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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.
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This ad was published in the March 6, 1943, issue of Collier’s. I wish I could locate an online archive for that magazine. Anyone know of one?
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“This is a vintage original ad, not a copy or reproduction. Neatly removed from magazine. Would look beautiful framed. Measures 10 and 1/2 inches by 14 inches.”
UPDATE 3: There are some broken links, so I’ll need to spend some time and clean up this post.
UPDATE 2: Daniel Strohl over at Hemmings provided a solid background update about Wally Cohn.
“Born in 1924 in Germany, his father and stepmother sent him to the Chicago area in 1937 both to live with family and to escape the increasingly anti-Semitic mood in Germany. After Kristallnacht, his older brother Herman, his father Siegfried, and his stepmother joined him in Chicago. Walter flew 30 missions for the U.S. Army Air Corps as a bombardier during the war, earning a Distinguished Flying Cross and a Bronze Star and rising at least to the rank of Sergeant. After the war, he served as a member of the chief justice’s staff during the war crimes trials in Nuremberg, then returned to the United States and founded W&W Foreign Auto Parts in Blue Island, Illinois.”
UPDATE: A reader named Clint just determined what type of vehicle Wally was using — A 1936-1940 Opel Olympia. Here are two links to images: Link 1 & Link 2. Thanks Clint!
ORIGINAL POST published in 2010: I ran across the images shown below and others. I didn’t think much of them until I looked more closely. It appears the builder, who I assume is Wally Cohn, has merged a 1936-1940 Opel Olympia with a MB to create, arguably, the first Jeepster-like vehicle, except it is four wheel drive. The ‘Wally’ appears to use the entire jeep drive train. If you look in back, you’ll even see this car can tow a trailer!
Who is Wally Cohn? I have no idea. I can’t seem to find anything about him, other than his name was Wally Cohn and he was nicknamed the Jeep King by photographer Walter Sanders.
Photographer Walter (Wally) Sanders worked for Life Magazine from 1944 to 1961. After growing up and leaving Germany for the US in 1937, he returned in early 1946 and lived the rest of his life in Europe, mostly in Munich. You can learn more about his biography here.
Because Walter was in Europe during December of 1946, and because these photos were snapped during that month, and because of Wally’s uniform (which Bob noted is an Army Airforce Uniform), I have concluded that Wally Cohn was a member of the armed services trying to merge cars and jeeps into a Wally vehicle of some kind (note the name Wally is displayed prominently on the dash in one of the pics).
This would be a great collector’s item — and a cool jeep too!
Mike spotted this 1960s photo on Facebook. It shows some DJ-3A Dispatchers doing pizza delivery work for Volcano Pizzeria, a North New Jersey pizza place in the 1960s. Mike notes there were a lot of pizza jeeps in the area at the time.
Mike shared this pic he found on Facebook. It appears to be a lengthened and modified CJ-2A (based on the windshield). Anyone know what happened to this jeep?
Make-shift water crossing. As Race pointed out, “Nectar” should be spelled Neckar River in the text.
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“1945 Press Photo Infantry Support Raft Ferries Men & Jeeps Across Nectar River. This is an original press photo. With bridges blown up by retreating Germans, an infantry support raft ferries men and their jeep across the Nectar River. Part of the famous old university city of Heidelberg, now in American hands, can be see in the background. Photo measures 8 x 6.25 inches. Photo is dated 4-2-1945.”
UPDATE: Thanks to Tremaine for supplying better pics of the CJ-2 grille guards seen in a couple of these photos.
Original Post March 4, 2019: These photos were published in the July 22, 1945, issue of the Sunday Star Gravure Section of the newspaper. I don’t think I’ve seen a photo of the jeep pulling the trailer from the driver’s side.
It feels dramatic.
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“1950 Press Photo Medical Team Carries Wounded to Jeeps in Masan Sector of Korea.
This is an original press photo. Korean War, United States Wounded Evacuation: Wounded in the desperate battle for the hill in the background, a 25th infantry division soldier was carried to a waiting jeep in Korea by medical department men. The action took place in the Masan sector on the southern front. Mountain heights and other elevations are of prime importance in this area, and some have changed hands several times. Photo measures 8.25 x 8.5 inches. Photo is dated 09-11-1950.”
Mark shared a story about the death of Bertha Durpe, one of the few women who served with the 6888th CPD Battalion, an All-Black WAC unit that went overseas to help the war effort. The photo below doesn’t show the former Master-Sergeant Dupree, but it’s still a neat photo.
You can read a little about Ms. Dupree here: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article226817444.html
More on the 6888th:
Mike shared this older photo of what could be a jeep ‘dressed’ in a sponge. Anyone know any history about it? The photo is supposed to be from 1964.
I thought this was a strange photo.
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“You are bidding on an original press photo of Cute Macaw Bird Checks Under Hood of Jeep. Photo measures 8 x 10 inches and is dated 11/5/1967.”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
They look exhausted.
“Press Photo US soldiers rest next to Jeep during military conflict.
This is an original press photo. US soldiers rest next to Jeep during military conflictPhoto measures 5.5 x 7inches. Photo is dated –none.”
The front passenger jeep wheel looks like it is barely on the wood.
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“1943 Press Photo Mechanics work on Jeep at Birmingham Army Air Base.
This is an original press photo. U.S. Army, WAC, Birmingham Army Air Base Photo measures 8.25 x 10.25 inches. Photo is dated 08-20-1943.”
Thats’a full load.
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“1943 Press Photo New Guinea – a jeep & crew transports wounded Allied soldiers
This is an original press photo. Wounded Allied soldiers are shown being carried to the rear from a fighting front in New Guinea. An American (left) and an Australian …. bumper of the jeep.Photo measures 9.5 x 8.5inches. Photo is dated 02-09-1943.”
UPDATE II: Bob Westerman shared a few cage photos he’s found during his research:
UPDATE: Dan tracked down this detailed explanation of the Squirrel Cage: http://weaponews.com/weapons/16209-a-system-for-increasing-the-patency-of-the-squirrel-cage-usa.html
The November 9, 1948, issue of the Evening Star ran a short article on the Squirrel Cage. A February 1949 issue of Mechanix Magazine ran the same photo (and it’s more clear).
The Evening Star photo and caption:
The Modern Mechanix photo and caption:
Steve shared this ice-cream related photo.
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“WOMAN w ICE CREAM TRUCK JEEP @ GOLDEN STATE DAIRY 50’s photo ESKIMO PIE SIGN
Vintage original snapshot photo, circa 1950’s.
Dimensions: 5″ x 3 1/2″
Condition: Good, surface creases/wrinkles, bit of album paper remnants on back, see scan.”
Fort Belvoir was happy with the WACs they had and was hoping to recruit more. An article in the July 25, 1943, issue of the Sunday Star covered the recruitment program.
This March 02, 1941, photo from the Evening Star appears to show the original Pygmy.
Mario shared this article on Facebook from the May 25, 1941, issue of the Des Moines Register. A report describes his experience riding in one and imagines how it might be used. I find the claim that it would go “87-miles-an-hour–without opening it up” a stretch, but that was likely just a propaganda plug.
UPDATE: There’s another Hammock State Park postcard on eBay. The original post is from 2013.
“This is a very cool black/white postcard that shows a jeep “Conducted Tour – Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring Florida” It is unused, but has a hand written date of 1955 on the back. It is in excellent condition.”
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Original Post from 2013:
Highlands Hammock State Park ran tour trains from at least 1948 – 1962. As the first photo shows, they started with a CJ-2A. It looks like a set of benches on a platform with wheels. By 1962, the park shifted to CJ-5s. It also appears they added sides. I images that was safer. These are all from the State Archives of Florida.
http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/56346
http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/56343
http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/78488
How about his neat 1943 photo from the National Air and Space Museum!
The photo’s caption: “View of four U. S. Coast Guard firefighters dressed in white asbestos suits with helmets and face plates, two riding in a jeep, the other two on the high pressure water pump and hose it is towing, jeep also carries carbon dioxide fire extinguishers, Hall PH-3 in right background, water in left background, 1943.”
The CIO News out of Cumberland, MD, published a story on March 15, 1943, about the US Army and Navy honoring the workers of Willys Overland.
This photo from eBay Germany shows a couple MP MBs/GPWs with some nice tops sitting outside the Berlin Reichstag.
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“Arthur Grimm
Original Foto um 1956 zu einem mir unbekannten Film
Berliner Reichstag
Fotograf: Arthur Grimm
Shot: um 1956 – Abzug: um 1956
Silbergelatine auf Baryt-Papier
Blattmaß: 23,8 cm x 17,2 cm”
This July 15, 1945, article in the Evening Star featured a great shot of Ford GPAs. I thought the article was interesting, too. It highlights the challenges of managing war surplus (links to page 1 and page 2 of original article).
Herbert Lanks wrote an article titled “… By Jeep To Alaska” that was published in the February 13, 1944, issue of the Evening Star (published on page 4 and page 5). He’d later write a second, and different, article titled with the same name published in the September issue of Popular Photography.
The article below appears between sets of photos. The first photo below shows the humble beginnings of the Watson Lake Sign Forest.
