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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 .
UPDATE: Last posted October 12, 2017
The photo of the jeep underneath the letter shows it without bow holders, but with an extra spare tire carrier. Does this mean the country club ordered it this way? Were the bow holders ever installed? There have been a couple early 2As that appeared unrestored, but without bow holders. I’ve wondered if they could be ordered that way.
UPDATE II: Here’s another Africa USA Postcard. It’s a available on eBay.
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UPDATED Aug 04, 2020: This post is an aggregation of Africa USA postcards and articles. Another postcard from the form adventure park popped up on eBay, this time with a CJ-5 pulling the trams:
View all the information on eBay
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Posted June 2019 on eBay, a CJ-3B pulling trams:
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From 2015: Africa USA, was part of a theme-park movement in the late 1950s that included New York’s Freedomland, Disneyland, Wisconsin’s Fort Dells, and others. By 1959, these parks were collectively generating revenue of $2 billion.
There is a feature article about these parks in the August 1, 1960, issue of Life Magazine. The picture below is from that article. You can take a ‘virtual’ jeep-train tour of Africa USA here (don’t expect much). 
This article appeared in the December 1955 issue of Willys News. That’s the jeep train behind the animals.
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Paul was browsing Facebook when he ran across this image from Moab, Utah, on the Canyon County Zephyr FB group page that includes this early 1950s Willys dealership sign (left side of image). You can see this sign in this 1952 signage brochure (WO11): http://www.ewillys.com/2021/02/13/1952-willys-signage-brochure/
There are some ads by this entity on Newspapers.com, but you’ll need a subscription to see them.
These four slides on eBay show a wagon that pulled two different travel trailers over four years.
1959 Jan – 35mm Slide 1950s Willys Jeep Utility Wagon & Travel Trailer:
1960 – 35mm Slide Two 1950s Willys Jeep Utility Wagons & Aristocrat Travel Trailer:
1960 Nov – 35mm Slide 1950s Willys Jeep Utility Wagon & Aristocrat Travel Trailer:
1963 Feb – 35mm Slide 1950s Willys Jeep Utility Wagon & Aristocrat Travel Trailer:
The Frontier Nursing Service in one of their jeeps.
Thanks to Bus for spotting this interesting story. Stared in 1925 by Mary Breckinridge, the Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) provided healthcare to rural folks in Kentucky. At first, horses and saddlebags helped them gain access to remote areas, but during WWII the group turned to jeeps. As these photos show, over the years FNS used a variety of different jeeps. There is even a 1931 documentary about the group (with additional information here):
In the late 1930s Edsel Ford donated a reconditioned Model A to the Service, which Mary named Henrietta. Several years later Ford replaced Henrietta with Henrietta II, a jeep. At some point the FNS secured another jeep, a WWII jeep Mary named “Jane”, named for a benefactor Clara “Jane” Ford”.
According to the Henry Ford website, this jeep was “Jane”.
Nice photo from a San Juan Scenic Jeep tour. Too bad the first photo isn’t a slightly wider photo.
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This CJ-2A featured prominently in this series of family photos. You can find the photos on this seller’s ebay shop.
Kind of a curious thing to put on the front of a jeep?
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“Lot of slides as shown. Each feature the same Jeep with Jeep Is Mine J.I.M. on front. Probably in the Washington State or Alaska area based on other slides from same estate.”
I picked up these four 20″ x 30″ vintage tour jeep photos. The first image shows a tour-jeep-wagon that kept part of the door and roof, similar to what was done with the FC Tour Jeeps. As you can see in the other photos, usually door was lopped and all of the roof and upper sides, except the windshield, was removed.
This photo of Norman’s Amoco gas station and garage in Akron, Ohio, includes three CJ-2As with modified bumpers. However, note the “Norman’s” sign. I think that is a neon sign and I’m wondering if that jeep lit up at night. If so, that would a pretty awesome sign!
Here’s a closeup of the sign:
Here’s a closeup of the middle jeep:
This slide just sold on eBay for $9.25 (+$4 shipping). It’s a great pic of s Surrey parked in front of the ocean. Someone more familiar with Oahu may recognize that location.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/335043970947
I bought these three Scenic Jeep Tour slides off of eBay, supposedly from 1964. The pic with the FC *might* be ours. I am waiting for the slide to take a better pic.
With the racer near done and the nice weather, I plan on tackling a couple outside projects, then begin work on the FC Tour jeep.
I was going through eBay and found these jeeps on slides for sale.
Bill shared this Hagerty article about the jeep history: https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/the-appeal-of-the-willys-jeep-knows-no-borders-no-barriers/
As a general history it isn’t too bad, though the author mistakes patents for trademarks in several cases. One photo caught my eye that I don’t remember seeing was taken in 1944 in Paris France. In the photo, a jeep is parked in front of Restaurant L’Ambassade.
After some sleuthing, I figured out the address is 18 rue Norvins, 75018 Paris France. The restaurant changed names at some point to Restaurant Le Consulat. It’s located in the heart of France in the Montmartre area, not far from Moulin Rouge and the Arc de Triomphe. Google Earth wouldn’t let me get positioned where I wanted, but I got fairly close to the original camera angle.
You don’t get the sense from this photo, but the location is at a juncture of several roads. Here’s an overhead screen shot.
I was surprised to see this Jeep FC-looking vehicle by Land Rover (check out a brochure here). The company also made a 4 door version, which kind of echoes the M-677.
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“s listing is for a Vintage Forward Control Land Rover Photo. This photograph is possibly a dealer print with load capacity. . This press photo is 9” x 8”.”
UPDATE: This post originally appeared September 28, 2013:
It’s a dirty business, but hunting down jeep stories takes me through all types of content. In this case, I had to search through several pages of bare female breasts and bodies until I found this story about a Yakima Jeep Rodeo from the March 1959 issue of Modern Man. I can report that accompanying the enthusiastic models were several other interesting stories . . .
Happy Father’s Day everyone. Blaine shared this photo and information about his father. The image shows his father shortly after the purchase of his brand new 1959 CJ-5.
Blaine adds, “My Dad is Leon Higginson, a Pearl Harbor survivor (service info and obituary). He was not on a ship at the time of the bombing, although he was on Ford Island.
The CJ5 was the replacement for a Ford GPW, which went on to a new owner who used it later to tow a parade float and overheated the engine during the parade. I don’t know what parade.
I don’t think I remember ever being in the Jeep as I was 3 years old when he bought a new 1962 Scout. Maybe “Jeep” was ingrained in my memory unknowingly by that time. I remember going to the dealership to pick up the Scout (and to say again, 3 years old).”
Jan Shafer shared this flashback photo from the Iowa Highway Patrol. Those look like two well-maintained M-38s.
Recently I got a great price on 30+ Willys World news letters from 1974-1985. There were a few interesting nuggets in several issues.
One the cover of the March-April 1982 issue appears this Willys-Overland photo, taken February 2, 1950. The pic shows what W-O called a “Herman Panel Delivery Van”. The model-name itself is curious, as Willys had referred to the earlier (and later) versions of this van as a Package, Economy, or Delivery Van.
Herman was a van-body manufacturer, as this brochure shows. Note the dual windows on the door. This is similar to what the company designed for Willys-Overland.
My guess is the Herman Panel Delivery van was a prototype. For some reason, it appears it was never a production model. However, Willys-Overland did work with the Boyertown and Montpelier companies to create a similar version in the late 1950s.
MONTPELIER DELIVERY TRUCK ARTICLE:
I know I’m still on a break, but when folks send cool stuff, it is hard to resist posting it. Maybe someone has this jeep …
https://www.shorpy.com/node/27068
Caption: August 1957. “Nantucket, Mass. Jock Gifford’s ‘Pink Heap’ beach buggy.” 35mm Kodachrome by Toni Frissell for the Sports Illustrated assignment “Nantucket Essay.”
This press release package is currently at $29.50 with three days to go. It’s unclear if this is a complete press kit or a partial one (seems partial to me given there is only one photo). The date on the photo suggests this kit may have been release September 16, 1959.
What’s interesting to me is that the 2-page document on the left is one of the few documents create by Willys Motors that explains that the new Surrey is the name of the model released domestically and that the Gala is the export name, though no explanation is given for the difference.
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Here is the document I mentioned. See the last sentence on the second page for the link between the Surreys and Galas>
This is caption for the photo. Note the date at the lower left hand corner 9 16 59.
This photo was posted back in 2011 by Bill Grist. I can’t tell if the rear portion is a connected via pivot point (aka trailer) or if it is one solid six-wheeler. It’s a unique setup for sure.
Caption: Marsalies,,France 1945 With 1928a1 Thompson SMG… Credit: https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/docs-paper-items-photos-propaganda/share-your-allied-photos-59054-4/?fbclid=IwAR08CFMQy_8C67tXtceD881Xbzmy7Q8Ba-MvRUECsBWn-BBNBU7S-cNLpG0
UPDATE: This post originally appeared August 14, 2015:
1) Lining up on the first really flat ground they have seen on the entire caravan, the Jeepers stop at Miller Meadows for their Sunday lunch.
This 1955 article in the 1955 July/August issue of Willys News covered the recently completed Jeep Jamboree. The author reported that as part of an awards ceremony, the award for the oldest passenger went 68 year-old Mike Millard who was a former Rubicon Springs-Lake Tahoe stage coach driver. He must have had some great stories!
On another front, compare photo #5 to an original at the online archive of California. There it is dated 1958. Given this appears in a 1955 Willys News I’d say their date is incorrect.
UPDATE: This article was originally published April 9, 2015:
On July 19, 1945, the Toledo Blade published an extensive story about the unveiling of the CJ-2A to reporters. The paper is also full of interesting stories, such as the sinking of the Ticonderoga, the identification of a returning GI with amnesia that turned out to be a Nazi Agent, and the jailing of a Walnut Grove, California, woman who threatened a returned Japanese American soldier who was a POW in Germany.
A small part of the CJ-2A story was published on page 1
The majority of the story was on the front page of section 2.
The September 28, 1966 issue of the Milwaukee Journal shared Jeffrey Mareck’s 30,000 mile trip through Africa and all the way to England.
