Jan Shafer shared this flashback photo from the Iowa Highway Patrol. Those look like two well-maintained M-38s.
Old Images Research Archives
Willys-Overland Herman Panel Delivery Van
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:
August 1947 “Pink Heap” Photo
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.”
1959 Surrey/Gala Press Release on eBay
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.
View all the information on eBay
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.
1945 Photo of Jeep w/ Custom Cargo Bed
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