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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 .
An ad for Seagram’s Five Crow whiskey appeared in the December, 1942, issue of American Legion magazine. The illustration is kind of jeep-like.
The American Legion has turned all of its back issues into downloadable documents that are also searchable online. Pretty handy! You can view the entire December 1942 issue here: http://archive.legion.org/handle/123456789/3774
This Auto-Lite spark plug ad was publish in the September 1944 issue of American Legion Magazine. You can view the entire issue here: http://archive.legion.org/handle/123456789/3796
The November 1953 issue of Cars Magazine contained this two page article. Note the jeep on the lower right of page 2. See the rear extension box. It’s got a matching cover that connects with soft top.
This issue of Cars Magazine had a few more jeep references. Below are short descriptions of an electric seep, a photo of right hand CJ-3Bs used by the Post Office, and a look at the rolligon.
This short article shows one way to float a Mighty Mite.
If this were my boat, then I’d rather be fishing!
This issue of Pathfinder was published in March of 1946. I bought this issue on eBay, but unfortunately there was no associated story inside.
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay
This May 1942 Junior Scholastic magazine had a Ford GP on the cover.
“Junior Scholastic magazine for school kids. Week of April 27-May 2 1942 issue.
16 pages. A little larger than 8 inches x 11 inches.
World War II era article about the modern mechanized cavalry charging into battle on motorized vehicles, motorcycles (like the Harley-Davidson WLA), and even horses still.
Complete. Clean pages. No water damage. No creases. Normal amount of age-browning to the paper. Considering the newspaper-quality wartime paper used, this magazine is in remarkably nice condition after 70 plus years. There’s some minimal red marking here and there. The delicate folded, stapled-binding has a small amount of separation along the top and bottom edges, but is holding together well.”
Marc discovered this February 1952 Motor Trend article for sale on eBay. You can find full Motor Trend issues on eBay.
” A vintage original MOTOR TREND article from February, 1952 entitled ” MAN BEATS JEEP…and the Jeep comes back for more ” By Eric Rickman…Photos by Tom Medley. 3 pages, each measures 8″ X 11″, in good condition (examine scans before bidding). Scans show both sides of all the pages. Copy reads in part: ” We don’t plan to add Motor Trials of utility vehicles to our format…it’s one man’s impression of one of the world’s most useful cars…””
View all the information on eBay
This is just the article for sale, but it’s cheaper than the whole magazine (when you can find it). You can view the whole article here: http://www.ewillys.com/2014/11/15/1946-fortune-article-on-willys-overland/
View all the information on eBay
An interesting piece of memorabilia.
“SCHOOLS AT WAR, QUARTERLY WAR SAVINGS NEWS BULLETIN FOR TEACHERS
ORIGINAL PERIOD PAPER. WORLD WAR TWO
VERY RARE THIS MAY BE THE ONLY COPY LEFT IN THE WORLD ! MOST WERE THROWN AWAY OR DESTROYED
THIS ISSUE DATE: October 1943
cover: JEEP WITH SOLDIERS”
View all the information on eBay
This April 1944 War Bonds School Bulletin includes illustrations of a couple jeeps.
View all the information on eBay
SCHOOLS AT WAR, QUARTERLY WAR SAVINGS NEWS BULLETIN FOR TEACHERS
ORIGINAL PERIOD PAPER. WORLD WAR TWO
VERY RARE THIS MAY BE THE ONLY COPY LEFT IN THE WORLD ! MOST WERE THROWN AWAY OR DESTROYED
THIS ISSUE DATE: APRIL 1944
cover: minuteman flag, drum.
Back cover: where do we go from here ?
contents: WAR LOAN IDEAS, TEACHING AIDS, CLASSROOM PROJECTS.
UPDATE: Was on eBay.
The March 25, 1944, issue of Liberty Magazine has a woman driving a jeep.
Taken by Life Magazine photographer Frank Scherschel, I found this photo at the picturesdotblog site. Note the use of the parking brake! Also note the “press” sign on the front of the jeep. Do you suppose the wire cutter on the front of the press jeep was cut so that it wouldn’t interfere with photos?
Jeeps (including a press vehicle) in the town square, Marigny (Manche), Normandy, 1944.
A view of the same town seventy years later (thanks Tom!):
It appears the August 1946 issue of Fortune Magazine has an interesting Willys Overland article.
“This complete Fortune magazine is in really nice original condition. The cover has no edge tears or creases, but there is a scuff on the right and bottom edges. The lower left edge shows minor scuffs. The illustration is vivid against a clean background.
The spine has minor scuffs at the top and bottom. The magazine is still securely bound. As I thumb thru this magazine, the inside pages appear clean with no tears, creases or dog eared corners. The back cover has no edge tears or creases. The illustration is vivid against a nice and clean background.”
View all the information on eBay
UPDATE: **SOLD** was on eBay.
This issue of the magazine ponders the jeep as a farming tool. The article is called “Someday We’ll Pu the Harness on the Jeep”, by Arnold Nicholson. You can see the article and imagines here.
The November 30th, 1942, issue of Life Magazine featured this photo of soldiers pushing a jeep across a river in New Guinea.
This cover from June 1955 American Poultry Journal Magazine shows a unique Willys attachment. The April 1955 issue of Willys News featured the entire story and pics from this magazine.
Only one of the story’s three pages is shown.
“ORIGINAL 3-page, magazine story
(consists of 2 full pages plus two half columns of text on 3rd page
Always original magazine pages…
never duplicates or reproductions of any kind
Approximate size: 8.5″x11.5″ (each page)
Condition: Excellent”
View all of the sellers items on eBay
Given the Darien Gap video above, it seemed appropriate that I (finally) share parts of a March 1961 (pg 366-389) article about a group of seven adventurers who pulled, pushed, towed and cajoled a Willys Truck and a Land-Rover through the rough Panamanian country-side, officially becoming the first vehicles to ever make the Darien Gap trip. The article and photographs were both by Kip Ross.
Wikipedia notes, “The first vehicular crossing of the Gap was by the Land Rover La Cucaracha Cariñosa (The Affectionate Cockroach) and a Jeep of the Trans-Darién Expedition of 1959–60, crewed by Amado Araúz (Panama), his wife Reina Torres de Araúz, former Special Air Service man Richard E. Bevir (UK), and engineer Terence John Whitfield (Australia). They left Chepo, Panama, on 2 February 1960 and reached Quibdó, Colombia, on 17 June 1960, averaging 201 m (220 yd) per hour over 136 days. They traveled a great deal of the distance up the vast Atrato River.” For some reason, Wikipedia doesn’t include the three other members, Otis Imboden, Ilse Abshagen, and, of course, Kip Ross.
You can learn more about the different groups that crossed the Darien Gap at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darién_Gap
In addition, “The first all-land auto crossing was in 1985–87 by Loren Upton and Patty Mercier in a CJ-5 Jeep, taking 741 days to travel 125 miles (201 km). This crossing is documented in the 1992 Guinness Book of Records.”
View March 1961 National Geographic Magazines on eBay
First published 09/29/2012: I first spotted this article in the May 22, 1943, edition of Colliers Magazine.
An article by the same name (Jeep of All Trades), but with different content, was published in Mechanix Illustrated in November 1945 (see an example at this-old-jeep.com).
Below are some images of the article. I searched on the author, but all I learned was that he wrote for Colliers. If you spot an inexpensive Colliers Magazine with the article, let me know!
Four Wheeler Magazine and the New Mexico 4-Wheelers combined together for an article that looked back on fifty years of the New Mexico 4-Wheelers. Check out all the photos at the article:
http://www.fourwheeler.com/features/0808-4wd-new-mexico-4-wheelers/
This October 1942 Motor Magazine has a few different ads with jeeps.
“MAGNIFICENT, RARE, AUTHENTIC, ORIGINAL, VINTAGE, HUGE, OVERSIZED, COMPLETE WORLD WAR II ERA ISSUE OF “MOTOR” MAGAZINE FROM OCTOBER 1942! See all 12 images below including some close-ups AND see the 12-inch ruler in images for size perspective! Measures a HUGE 10.5″ X 13.5″ and has a PHENOMENAL 240 pages including the semi-stiff covers! VINTAGE “MOTOR” MAGAZINES OF THIS ERA ARE TYPICALLY LOADED with photographs, illustrations, artistic renderings, stories, features, AND articles related to automobiles of all kinds, motor cars, NEW CARS, the latest trends of the automotive industry, manufacturer information, mechanical data, and other subjects related to motors and motoring, AND more – HOWEVER, while this issue does include many auto-related features it is primarily focused on the home-front war effort and the invaluable contribution of the USA auto makers and automotive industry towards winning the war! COMPLETELY JAMMED with some incredible 1942 patriotic and WAR-RELATED advertisements INCLUDING MANY FULL-PAGE ADS, showing tanks, aircraft, trucks, jeeps, ammunition, AND much more! SCARCE IN ANY CONDITION – RARE AND VERY HARD TO FIND THIS NICE – Complete and intact; ”
View all the information on eBay
UPDATE: **SOLD** was on eBay.
If you can get your hands on a June 1946 issue Country Gentleman Magazine, you will find this ad. Or, you can just snag this one on eBay. Seller believes this is in fair to good condition, but given the stains it seems poor to me.
In a comment from the post about the FC-150 review by Tom McCahill, Mike remembered seeing McCahill’s review about the Jeep Wagoneer. It didn’t take me long to find a cheap copy of the May 1966 issue (pg 87) that featured the surprisingly enthusiastic review of the Jeep.
This article is from the July 1947 issue of W-O Sales News.
In honor of this weekend’s FC Northwest Gettogether in Tacoma, Washington, I thought this article was appropriate. McCahill isn’t shy about some of his ‘beefs’ with the new FC.
This November 1942 article from Popular Mechanics titled “Miracle on Wheels” featured the jeep and shared some of the success stories from its use internationally. You can read the entire issue on Google or purchase a cheap copy off of eBay
