How about this great ad from the August 9, 1943, issue of Newsweek. I’ll be posting a different one from Newsweek tomorrow. This is pieced together from two different pages.
Magazine Research Archives
Salesbuilder Magazine from Willys Overland
I spotted and purchased it on eBay today. There were three other issues, but I got outbid with a few seconds to go on the rest.
Life Magazine Jeep Photo Slide Show
Robert spotted this great link of Life Magazine Photos. The photos range across the decades, including black/white and color ones. This was photographed by Myron Davis for the July 1945 issue.
1968 New Mexico Jeep Trip
The May 1968 issue of New Mexico Magazine has a good story and pictures on an annual jeep trip by the Las Cruces Four Wheelers and the Las Cruces Jeep Club. Fifty-five people in 17 four wheel drive vehicles, including at least one Landrover, Scout, Bronco, Flatfender and CJ-5 (several of these), made the 32 mile trip through a portion of the San Francisco River.
The article includes a map, pictures, and tales of their exploits. As you can see from the pictures, they spent plenty of time deep in water, crossing the river back and forth. The article begins on the map page (page 2). It’s a pretty large picture.
A Tear Drop Camper for a MB
Steve spotted this great article about a jeep owner who decided to build a teardrop trailer for his rig. Alan Johnson wrote the article as part of the premiere issue of Cool Tears and Tiny Campers Magazine, a magazine devoted to small campers.
The more I look at these, the more one of these might be a good solution for our trip back east. I guess I’ll need to share this idea with my wife.
Fumigator on the back of Flattie
This short blurb about a fumigator on the back of a jeep was published in the January, 1948, issue of Popular Mechanics and available for free at Google. It doesn’t indicate whether this is a custom unit or an aftermarket fumigator available for the jeep. I see no indication it is powered by the jeep; it may be self contained.
September 1956: Hunting with a jeep from Field & Steam
CJ-2A Pulls a Wagon for Hollywood
A December 1947 article in Popular Mechanics highlights the role support groups play in post-war remote Hollywood movie locations. Included is the below image of a jeep pulling a wagon. The article is pretty interesting.
Follow Me Jeeps Photos
UPDATE: Howard found this photo at warttimepress.com on the front of the October, 23, 1944 issue of Junior Scholastic.
Leo was cleaning up his files and ran across this unusual “Follow Me” Jeep photo. He couldn’t remember where he found it, so if you happen to know a source, let me know.
As I looked for an originating source, I found a bunch more photos. I also learned that sometimes incoming gliders were moving too fast for the ‘follow me’ jeeps. In one case, instead of hitting the jeep, a glider tipped its wing upward to pass over the jeep, probably to the jeep driver’s surprise or relief. Here they are:
This was posted at the RAF Forum:
Here’s one taken last summer and posted on Flickr from the Duxford Military Vehicles Day
This one appeared at a 2004 Military Jeep Club of Queensland Swap Meet in Australia. This page is full of military jeeps, seeps, and more.
This follow me jeep was posted at 20th century GI. There are more links to different shots of it.
This photo and article was published in the June 1944 issue of Popular Mechanics.
Ant then, there is this priceless one from the Belgian MIlitary Vehicle Trust:
Railway Age article highlights the Usefulness of a Jeep
This article for sale on eBay comes from the October 9, 1949, issue of Railway Age. It shows four different pictures of a jeep doing different railroad related tasks.
Dec 1977 Issue of Willys World **SOLD**
Home Craft’s “Town & Country” Conversion
Robin just posted pictures from the June 1950 Issue of Home Craft’s “Town & Country” Jeep Conversion. This was a two issue project.
He posted high resolution versions of this transformation on FLICKR.
Here are some of the images:
What About the New Farm Jeep?
This article was published in a 1945 issue of the Country Gentleman Farmer. I can’t figure out which issue it was.
Feb 1948 Home Craft Magazine Wood Topped Jeep
I spotted the cover of the February 1948 issue of Home Craft Magazine here. I’d like to find an issue to more closely examine the article and the plans. I haven’t found an issue for sale yet.
Jeep Sling from the 881st Ordnance
I spotted this article about slinging a jeep on LoanSentry.com. Apparently, during WW2 the folks in the 881st Ordnance were slinging plenty of jeeps, enough that they created a system for it and published the results in
You can view a variety of the ordnance documents at vmpa.ordnanacereproductions.com. It looks like a cool resource.
June 1943 Popular Science “This Jeep Can Swim” Article
Popular Science published a January 1943 article with a variety of GPA / SEEP pictures, including a nice breakdown of the dashboard (handy for my description of a seep dashboard in my upcoming book).
Welders on the Battlefield from Popular Science
Here’s an interesting article in the May 1945 issue of Popular Science about welding on the battlefield that includes several references to using jeeps as portable welding units. There is a copy on eBay for only $5.99. Here are a couple images from the article:
The Last Chancer: A Jeep Train in Helena, MT
The Last Chancer, a wooden train built on a jeep platform, is documented at the Helena History Museum. You can view additional pictures at the Museum page. A Last Chance Train still exists, but has been upgraded.
In this early picture taken in 1954 you can see what appears to be a CJ-3B peering out from it’s enclosure.
Here is the Train as of 1957.
The Last Chancer made an appearance in the 1956 issue of Popular Science on page 104:
December 1943 Hit Magazine on eBay
Apparently, this issue of Hit Magazine includes Jeep Jokes. However, the price of $20 makes the issue less appealing. Anyone have this?
January 1943 Popular Mechanics “Jeeps on the Farm” Article
Here is an early article that highlights the potential for jeeps following the war. You can see the online version at Google Books. I couldn’t find an issue for sale on eBay.
January 1943 Pop Mechanics Jeep Flies Target Plane
A couple additional references to the jeep were made in the January 1943 issue of Popular Mechanics. You can see the online version at Google Books
1) Page 33: “Jeep Flies Target Plane to Help Gunner’s Aim”
Apparently, a plane was mounted to a jeep and driven across an open field. I’ve never seen any other pictures of this.
2) Page 64: Perhaps this is the first running model jeep? It certainly was an early one!
August 1953 Wild Jeep Desert Run Article
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
This two page article describes the 5th annual Cavalcade event in 1953. It was published in an August 1953 magazine, publisher unknown.
“original magazine article , 8.5 x 12 , 2 Pages , describes Cavalcade from Hemit through Coyote Canyon to Calexico, CA”
‘Ranchers Like Jeeps’ Ad
This ad appeared in volume 2 No. 13 issue of Montana Sports Outdoors of Missoula, MT. The magazine includes a full page ad for an unusual ‘Jeep’ being endorsed by UNITED CATTLE COMPANY OF BIG SANDY. I can’t imagine this ad ran in too many magazines. The text of the ad notes that the cattle company was purchasing its 18th jeep.
1942 Reader’s Digest “Meet the Jeep”
UPDATE: This article is a condensed version of this Scientific American article shown here: http://www.ewillys.com/2020/04/16/january-1942-article-from-scientific-american-meet-the-jeep/
(09/22/2012) This Old Jeep had a digital copy of this magazine article from Reader’s Digest January 1942. That site is now offline. Below is Page 1 of 3 pages.
1956 Speed Mechanics on eBay
This issue of Speed Mechanics has an article about souping the Willys F-head, according to the description.