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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. This section used to be split into jeeps, parts and other categories, but recent changes to eBay will require this information to be recoded.
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 .
Maury and I thought this jeep bank was interesting. It is a Willys-Motors-parts-department-themed wagon that is listed as a ‘1953’. It was sold on eBay and now documented at WorthPoint. Anyone seen others of these?
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/liberty-classics-1953-jeep-willys-491185253
Maury suggested we organize and go through the various Willys-Overland and Willys Motors logos, badges and slogans seen in brochures and ads during the years between 1941-1963. I thought that a good idea as well, so here’s what we found for the pre-Kaiser period between 1941-1953.
Before we begin, when is a slogan ‘a slogan’ and when not? It is totally arbitrary on our part, but we think we’ve covered quite a few (and welcome other suggestions). Much of Part I is a synopsis of advertising-related posts published over the last year. We hope to publish part II in the next few days.
1941-1945: (A deeper dive into the ads of this time period can be found here).
As a 1951 advertising review noted, the challenge facing Willys-Overland, once winning the jeep contract, was to convince consumers that the jeep was a Willys product (even though, as Ford argued, it was a joint project). To this end. Willys-Overland’s very first ad in December of 1941 emphasized WILLYS.
See the full ad here: http://www.ewillys.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/1941-12-13-sat-evening-post-jeep-in-civvies-650px-pg117.jpg
Willys-Overland continued this theme with their famous war-time color ads, a list of which you can view here (1942-1946). In the Hell Bent ad, the first of the war-time ads, Willys-Overland continued to emphasize WILLYS. The company also added “JEEPS” as a third category of vehicles for the first time.
From the June 27, 1942, ad in the Saturday Evening Post.
In 1943, while emphasizing WILLYS, the company introduced a new badge, “The Sun Never Sets on the Fighting Jeep”
This ad, AVENGING JEEPS BLAST JAPS FROM CHINESE VILLAGE, was published in the February 06, 1943, issue of the Saturday Evening Post, page 85.
The “Fighting Jeep” phrase lasted through May of 1943. Then, was left off of a few ads, before returning on July of 1943 with the replacement of Fighting with Mighty: THE SUN NEVER SETS ON THE MIGHTY JEEP.
This ad, HEROIC OFFICERS DARE DEATH FOR MEN, was published in the July 17, 1943, issue of the Saturday Evening Post, page 97.
Willys-Overland continued to emphasize WILLYS until February of 1944, when the company abruptly switched the emphasis to JEEPS.
This Carter Products Ad appeared in the January 19, 1952, issue of the Saturday Evening Post. It’s an interesting throwback ad to the WWII concept of the jeep (arguably, it’s a Ford GPish illustration).
Maury spotted this Jeep Radio Ad record on Worthpoint. It turns out that the CJ-3B page has published some of the recordings from the record. So, on this Christmas morning, you can test out the sound of your new computer/tablet/phone/Internet-of-thing.
1. This 1963 magazine ad for the new ‘Jeep’ Wagoneer prominently claimed the wagon had “DRIVEPOWER”, a slogan for the Wagoneer’s new and improved and exclusive 4-Wheel Drive system. I looked to see if Kaiser Jeep attempted to trademark the term, but there’s no evidence of that at the US Patent and Trademark site. So, the use of the drivepower concept seems to have been brief.
View all the information on eBay
2. This other 1963 Ad also uses the term “DRIVEPOWER”, but in a smaller font.
View all the information on eBay
3. This early 1964 Wagoneer Ad defines “DRIVEPOWER” as “Wagoneer station wagon’s new, improved and exclusive 4-wheel drive system” (also published in Popular Science).
View all the information on eBay
4. This 1963 or early 1964 ad promoted a variety of ideas, include “DRIVEPOWER”. The ad also promoted ABC’s “The Greatest Show on Earth”, which was sponsored, at least in part, by Kaiser Jeep (see Jeep rare brochure promoting that show here).
Spotted by Maury, and according to the blurb from this page, this brochure/booklet was apparently released to some Willys-Overland employees following the purchase of Willys-Overland Motors by Kaiser-Jeep in 1953. I could only find a pic of the cover.
On November 4th, 1947, the Wilmington Morning Star published an ad highlighting a Willys-Overland Caravan visit at Bellamy Farm. The ad was sponsored by the Fleming Company (Or it may have been the Fleming Willys Company).
I can’t remember who share this news, but the Whitco brand is being used once more as a soft top brand by Quadretec for YJ, TJ, JK and JKU Wrangler soft tops. Unfortunately, it does not appear that they will offer vintage tops under this brand.
UPDATE: This ad originally appeared in 2013, but recently I was able to find all three ads.
In 1947, some Queen Anne Jingle Bar Wrappers included the opportunity to complete a jingle to win all kinds of contest prizes. It appears there were at least three different contests and each included a chance to win a Station Wagon.
1. This ad is on eBay, but the date is not listed. The Jingle goes:
JIMMY GOT A JINGLE BAR
HE LOVED EACH LUSCIOUS BITE
SAND HE, “QUEEN ANNE’S JINGLE BAR
___________________________” (fill in the final line)
2. This Ad was on eBay with the following contest circa September 1947:
MARY BOUGHT A JINGLE BAR,
SHE THOUGHT IT REALLY NEAT.
NOW SHE GETS ONE EVERY DAY,
___________________________ (fill in the final line)
3. This ad appeared in the November 30, 1947, issue of the Sunday Star. This Jingle was different:
FOLKS HAVE FOUND A JINGLE BAR
TASTES JUST AS GOOD AS PIE!
MILK CHOCOLATE, NUTS AND CARAMEL
___________________________ (fill in the final line)
This May 1961 brochure extolled the virtues of the Jeep Family of vehicles. It is Form No. DM61-05.
This page is 8.5″ x 11″
This Page is 17″ x 11″
This is one of a collection of brochures I was able to get off of eBay last week. It’s the June 1961 “For Short Hops Or The Long Haul” brochure with images of a kangaroo on it. It’s also a rare jeep family brochure that includes the FJ-3 (later brochures show the FJ-3A, the longer FJ). This is Form No. DM61-06.
This page is a foldout page of the whole brochure (11″ x 17″):
