Gala Research Archives

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1960 Slide of Surrey/Gala in Hawaii **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

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

1960-dj3a-surrey-gala-in-hawaii-slide

 
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Las Brisas Postcard with DJ-5 Gala/Surreys on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Postcards • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This postcard from the Las Brisas resort in Mexico may have been taken in the late 1960s as it appears to show multiple DJ-5 Galas/Surreys.

View all the information on eBay

“3.5 x 5.5 inch standard size vintage postcard”

las-brisas-postcard-dj3a-dj5s-1 las-brisas-postcard-dj3a-dj5s-2

 
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Photo of Sylvia Porter in a Gala (?)

• CATEGORIES: DJ-3A, Features • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Sylvia Porter was a financial guru of some renown in the 1960s. We think this might be an actual Gala from Las Brisas.

1968-11-03-sylvia-porter-surrey-gala1 1968-11-03-sylvia-porter-surrey-gala2

 
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DJ-3A Gala? Paperweight on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Here’s a rare piece of Gala history, but the jeep appears to be a Surrey.

dj3a-gala-paperweight-hawaii-gray-line

dj3a-gala-paperweight-hawaii-gray-line2

 
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1966 Las Brisas Menu with DJ-3A Gala Image **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Was on eBay

“VINTAGE MENU LAS BRISAS HOTEL 1966 ACAPULCO MEXICO

This 1966 vintage menu is from one of ACAPULCO’S more famous hotels, famed for their “ROOM SERVICE BY JEEP”. It measures 9 1/2″ wide by 14″ long, closed. Excellent condition with just minor soiling on the rear cover.”

las-brisas-hotel-menu-gala-surrey

 
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1968 Photo of DJ-3A Gala(?) **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay

“You are bidding on an original press photo from 1968 featuring Sylvia Porter . Photo is 8” x 5” in size.”

year-dj3a-gala-photo

 
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1959 Jeep Gala (Not Surrey) Booklet

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Artists/Drawings, DJ-3A, Features • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Bruce wanted to share this “Form H1-3-59 Jeep Gala advertising booklet”.

 
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The DJ-3A vs the DJ-3A Gala vs the DJ-3A Surrey

• CATEGORIES: DJ-3A, Features, videos, Women & Jeeps • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE:  Bruce let me know that there were three different windshields sported by the DJ-3A:

1. The typical 3A type with the vent that opens up;

2. It also came with what is referred to as the 3B WS frame. That green jeep (see below) probably has it’s original WS frame;

3. The 3rd style is the ventilating WS frame that is similar to the 2a frame in
that the glass tilts outward. This 3rd type is very rare and I have only
seen one DJ with the 3rd style

OVERVIEW

I’ve been meaning to write this history of sorts about the DJ-3A ever since I received this information from Bruce last October.  Many thanks to Bruce for his tireless effort to understand the DJ-3A and his desire to share this information with the world-at-large.

I would still not consider this post finished, as I’m sure a few of you have some interesting details to add or correct.

THE GOAL:

My goal here is to take Bruce’s information and organize it in a way to make sense of this strange thing called the DJ-3A Dispatcher Gala Surrey Not-quite-a-CJ-3A colorful Jeep.   I want to differentiate between these three models — DJ-3A/DJ-3A dispatcher, DJ-3A Gala, and the DJ-3A Surrey — so that I can better evaluate these vehicles when I run across them for sale.

So, let’s begin:

One of the more confusing series of jeeps I’ve encountered are the DJ-3A, the DJ-3A Gala and the DJ-3A Surrey. However, thanks to both information from Bruce (who also supplied Derek Redmond with much of the DJ-3A Gala Surrey information and pics on the CJ-3B Page) and an article in the December 2009 issue of Vintage Truck Magazine, I *think* I have a much better feel for this topic.

Importantly, and for clarification, based on all the research I have reviewed, there appears to be no such thing as a DJ-3A Gala Surrey (and I’m as responsible as anyone for describing them that way).  The literature I have received from Bruce refers to either a DJ-3A Gala or a DJ-3A Surrey.  The Gala’s were promoted as Gala’s at the international resorts and Hawaii (which became a state in 1959, which might explain why this was being handled like an international sale).

THE DJ-3A & DJ-3A DISPATCHER:
The DJ-3A was introduced in 1955. It used the body style of the older CJ-3A, along with the L-134 engine. Unlike the CJ-3A, it came with either a column shift or top loader three-speed T-96 manual transmission. It was offered with many different body options including a soft top, hard top, or even a full van body.  Some of these body options made changes to the body necessary, including some that had no tailgates so the spare tire could mount in the rear.

Others, like the DJ-3A Dispatchers, had differently shaped passenger and driver sides to allow easy entry & exit of the vehicle (I assume those were the reasons).  With all these different body options, it is no wonder many of us, and yours truly as well, were confused about what constitutes a DJ-3A.

Thus far, everything I’ve learned suggests that there were no 4wd DJ-3A’s produced.  So, if you encounter a 4wd DJ-3A, it’s been modified.

Probably, the most distinctive, unique, and consistent body attribute of a DJ-3A is the large speedometer, similar to the CJ-5 and the post-1955 CJ-3B speedometers.  It was the only ‘low hood’ flat fender produced with the large speedometer.

EXAMPLES:

Below is a Convertible DJ-3A.  You can see the lack of 4wd in the front.  Click on the picture to see more pictures.  Though I thought the below windshield was from a CJ-3B, Bruce provided a correction to that statement.  He says some DJ-3As came with a 3B SW Frame, and he believes that’s what we are looking at in this pic.

Here’s an example from Chris of a DJ-3A without a tailgate.


Here’s a DJ-3A Dispatcher example (note cutout sides) with a tail gate:

And here’s another nice dispatcher with a top:

THE DJ-3A GALA:

In early 1959, the DJ-3A Gala was introduced and marketed to vacation locations in an attempt to offer rentable transportation solutions for vacationers visiting resorts.  According to the article below, the idea was the brain child of the Las Brisas Resort in Acapulco, Mexico, which painted a few jeeps pink and offered them to consumers.  Louis Yocich, a Willys dealer, spotted them and brought the idea back to the factory.  To this day, the Las Brisas resort and hotel still refers to itself as a ‘Pink and White Paradise” (see quality control comment).

MUCH MUCH More information.  This post was simply too big to put on the front page:

Continue reading

 
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1963 DJ-3A Gala Surrey Houston, Tx eBay

• CATEGORIES: DJ-3A • TAGS: , , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

1963_dj3a_surrey_houstonThere are a TON of great pictures of this Surrey.  I don’t think I’ve seen this Surrey listed previously, but I might have missed it;  it looks like no expense was spared in it’s restoration.

“Purchaced by Wayne Davis because his wife liked the way it looked, this Gala-Surrey was purchaced at a small Jeep dealer in Cleveland, Texas, a full restoration began with an unlimited budget. The car was brought back to its original color scheme of pink and white as no detail was overlooked. The end result revealed a car ready for any show.  Contact Jose at 281 497 1000 with questions about this Jeep”

View all the images here