In his Conner’s Corner column for the Lewiston Evening News on October 16, 1945, Sam Conner didn’t have a “Kind Word For Jeep”, at least in regards to the pounding ride it offered. It was a fair complaint.
Old News Articles Research Archives
1951 Wagon and Trailer Trip to Ensenada, Mexico
In 1951, Kurland Motors provided the Los Angeles Times automobile editor, Lynn Rogers, a wagon for a journey down to Ensenada, Mexico. A description of the trip was printed in the October 21, 1951, issue of the Los Angeles Times.
In 1957-58 4 Italians Drove to Toledo the Long Way
UPDATE: This was first posted in August of 2016.
This September 13, 1958, article from the Toledo Blade told the story of four italians who drove what appears to be a WWII jeep a distance of 80,000 miles from Italy to Toledo. The men, all newspapermen, planned to drive another 15,000 miles back to Italy. What a trip! I wonder if their counterparts in 2013 knew of their countrymen’s adventure?
Customers Stage Demo in Plattsburg, NY
UPDATE: Here’s one from the archives …
Originally Posted July 24, 2015: This Willys News article from July 1955 highlights an annual customer jeep demonstration in Plattsburg, New York. That’s the biggest teeter-totter that I’ve ever seen. We used to do something similar back in the 70s as part of payday events.
1944 VMail Letter With a Jeep Drawing on eBay
This 1944 letter looks like it appeared in a newspaper. The eBay description isn’t very helpful.
View all the information on ebay
“WWII
Army
Christmas V-Mail
Art Letter
63rd Signal Battalion
Willys Jeep
Named: T4 Robert Glashauser
Look over pictures to see the exact item you will receive and to determine the overall condition of this item.:
Boyertown VS. Montpelier Delivery Trucks
UPDATE: It’s been 9 years since this post has run, which just shows you how rare it is to see one of these for sale (see next post)
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Craig Brockhaus saw the Boyertown Economy Delivery Comparison Post (see below) and forwarded both Boyertown and Montpelier Delivery Truck designs. Cool Stuff!
MONTPELIER DELIVERY TRUCK ARTICLE:
Dreaming About the Post-War Jeep
UPDATE: This article originally appeared in 2016.
This April 21, 1944, article in Canada’s The Maple Leaf theorized how the post-war jeep just might help you warm up together in the “slip trench”!
1970s Gravelrama Articles
These three articles share info about the Gravelrama. This first one is dated August 23, 1974, from the Cincinnati Enquirer:
This second article was published two years later on September 19, 1976, in the Journal News:
The last article is from August 25, 1980, from the Cincinnati Enquirer:
Transport Motor Company
UPDATE: I’ve added information to the bottom of the post which discusses the shift of employees from the Transport Motor Company to the Kurland Motor Company in late 1948.
Unfortunately, I don’t have time to export this topic further, but Barry Thomas is doing research into California’s Transport Motor Company, which was the earliest supplier of Willys farm equipment in California. If anyone has more info about the company, Barry of would like to know about it. Comment below or email me at d@deilers.com and I’ll connect you.
Transport Motor was already a strong Willys reseller by the time WWII started, so they were were well positioned for post-war sales and service. This ad was published in the October 19, 1941, issue of the Oakland Tribune as part of a larger article:
After the war, the company pushed Willys Jeeps and the associated farm equipment, though it is unclear which specific models/manufacturers of the equipment was being sold, as evidenced by this October 27, 1946, classified ad in the Oakland Tribune:
This article from the March 28, 1947, issue of the Ventura County Star claims that Transport was the first company to make farm equipment especially for the jeep (I would need to see more evidence to believe that):
For unknown reasons, in late 1948 many key personnel from the Transport company left Transport for a new Willys dealer, Kurland Motors. Whether Transport survived this event is unclear (perhaps the Transport company was already defunct by this time).
1943 Photo and Article of Jeep Testing
1943 Article School Gets to See Their Jeep
This March 30, 1943, article describes the kids reactions to seeing a Navy jeep they helped purchase through war bond sales. It was published in the Kansas City, Star.
1968 Article on Baja Race Jeep
This race jeep was modified with one-ton axles. Note the wider rear axle with an added fender well. The racers note the Jeep has 24-forward speeds. Maybe that means a six speed with an overdrive and transfercase? The article appeared in Roseville’s (CA) Press Tribune on October 23, 1968.
1955 Article About Traveling in a Jeep
James B Barber had this article published in the August 14, 1955, issue of the Carlsbad Current-Argus. He’d had his time in jeeps and was preferred a smooth running car.
1960 Calvacade Changes to Multiple Weekends
One more article on the Colorado Calvacade, this time from the July 23, 1960, issue of Grand Junction’s The Daily Sentinel. The newspaper reported that the Cavalcades had escalated in popularity to the point that instead of one grand event, it was divided into four weekend events.
Another 1959 Report on the Centennial Cavalcade
This report on the 1959 Jeep Cavalcade was published in Grand Junction’s The Daily Sentinel, August 25, 1959.
1959 Jeep Cavalcade Article
When looking over the 1960 Jeep Cavalcade brochure, I noticed it was the 3rd annual event. However, the 1959 brochure doesn’t mention it being the 2nd annual event. A newspaper clipping from 1958 solved that question. It turns out there was a 1958 advance trail exploration in 1958 to prep for the 1959 event, though it seems to have been more of a low key event when compared to the 1959 and 1960 cavalcades. This short newspaper article in the June 1, 1958, issue of the Fort Collins Coloradoan explains it:
This article appeared in Grand Junction’s Dailys Sentinenl on August 23, 1959:
1964 Photos at California’s Oceano Beach
These pics came from the September 05, 1964, issue of the Santa Maria Times. They were taken at the Fourth Annual State Jeep Rally at Oceano State Park, near Santa Maria, California. The dune buggy ambulance looks especially unique. I searched Google for more pics of it, but had no luck. The owner, Arnold Teague, was President of a local dune riding club.
1951 Article Introducing the Hy-Rail Wagon
On November 18, 1951, the Times (Shreveport, LA) welcomed the new Hy-Rail Jeep Wagon to the Kansas City Souther-Louisiana and Arkansas railroad. The article provides quite a few details on the vehicle and how it operates.
As this September 26, 1952, article in the Courier Journal (Louisville, KY) points out, by the autumn of 1952 there were 35 Hy-Rail jeeps operating on 21 railroads throughout the US.
1962 Article On FC-170 as Hy-Rail
Here’s an article introducing the rail FC Jeep to the Green Bay, Wisconsin, community. This November 17, 1962, article appeared in the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
UPDATED: March 1946 U-Drive ‘Jeep Joint’
UPDATE: It turns out that the U-Drive business first started right after the war continued into the 1960s, as this article from the June 1960 issue of the Honolulu Star-bulletin points out:
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Original Published October 20, 2020: A March 29, 1946, article highlighted a Jeep U-Drive business that opened in Honolulu. The first surplus jeeps sold could only be bought for business use by veterans. Roy L. Mongeon, from Hampton, Massachusetts, who was stationed in Hawaii, decided to purchase twenty jeeps. After a number of soldiers asked to drive his jeeps, he decided to open a jeep rental business.
1948 Robert Ruark Column on the Jeep Turned Lady
The Miami Herald published a column by writer Robert C. Ruark On July 28, 1948. Apparently, he wasn’t much of a fan of the civilian jeeps, calling them “ladies”.
1955 Wagon Trip Around the World
UPDATE: This post was originally published din 2014. Since then, I learned more about Ted, but had spread it out across various posts. Ted’s trips, and his subsequent movies, have been added to this post.
First Published November 2014: In 1955, Theodore Bumiller set out for an around-the-world adventure in a Willys Wagon. He captured his trip in photos and video. I attempted to learn more about his trip, but I only learned that his daughter is now a noted author (maybe someone else will have more luck). I emailed her to learn more about her father’s adventures, but have yet to receive a reply.
Following the trip, Ted made his first film: a 30 minute movie titled “Around The World By Jeep”. He traveled around exhibiting it. The ad below, published in the January 3rd, 1970, edition of the Toledo Blade shows he was still touring and showing his film fifteen years after he’d made his trip.
Anyone ever seen the movie?
In the late 1950s, Ted created a second movie: “The Four Seasons of Scandinavia”, an exploration of the four seasons in Scandinavian countries. As far as I can tell, it doesn’t have anything to do with jeeps.
This article from the April 15, 1959, issue of The Sun (out of Stark County, Ohio) explains more:
Ted’s daughter Elizabeth wrote a book and included an acknowledgement to Ted and his wife Ruth Ann for teaching her how to travel and for inspiring her to explore the world. In it she mentions a third film by Ted, “Eternal India”.
1958 Article on the Tulare County Four-Wheel Drive Club
This December 06, 1958, article in the Tulare Advance Register highlights the Tulare County Four-Wheel Drive Club with pics and text. It’s not a club that I recognize, but the club was pivotal to the formation of the California Association of Jeeps Clubs in 1959 (later known as the California Four Wheel Drive Association). I tried to find a club logo or sticker, but couldn’t locate any example.
Here’s the 1958 article (spliced for easier viewing):
1951 Article on Search & Rescue Jeeps & Planes
This in-depth article on the use of jeeps and planes includes a variety of photos. It appeared in the April 08, 1951, issue of the Nevada State Journal.
A Jeep Saves the Day at a Newspaper
This article in the October 22, 1944, issue of the Miami Herald explains how, during a hurricane-related power outage, an Army jeep was used to power a printing press, saving the news day.