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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 .
The August 1949 issue of Mechanix Illustrated included detailed plans for constructing a battery powered, remote-control toy wagon.
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.
The February 1957 issue of Science and Mechanics introduced readers to the FC-150 with this short article.
This Forbes November 15, 1944, article titled “Will the Jeep Invade Peacetime Markets” is a pretty sober look at the reality of the WWII jeep. That’s probably because the author, Francis “Frank” Fenn, was the former President of American Bantam at the time the Bantam BRC was developed (one person argued that Frank was the actual father of the jeep).
With tweaks to the basic WWII jeep, Fenn predicted the CJ could do quite a bit, but would never make a good around-town or travel car due to it’s rough ride and basic functions. He predicted, rightly, that it would take a quite a bit of engineering for the vehicle to meet the average family’s on-road needs.
Scott directed me to an article in the October 1976 issue of South Africa’s CAR Magazine. It highlighted the jeeps that Volkswagen, having secured a license from AMC, was building in South Africa. Below is a copy from the article. CAR Magazine still exists; you can find it on Facebook and on the Web.
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
This ad was published in an Australian farming magazine.
“Australian Jeep Original Advertisement removed from a 1958 Australian Farming Magazine and in good condition for age having some marks and creases and age yellowing of the paper. Size is 18 cms x 24 cms. It would look good framed on your wall or displayed with your vehicle at a car show.”
The Sumer 2020 Dispatcher Magazine arrived in my mailbox this weekend. Jim Allen’s feature article on the Jeepster Commando designs was particularly interesting. I knew there were a variety, but I didn’t know there were this many!
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. “
The above photo is from this two page spread:
This is the magazine cover:
UPDATE: I wonder if this electric jeep pictured in the November 05, 1943, issue of the Arizona Republic newspaper was the inspiration for the Jeep for Junior published in 1946?
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The post originally ran in 2014: These plans for an “Electric Jeep for Junior” come from a September 1946 Issue of Mechanix Illustrated Magazine.
Search ebay for original issues of the September 1946 issue of Mechanix Illustrated
I bought this magazine based on the cover, hoping there would be some good photos in side. Nope, the best part of the article was the magazine cover.
UPDATE: This post has been updated with the May 1952 article on Vic Hickey’s “Mountain Goat” jeep.
Gayland spotted this unusual setup for painting tall places from a jeep. This was published on page 114 of the January 1950 issue of Popular Mechanics. Just hope it isn’t a windy day!
The is a better look at the rigging:
And a close up of the jeep:
This three-part article appeared in the August 1959 issue of Car Life magazine. The first two-page article is a general look at both vehicles. Then, there’s a long review of the Willys Wagon followed by a long review of the Land Rover. I got the sense that the reviewer Mr. Jim Whipple was more impressed with the Land Rover than the wagon. You be the judge….
Willyls Wagon review:
UPDATE: This post has been merged and reworked after I figured out that the two tops were actually related.
In July of 1963, Fresno-based Automotive Fiberglass Company placed an advertisement in Four Wheeler magazine for its new fiberglass hardtop. I wonder if the builder of this top was also a member of the Fresno Jeep Club?
This is the 1963 ad:
July 1963 Ad from Automotive Fiberglass
This Automotive Fiberglass top appeared on a CJ-5 for sale in Fresno in 2010. It is the only jeep I’ve seen with an Automotive Fiberglass Top:
CJ-5 with 1963 fiberglass hardtop from Automotive Fiberglass.
TIMELINE —
July 1963: Automotive Fiberglass places ad in Four Wheeler Magazine;
November 1963: Top King Manufacturing files design patent for an altered version of the Automotive Fiberglass top;
February 1964: Top King top is advertised in the Four Wheeler Magazine;
September 1964: A more detailed ad is placed in Four Wheeler Magazine.
A few months after the Automotive Fiberglass advertisement, two design patents were filed and assigned to Top King Manufacturing. You’ll note that the rear side-angle has been reversed. The mid-section insert piece for the side was also changed, altered from a triangle shape to a rhombus shape. Here’s the design patent information from the Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office:
November 1963 Design Patent filing for Top King. Note that I haven’t had the time to investigate the designers mentioned in the patent.
By February 1964, King Top was advertising the newly redesigned top in Four Wheeler Magazine. Curiously, the company listed its name as the Top King Fiberglass Company rather than Top King Manufacturing (could be a relic from the Automotive Fiberglass company days):
February 1964 Ad from Top King.
Seven months later, this second ad was placed in the September 1964 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine. The company had corrected its name for the ad back to Top King Manufacturing. Additionally, Top King announced it would soon have flatfender versions of the top available, along with a half cab version. Have any of these survived?
September 1964 Ad from Top King Manufacturing.
I bought this August 1953 issue of Cars magazine for the jeep article, but it also has all kinds of interesting information in it. The article “The Jeep Goes International” by Evan Jones highlights how various companies in different countries were capitalizing on the demand for jeep vehicles by manufacturing jeep-like vehicles of their own. The story discusses the new Austin Champ, the Fiat Campagnola, the Land Rover, and the Delahaye V.I.R.
This photo from the March 05, 1945, issue of Life Magazine shows a jeep being used as a guinea pig for a superglue test.
UPDATE: A new seller has over 10 issues of Vagabond: Adventures in 4-Wheel Drive issue #1 for sale. I purchased a copy and will post once I receive it. I’ve only documented two issues of this magazine; Here’s issue #2.
This is issue #1 Volume 1. Note the great article on the rare CJ-5 camper.
“Original factory magazine , 5.5 x 8.5 , 32 pages . Includes interesting articles showing Jeep Gladiator Camper , CJ5 Universal Camper , Wagoneer in Redwood National Park , many other interesting articles . This magazine was printed by Jeep and sent to the dealers and customers .”
Bob Ames, the author of this September 1961 article in Motor Trend, described his time in a CJ-5 as a “rump” ride.
In the January 14, 1952, Newsweek put out an article about the jeep’s versatility. There are some interesting tidbits, such as the Chinese’s nickname for the jeep was “the vehicle of 10,000 capabilities”. The jeep was used to spear barracudas in the Virgin islands, play tag in Yakima, ski via jeep-joring in New England and Ontario, Canada,, and in Burma it was claimed that a jeep was once used to pull an elephant’s tooth.
This photo and caption was also included in a seemingly random area of the magazine, despite the fact that the same image appeared within the article.
Like the April issue, this issue includes a variety FC and Surrey images.
The March 1956 Issue of Popular Science included a small story of a CJ-2A with a Gutter-Vac installed. It was used in Washington, D.C.
As reported in this post, in 1962 the Tonka company launched the jeep models many of us owned as kids (and some of us still own as adults). It didn’t take long for Tonka to introduce specialized packaging as well. The August 1962 issue of Playthings Magazine highlighted three different Dispatcher Tonka Toys, with Hatari-themed boxes, that were for sale in the lobby of movie theaters while Hatari played in theatres.
View all the information on eBay
The article appeared on this page:
UPDATE: View the Miss Gotham winner here. Advertisements for the summer of 1960 Miss Gotham contest also appeared in newspapers. I also have learned who won the Surrey, but I need to scan the info still.
CREDIT: August 25, 1960, Chicago Tribune
CREDIT: August 21, 1960, issue of El Paso Times
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Originally posted May 13, 2020: A contest ad featuring a DJ-3A Surrey appeared in an August 1960 issue of Seventeen Magazine.
“Seventeen 8/1960.
Original magazine page.
NOTE: You are buying a magazine page, a piece of paper. Sheet size given is approximate. [10 1/2 x 13 1/2″]. 2-page ads noted. Occasional small edge splits not affecting image or type may be present.”
UPDATE: This is an extensive update to the 2017 post about Pedro and Carlos Rocasalvo’s 1946-1949 trip from Argentina to Alaska and back.
CREDIT: February 1955 issue of the Willys News. The photo shows Pedro Rocasalvo and some helpers using boards and a railroad track to help the jeep cross a deep gorge. This was part of the return trip to Argentina.
On June 5, 1946, two brothers, 24-year-old Pedro and 19-year-old Carlos Rocasalvo, mounted bicycles at their home in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and began an adventure north. They carried 80lbs of baggage and $100. Their ultimate goal was to reach Fairbanks, Alaska. They expected the trip to last five years. Their father, a clothing goods salesman, was against the trip, but the boys were confident that they’d be okay.
CREDIT: March 16th, 1948, issue the Wilmington Daily Press journal, Wilmington, California.
A budding journalist and photographer, Pedro and his brother supported their trip through serialized and syndicated reports to twenty-six newspapers back in Argentina. The pair planned to film their journey and use their notes and articles to write a book about their adventure.
During their trek to the United States, the pair survived four crossings of the Andes, a “ringside seat at Bolivia’s revolution”, and hacking their way through 300 miles of Colombian Jungle that proved the worst part of their trip. During their 26 days in the jungle, they shot and cooked their own food. In the evenings, the brothers slept in trees, but had to select the trees carefully due to snakes and other animals.
At Colon, Panama, the exhausted boys were diagnosed with Malaria; they were treated for the disease and slept for four days.
Once in the United States, the pair’s lack of English didn’t slow them down. Eventually, after twenty-seven months of riding, they reached Los Angeles, arriving in March of 1948. While in Hollywood, Pedro studied photography at Paramount’s photography school for a month.
CREDIT: Pomona Progress Bulletin, Pomona, California. Pedro and Carlos Rocasalvo receive American Youth Hostel passes.
Soon, they were back on their bikes again, arriving at the YMCA in Portland, Oregon, in June of 1948. There, an interpreter named Celita Dextre, fluent in Spanish and English, was brought in to help the boys tell their story. There may have been some sparks between Pedro and twenty-three-year-old Celita, because she surfaced again later in the trip.
June 17, 1948, issue of the Dayton Herald, Dayton, Ohio.
After additional stops in Seattle and Vancouver, the pair made a hard ride for Fairbanks.
This February 1955 article highlights how quickly Willys Motors shifted from a jeep and car company to more of a jeep company, chopping the number of automobiles it was selling from 10 in 1954 to only 3 in 1955. According to the article, Wills Motors also appeared most focused on the new CJ-5.
You can view this issue on Google Books or make an offer on this issue at eBay.
This May 1954 issue of Kaiser Willys News is one I only have available in these smaller pics snagged off eBay back in 2013. There is a story about the Yakima ridge runners and the Jeep Rodeo, but it’s too small to read.
