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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 .
Even though Willys had won the contract, you can see they were still running the Ford GPs through their paces.
“1941 US MILITARY MANEUVERS
37mm ANTI TANK GUN & JEEP
appx size :7 1/2″ x 9 1/2”
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This is a great press release photo taken a little more than a week after the Bantam arrived at Holabird for testing. Thanks to Steve for finding it.
One thing I noticed about the photo. See how the dirt from behind the front fender was thrown onto the side of the jeep. I’m wondering if the thing we’ve called the step on the sides was actually not a step at all, but specifically designed as a mud flat to stop that from happening. I just never thought about it in those terms before (maybe I’m just behind the curve on that??).
“1940- Bantam prototype #1 during testing at Camp Holabird Quartermaster Depot.”
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Josh had a shipping company destroy a Ford GP fuel pump, so he’s looking for another. He will pay up to $1,000 for AN ORIGINAL or NOS pump. Josh also deals in prototype parts, so if you have any you’d like to sell, contact him. He can be reached at joshua.roach@live.com.
This is pretty neat set of books. The price is already at $810 with 8 days to go!
“This auction lot consists of one original very, very scarce book called SERVICE SCHOOL FOR U.S. ARMY INSTRUCTORS ON Ford U.S. ARMY VEHICLES 1941 as published by Ford Motor Company of Dearborn, Michigan for instruction schools conducted at the Ford Rouge Plant in Detroit and Ford Traveling Schools conducted on American Army Bases.”
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Just a few updates tonight. I got this tele-pic press photo off of eBay for next to nothing.
This was printed on the back of the photograph
I imagine the only thing that would have made this better for soldiers is if women had been serving the ice cream!
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This article was published in the February 28, 1941, issue of the Milwaukee Journal. Seemed like a good companion piece to the photo above.
Date & Location unknown
italy 1944-5TH army
polish army in italy
verona -italy 91th recon troop-bumper markes 5A 91R
Ardennes 1944
Joe found this video through the Willys am Tegernsee website of a parade in Plzen, Czech Republic. In case you missed it, there is a movement in the country to change the name to Czechia.
You can find others if you Google “youtube Convoy of Liberty Plzen” for 2016 and previous years.
At the 1:45 mark is this Willys MA:
UPDATE: John pointed out that the early GAZ was modeled after the first Bantam. This may well be a restored early GAZ.
Roberto forwarded a link to a celebration in Vietnam that included jeeps. I was checking out the CJ-3Bs and M-606s when I spotted a jeep that looked curiously like a copy of the original Bantam BRC. It’s doesn’t seem to be a perfect copy, but still looks pretty neat. I’ve blown up the pics, so they are a little blurry.
Original post: http://www.tienphong.vn/nhip-song-thu-do/chu-re-lai-xe-jeep-dua-co-dau-dao-pho-ha-noi-947495.tpo
Original Bantam BRC from a similar angle.
Early GAZ
Great view of a BRC-60.
“1941- Troops at Fort Benning in Bantam prototype pre-Willys jeep armed with 30 caliber and 50 caliber machine guns.
Photo measures approx. 7″ x 9″”
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David spotted this comic cover with Batman driving a Bantam. Don’t see that everyday.
“Seeking quality trade-ins of similar caliber. Valued at $300 for TRADING purposes.”
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/clt/5457374481.html
Josh shared some photos of pages from this Ford Motor Company twenty-page book titled In The Service of America. The book contains photos of jeeps, seeps, and other contributions Ford made to the war effort. We believe the book was published in 1945.
This 1944 Ad out of the Southeast Missourian featured “Jim” piloting what looks like a Ford GP.
Tim shared this photo. He noted, “The photo was taken on Alderson Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, outside my mothers and my aunt’s home, with ROTC Cadets From Carnegie Tech (Now Carnegie Mellon). It was her first Jeep ride. My mother is the laughing blonde and the brunette is my aunt.”
UPDATE: Two of these sold in 2014. The last seller mentioned the eyes move back and forth with the jeep. This one sold for $14.50 on eBay.
“WWII ARMY WAAC VALENTINE. 5″X 4″.”
UPDATE: Marion Isbell’s Ford GP was part of a photo shoot on his farm in Geneva Lake, Wisconsin. The top one is currently for sale on eBay. The rest were sold earlier. A little hard to believe all photos were taken on the same day, January 20, 1994.
1. For sale on eBay: View all the information on eBay
“You are bidding on an original press photo of Lake Geneva WI Man M Isbell Using WWII Jeep on His Farm. Photo has some slight waving left & right edges. If the listing shows thin red and/or green lines, they are the result of a bad scan & the lines are NOT on the actual scan. Photo measures 7 x 9 inches and is dated 1/20/1944.”
2. **SOLD** Was on eBay in Oct 2014.
Here’s a photo of a Ford GP pulling a manure spreader on Marion Isbell’s farm in Geneva Lake, Wisconsin. “1944 US Army Jeep Pulls Manure Spreader Alongside Horse & Wagon”
3. **SOLD** Was on eBay December of 2014.
“1944 Press Photo Former Army Jeep Used for Ice Harvesting Lake Geneva Wisconsin”
4. **SOLD** Was on eBay in November 2014.
“You are bidding on an original press photo of Lake Geneva WI Farmer Using Vintage WWII Jeep For Work. Photo has waving due to too much glue being used to apply the information sheet onto the back of the photo Photo measures 7 x 9 inches and is dated 1/20/1944.”
I bet this is one of the earliest Santa-in-a-jeep photos.
“1941- Santa Clause uses jeep to bring presents to troops at the Quartermaster Replacement Center at Camp Lee, Virginia.”
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Several readers shared links to different Pygmy Articles published over the past couple of days. I guess it was a popular subject!
1. Autoweek
2. Detroit Free Press
3. Hemmings
UPDATE: Maury found the cool video of the Pygmy. Wyatt noted that the Ford GP was formerly Mayor Fred Heine’s jeep, one that he bought and used on his farm and famous as the first jeep sold to the public.
The U.S. Veteran’s Museum in Huntsville, Alabama, has a great collection of early jeeps. I found these photos on Trip Advisor.
From left to right, looks like the Ford Pygmy, a Ford GP, a Bantam BRC-40, a Willys MA, and an Willys MB Slat grille.
This postcard shows multiple Bantam BRC-40s at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds.
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For those not on Facebook’s Austin Bantam Society’s page, you missed some great photos from BRC75, the seventieth anniversary of the original Bantam BRC. Bill Spear discusses the Bantam’s origins on this post. Both photos below were taken at one of the group’s event at the U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum.
Here’s an unusual photo of a Bantam BRC-60 dressed in white.
“1942- U.S. Army peep and other vehicles with all-white camouflage during experiments conducted at Fort Brady for combat in winter conditions.”
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An April 7, 1941, article in the Spokane Daily Chronicle shared this Ford GP.
Here’s an unused postcard of a Bantam.
“Up for auction we have a vintage RPPC of a jeep. There is some edge wear due to age. This has not been used. The photo reads – “Jeep” 40th Div. Photo by “Lennie”. It is suspected to be from WW2, but we are unsure.”
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