.com/robert-millers-hayfield-hero-jeeps/

 
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2 Photos Showing CJ-6 at Hell’s Half Acre on eBay

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

Hell’s Half Acre Marker, Hell’s Half Acre, Wyoming … this photo was posted to the Historical Market Database, which I didn’t know existed.

The following two Polaroid photos show a CJ-6 available for a jeep tour of Hell’s Half Acre in Wyoming. The tour was located at Hell’s Half Acre’s post office, which opened in 1940. This page contains a photo of the post office from 1947; souvenirs were available, but no jeep tours at that time. The post office appears to have been leveled sometime in the 1990s or later.

View all the information on eBay

“2 Original Vintage Snapshot Photos Hell’s Half Acre Post Office & Hamburgers “
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There is also this partial, color slide from 1960 that was likely taken about the same time:

View all the information on eBay

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Chimpanzees and Battery Powered Jeeps

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

UPDATE: A newspaper article from May 20, 1950, published in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, provides more information about the jeep-driving circus chimp named Nero. He passed away later in the year.
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Originally Posted January of 2013: This 1950 postcard shows some chimpanzees driving a battery powered jeep.  They were part of a Chimpanzee show at the St. Louis zoo started in 1925. Chimps were taught to ride bicycles, tricycles, motorcycles, ponies, a Great Dane, and more. You can learn more about them in the January 8, 1951, issue of Life Magazine.

“VINTAGE POSTCARD – CONDITION: VG. DATE/ERA: 1950s-60s. Standard Size 3.5×5.5.”

View all the information on eBay

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You can view some additional pictures at Jalopy Journal (scroll part way down the page). The quality seems good enough that they may be from Life Magazine, but I tried, but failed to locate their original source. Here is one of the images.

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On December 13, 1950, several newspapers announced that Nero had passed away. Here’s an article from the Southern Illinoisan:

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1961 Photo of a CJ-2L(?) Pest Control Jeep

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

This 1961 photo of a lengthened CJ-2A pest control jeep with a sprayer unit can be found in the Wyoming Digital Archives. Given CJ-2L’s, those extended CJ-2As that appear to have been modified in Spokane and sometimes re-stamped as CJ-2L, were sold out of both Spokane and Montana (see ad examples at the bottom), it is highly probable this could have found its way from either location.

This particular jeep likely has a Porter-Reed aluminum half-cab.

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View the photo in the Wyoming Digital Archives.

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View this example at the Wyoming Digital Archives.

CJ-2L long-wheel-base and CJ-2A extended ads:

This January 1953 ad seems the clearest in terms of a long-wheel-base CJ-2A. Other dealers in the Spokane and Missoula areas carried “lengthened”, “extended” or “long-wheel-base” CJ-2As as well. I believe the ‘extended’ jeeps were likely ones with extended rears, though whether that meant a permanent extension or a bolt on extension is not clear to me.

Fields Motor Company was in Dishman, Washington, which has since been absorbed by suburban Spokane.

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January 19, 1951, Spokesman Review

Here’s an example from 1949. Sandifur Motors was profiled earlier this year:

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December 11, 1949, Spokesman Review

Here’s an example of one ad from 1951. Burhart was a dealer out of Spokane, Washington.

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February 18, 1951, Spokesman Review

 
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1963 Jeep News International Vol. 9 No. 7

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

I have a two year gap between my 1961 issues of Jeep News and this one from late 1963. During that period, the name was changed from Jeep News to Jeep News International. The use of months as part of the dating system were dropped in favor of using a volume and issue number.

Not surprisingly, the introduction of Wagoneers and Gladiators changed the focus to the full-size jeeps, but there are still legacy jeep photos and articles.

Photos Photos Photos Photos Photos

 
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October 1945 Photos that Include a Willys MA

• CATEGORIES: Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs, Features, Old Images, Old News Articles This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This October 30, 1945, photo coverage from the Rocky Mount Telegram, out of North Carolina, highlights the start of the 8th War Loan drive. It included a photo of a Willys MA leading a series of elephants.

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1951 Article w/ Jeep Helping Circus

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

This May 10, 1951, article  in the Abilene Reporter-News shows a newly acquired MB/GPW hoisting a circus tent for the Gainesville Community Circus. The jeep was modified to drive stakes, pull stakes, and hoist canvas. Though the circus had been active since the 1930s, this May event was the first time the circus had travelled outside the Gainesville, Texas, area, according to the article at the bottom of the post. Three years later, in 1954, the circus was destroyed by fire.

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Six months earlier, this November 11, 1950, article appeared in Billboard Magazine:

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FC-170 Photo on eBay

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

Steve spotted this photo. It looks like the FC is about to pull a camper shell out of a garage.

View all the information on eBay

“Pleased to offer an original 1950’s photograph. Photograph measures approximately 5 x 4 inches and has wear consistent with age.”

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Newspaper Delivery by Jeep

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

The Statesville Record and Landmark newspaper out of Statesville, North Carolina, described in the December 29, 1955, issue how up to eight jeeps are used to make sure rural customers received their newspapers, summer or winter, through rain, snow, or sleet.

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1955 Truck Project

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

Bud Wilkinson of the Republican-American reported on this Willys Truck rebuild. https://wheels.rep-am.com/2020/07/my-ride-out-of-the-dump-and-into-the-willys-jeep/

 
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1965 Article on Jeeping in Colorado

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

A CJ-V35/U landed on the front page of the Leisuretime Magazine, published by the Gazette Telegraph out of Colorado Springs, Colorado, on August 07, 1965. It looks like the  jeep has been modified with a taller radiator (and perhaps another engine), which apparently led to the lack of a hood.

For the story, the writer spent some time with the Mountain Airs Citizen Band Radio Club (not the catchiest of names). I didn’t realize that CB clubs were a ‘thing’, but there was even a magazine dedicated to that group of folks called S9. Here’s an example from 1966 (one in which the Mountain Airs’ name appears somewhere): https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-CB-Radio/S9-Magazine/S9-1966-05.pdf.

Below is the Gazette Telegraph article:

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1951 Photo of MacArthur in Jeep on eBay

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

It’s a good situation when you have people to remove your jeep’s chains….

View all the information on eBay

“1951 Press Photo Korea, soldiers remove tow chains from Gen. MacArthur’s jeep. This is an original press photo. Central Korean front — Gen. MacArthur flew to the Korean Central front today on his 13th visit since the war. Marines are pictured here removing chains from MacArthur’s jeep after it was towed from Hongchon R. when it stalled while fording river. Gen. Ridgway is in rear of jeep (back to camera).Photo measures 9 x 7inches. Photo is dated 03-20-1951.”

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1940s(?) Test of an Amphibious Jeep and Truck

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

This video shows the testing of a jeep and truck.

 
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1950 Photo of a Wagon and Girl w/ Flowers

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

Steve spotted this photo at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukie archives.

https://collections.lib.uwm.edu/digital/collection/jbmurdoch/id/2016/rec/94

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Photo Credit: https://collections.lib.uwm.edu/digital/collection/jbmurdoch/id/2016/rec/94 Archives. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries

 
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1949 Article Sedan Delivery Wagons as Patrol Jeeps

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

This April 16, 1949, article in the Portland Press Herald highlighted critic complaints about several new sedan delivery wagons purchased for use as police vehicles. There was some concern that these new patrol vehicles would be unable to catch modern hot rods. In response, the police chief reminded his critics that this was an experiment.

You will note that there is a black blotch covering a small portion of the second part of the article, but I don’t think anything important is lost with it there.

Clipping from Portland Press Herald - Newspapers.com Clipping from Portland Press Herald - Newspapers.com

 
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June 1960 Willys Amphibious Tactical Truck Brochure on eBay

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

At $1499.99, the price on this is a head -ratcher. But, it is an unusual and interesting brochure. It reminds me of the Willys airborne prototype called the Jeeplet or the WAC. Here’s a short video with some pics of it.

View all the information on eBay

“SUPER RARE 1960 KAISER WILLYS CONCEPT AMPHIBIOUS TRUCK ADVERTISING BROCHURE.”

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1941 Look Magazine Article “Hell on Wheels”

• CATEGORIES: Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs, Features, Magazine This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

The August 26, 1941, issue of Look Magazine included this large photo of a Bantam BRC-40. The caption, presumably written by the author of the article, Henry McLemorehistor reads:

THIS MOBILE CHIROPRACTOR I am driving is a half-ton reconnaissance car known to the unit as a Peep or Bo-Peep. It’ll go 60 mph, packs two machine guns, a crew of four. It will take you anywhere, provided you can hang on–actually covering worse terrain than a tank. As soon as the Army has enough Peeps, they will replace motorcycles as dispatch and reconnaissance vehicles. Like all armored-division vehicles, the Peep has four-wheel drive and handles as easily as the highest priced pleasure car. The difference is that you sit on a thin cushion over a steel seat and buckle yourself down with an airplane safety belt. “

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The above photo is from this two page spread:

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This is the magazine cover:

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