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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 .
UPDATE: Grant thinks this jeep may have been owned by the Grand Imperial Hotel out of Silverton. That does make sense given the logo on the side.
This looks to be an early Scenic Jeep Tour postcard. I don’t *think* this was the San Juan Scenic Jeep Tour company. Maybe it was the Davis Scenic Jeep Tours? Here is where I found the photos.
This early version of the San Juan Scenic Jeep Tours brochure was pre-FCs. It was listed for sale on eBay at some point. Thankfully, the images were still available.
This is another example of a San Juan Scenic Jeep Tour brochure. It is a tri-fold brochure that is 8.5″x11″ when fully unfolded.
This is the cover.
This is the back when folded.
This is partially unfolded.
This shows the brochure when fully unfolded.
There’s no date on this brochure which offered tourists a chance to see Nevadaville and Central City, Colorado, by jeep.
I purchased this rare Davis Scenic Jeep Tours brochure from eBay. According to the CJ-3B page (which has a brief history of the company), Davis Scenic Tours was launched in 1946. It was eventually sold in 1959. At that time, the name was changed to San Juan Scenic Jeep Tours.
The brochure is 5.5″ x 8.5″ (half sheet of standard page) and folded in half. So, it’s pretty small.
The brochure’s cover photo of the CJ-3B isn’t very good, so below is a pic that shows how the modified-stretched CJ-3B actually looked, courtesy of the CJ-3B page:
This one is a bit pricey at $24.95, but it’s a pretty photo. The wagon is part of the Scenic Jeep Tour company from years ago.
View all the information on eBay
“Published by Noble Post Cards, Box 502, Colorado Springs.
“Aspens on the Cinnamon Pass Road west of Lake San Cristobal near Lake City, Colo.”
Standard-size postcard, measuring about 3.5 x 5.5 inches.”
UPDATE: Originally published February 17, 2015, it now looks like these vehicles are no longer produced. Jim notes that Fermel is no longer in business.
After publishing the post about the Union Mine Jeeps, Marc found a website that features new ones. A South African company called Fermel makes four different utility vehicles. The webpage for each jeep includes a video of each respective jeep.
1. Mini UV Emergency Vehicle: A light utility vehicle with permanent 4 wheel drive and a maximum payload capacity of 1500 kg. Built on a unique Meccano Type chassis
Features Include :
Blue Flashing Light , Siren , Roller bed & locking point for stretcher , Lockable cabinet , Overhead oxygen bottle rock , Drip hooks, Defibrilator carring points , Rubberlined rear , Fabric Lattice tailgate , Foam cushions , Flourescent lights at rear.
2. MIni UV LDV: Categorized as a light utility vehicle, the MINI UV LDV is a 2 seater, 1500 kg payload capacity underground machine. The loadbay is ideally suited for materials transportation. The vehicle features permanent 4 Wheel Drive , a unique meccano type chassis and wet multi disc brakes inboard axles. Load area for carrying general materials.
3. Mini UV LWB: A permanent 4 Wheel Drive , light utility transporter with a payload capability of 1000 kg. A seating capacity of 4-6 passengers. Built on a unique meccano type mining chassis , the MINI UV is a mining vehicle designed for use in harsh operating conditions. The vehicle is equipped with a DEUTZ 4 cylinder air-cooled motor , COMII , EPA II Emission compliance and wet-multi disc. Service and failsafe service inboard axles.
4. Mini UV SWB: A permanent 4 Wheel Drive , light utility transporter with a payload capability of 1000 kg. A seating capacity of 4-6 passengers. Built on a unique meccano type mining chassis , the MINI UV is a mining vehicle designed for use in harsh operating conditions. The vehicle is equipped with a DEUTZ 4 cylinder air-cooled motor , COMII , EPA II Emission compliance and wet-multi disc. Service and failsafe service inboard axles.
I hadn’t documented this Tour Jeep postcard, so I snagged this off of eBay.
This 1975 tri-fold brochure from San Juan Scenic Jeep Tours out of Ouray, Colorado, doesn’t show and FC Tour Jeeps, but it does have a wide photo that includes a Wagon Tour Jeep. Below the brochure is the front and back of a Scenic Jeep Tour postcard that features a wagon.
Here is the postcard I mentioned:
I just purchased this Tour Jeep postcard off of eBay that shows an FC-170 tour jeep in the Virgin Islands in 1968. I searched for additional information on FC jeeps in the Virgin Islands, without success.
Back in 1987 (like 10 lifetimes ago!) I toured St. Thomas in a tiny Suzuki Samarai and in the back of a taxi. The FC would have been a much cooler way to see the island.
This June 28, 1970, article form the Lexington Herald describes tours of Kentucky’s Red River area via a modified FC-170. The business was started by Mr. and Mrs. Joe Bowen with a VW bus, but it’s easy to imagine that a better vehicle was needed.
I looked for additional articles about this endeavor, but didn’t have any luck locating anything.
This post card, possibly from August 29, 1966, shows travelers in a Hotchkiss (most likely), modified into a tour jeep.
View all the information on ebay
“Jeep Willys Hotchkiss car at Canigou, Roussillon, France vintage Postcard”
The extension on this Scrambler allows it to hold 10 people. It’s likely an ex tour-jeep of some type.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2786143908295595
“Will hold 10 people. Has original engine. Great for trails or rock climbing”
UPDATE: The jeep and tram are now priced at $5000.
Bill shared this unique jeep. It is a rare opportunity to own a former tour jeep and its associated tram. The owner is selling the building, so this does need to go.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/3710839235622179
“Jeep cj5 stick with 4 wheel drive Trailer seats 22 Needs battery As is”
This August 10, 1960, article in the Daily Sentinal out of Grand Junction highlights Ouray and briefly mentions the jeep tours available. You’ll note the tour-jeep in the pic in the upper left photo.
An October 11, 1960, article in Grand Junction’s ‘The Daily Sentinel’ introduced many readers to Colorado’s newest industry: Jeep Tourism.
From the article, “Now, for the first time in history, the ordinary tourist and visitor can within a day’s time see some of the nation’s real back country.”
Cool photo and a nice shot showing Scenic Tours on the back. I imagine this the Ouray area?
View all the information on eBay
“This is an original press photo. Colorado’s high mountain country is custom made for the rugged individualist who likes to get off the beaten path into areas where man is seldom seen. Many communities rent jeeps, and some schedule jeep cavalcades that take you into areas of breathtaking beauty that have been hidden from the eyes of man since the beginning of time.Photo measures 8 x 10.25inches. Photo is dated 12-30-1966.”
UPDATE: As best as I can tell, it looks like 1963 was when Don Pratt’s Jeep Tours began working with the Kachina Cab company. The article appeared in the August 13, 1963, issue of the Arizona Republic:
===============================
Originally posted June 2019: According to this Pink Jeep Tour site, Pink Jeep Tours is the oldest continuously operating Jeep Tour Company in the United States. It was started in 1958 by a Sedona Realtor named Don Pratt, who would drive clients to see homes at Broken Arrow Estates. The Broken Arrow tour is the original Jeep tour and is still today the most popular tour in Sedona.Why did he make the jeeps pink? Mr. Pratt got the idea while visiting the Royal Hawaiian Hotel on Waikiki Beach, where everything was pink.
But, that’s only part of the story. In her book Echoes of Sedona Past, Mary Lou Keller explains how her and her husband cleared the first trail and how, when Glenn Keller decided not to open a jeep tour business, their friend Don Pratt asked if he could do it instead. Mrs. Keller covers the story in five pages of her book available to read on Google.The book also includes the image below of Mary Lou Keller with her do Pico in her (probably) 1946 CJ-2A:
UPDATE: Started as a private endeavor, Chimney Rock was a tourist attraction for most of the 20th Century (more history here). In 1963 a Jeep Trail was added to the Chimney Rock and a tour jeep began ferrying tour groups up the mountain. The tour company had three modified CJ-6 tour jeeps. This photo was likely taken between 1963 and 1977, when the jeep trail became a walking trail. In 2006 Chimney Rock became a North Carolina State Park.
The photo below was taken from the website, but no longer appears on the history page itself.
This same photo is available on eBay
“You are bidding on an original press photo of Forest Jeep Trail Chimney Rock Park North Carolina. Photo measures 8 x 10 inches and is not dated.”
There’s another press photo that is also available on eBay which shows a tour jeep at Hickory Nut Falls, a stop on the way to Chimney Rock:
View all the information on ebay
“You are bidding on an original press photo of Hickory Nut Falls Tourist Jeep Chimney Rock Prk North Carolina. Photo has creases right corners & slight waving top edge due to too much glue being used to attach the information sheet onto the back of the photo. Photo measures 8 x 10 inches and is dated 8/5/1969.”
Hell’s Half Acre Marker, Hell’s Half Acre, Wyoming … this photo was posted to the Historical Market Database, which I didn’t know existed.
The following two Polaroid photos show a CJ-6 available for a jeep tour of Hell’s Half Acre in Wyoming. The tour was located at Hell’s Half Acre’s post office, which opened in 1940. This page contains a photo of the post office from 1947; souvenirs were available, but no jeep tours at that time. The post office appears to have been leveled sometime in the 1990s or later.
View all the information on eBay
“2 Original Vintage Snapshot Photos Hell’s Half Acre Post Office & Hamburgers “
There is also this partial, color slide from 1960 that was likely taken about the same time:
View all the information on eBay
No pic of the backside of this postcard from the Bahamas, presumably the pink sands area. I had no luck searching for more info on the web.
View all the information on eBay
“Jeep called the Pink Sands Paddy Wagon. Card in very good condition. Free shipping.”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $4500.
“Willys Jeep. I don’t have the time or money to fix it up like I want. It runs and it drives just needs a face lift.”
I wonder if all the Yellow Fleet rental jeeps were painted light yellow like this one? I’m guessing the color of the photo might be off a little, which gives the CJ-6 a bit of a green tint. This was taken by Bob Petley.
View all the information on eBay
“Colorado Jeep Trail Telluride Ouray CO Tomboy Road Jeep Rentals Advertising Black Bear Jeep Road Vintage Postcard”
UPDATE: Glenn spotted a postcard of Tommy Barlett’s Deer Ranch on eBay.
View all the information on eBay
==========================
Original Post from January of 2014: From the Lost Parks website I learned that Tommy Bartlett’s international Deer Ranch in Silver Springs, Florida, was a petting zoo “in the early 1960’s. The land was only rented from the Springs, and there was at least one lawsuit between Bartlett and Silver Springs over the terms of his lease. Eventually the land was reabsorbed into the Silver Springs attraction and Bartlett left to concentrate on his Wisconsin busineses. He died in September, 1998.”
The pic below shows a CJ-5 wrapped by advertising and reindeer. http://www.postcardroundup.com/tommy-bartletts-deer-ranch
Here’s a business card from the ranch that I found on eBay:
Derek Redmond shared some more jeep-train and tour jeep photos he’s uncovered on various sites. Cool stuff!
