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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 .
These two items from the San Juan Scenic Jeep Trip business were on eBay, so I snagged them.
This postcards shows a FC Tour Jeep climbing a steep trail.
This tri-fold brochure is undated. It has some good photos and artwork. These first three images show the front side of the brochure.
This is the inside of the tri-fold:
Roger Martin shared this interesting, kind of quirky, unusual bit of jeep wood art.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/458482879538874/
“Jeep made of wood for wall hanging for man cave or garage”
UPDATE: Here’s an additional photo. It was posted to the Toledo Region History and Memorabilia Facebook Page by Nelson Shaffer, who found the photo at the UAW Local 12 Office in Toledo.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1026729948030025/
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Originally posted April 10, 2019: During WWII Brook Stevens developed a couple different Command Car concepts. All the pics of these can be seen at the Milwaukee Art Museum’s site.
1. The first one is a 6×6 vehicle. It was made into an actual vehicle. I don’t know what happened to it. I’m pretty sure I have a press photo fo this vehicle somewhere, but I can’t seem to find it. This very well could be on the same platform as other 6x6s of the era.
UPDATE: Other than checking emails and comments, I will likely be away from the site until Sunday. Everyone enjoy your Thanksgiving!
Here’s a republished post form 2018:
2018: Roberto Flores
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
If you’d like a nice story to read this Thanksgiving, you can try an article about Durwood J. Smith. The story contains both a jeep and a Thanksgiving memory on the Western Front (see Durwood’s pic below) … do you know how hard that combo is to find?? If not for Roberto Flores, we wouldn’t even have art depicting jeeps and turkeys together!!
Thanksgiving on the Western Front
PHOTO CREDIT: Charleen Smith-Riedel and Smithsonia Magazine
UPDATE III: I just found an ad from the January 4, 1947, issue of Time Magazine that includes a “Get a ‘Jeep'” campaign. It’s on eBay.
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(April 09, 2019) UPDATE II: There was at least one GET A ‘JEEP’ mailer that was distributed to current and potential jeep owners.
UPDATE: As Terry pointed out, the GET A ‘JEEP’ campaign was likely a play off of the popular phrase Get a horse, the popular cry that greeted almost every automobile which appeared on the roads during the early years of the automobile. A 1930 article from the Saturday Evening Post also highlights the use of this phrase.
Starting in January of 1946, Willy’s Overland introduced the GET A ‘JEEP’ phrase to their Collier’s and Saturday Evening Post full-page ad campaign.
Examples of the GET A ‘JEEP’ campaign in the full page ads of the Saturday Evening Post.
The company also introduced a subtler GET A ‘JEEP’ magazine marketing strategy in the form of small cartoons.
So far, I’ve only identified the publishing date of one cartoon, but I’m sure with time we can identify the others. As of a November 13, 1946, the cartoon ad campaign was still being used, but the December 14, 1946, full-page ad does not include that phrase.
2. This version of the ad was published in a 1946 magazine. The cartoon print is available on eBay.
3. This one was found on Pinterest:
4. I’d published this one a few years ago. It was being sold on eBay.
5. This was posted on eBay for sale and labeled a 1946 ad:
Posted on Facebook by both Mario and Roberto, this WWII illustration pokes fun at the jeep for not making a good plane.
Somewhere on eWillys I had relayed the story I was told about an ex-WWII military mechanic who claimed that a few jeeps were tested as gliders in hopes they could be used to fly across the English Channel. While the experiment barely worked in the Southwest desert, it proved impractical over the channel due to the additional moisture in the air. I have so far been unable to verify these claims.
UPDATE: Just to emphasize, this is a recreated version of the original painting.
Thanks to Scott for this link. The sale is for a 22 x 28 inch painting made by an artist named Daves from the original version of this image by Sessions. According to the seller, this painting was used as the cover image for Ray Cowdery’s book All American Wonder II.
https://willysforsale.com/ads/the-original-22×28-inch-painting-cover-of-all-american-wonder-ii/
“Here is the opportunity to own the original painting that was used for the by now iconic book on WWII jeeps ‘All American Wonder II’ by Ray Cowdery. The book is a ‘bible’ for any WWII jeep enthusiast and/or restorer. The author had this oil painting made by an artist of the name Daves to resemble a WWII Willys advertising by Sessions. It graces the cover of his book, and this painting is the only original in the world. On the back a large rubber stamp of the author and his former address. It looks amazing, the colors are vibrant, there are of course no holes or other damage. It looks amazing even unframed and will become a centerpiece in anyone’s jeep collection.”
Artist Roni Santiago created this illustration as a comment to the Philippine phase-out of the Jeepneys (posted by Mario to FB). It seems to be a riff off the Bill Mauldin illustration of the solider with a gun pointed at a tired old jeep.
Bill Mauldin’s famous illustration (as reprinted on the cover of the Nov 1992 Smithsonian):
And as seen in a sculpture at the Shidoni Gallery near Sante Fe:
Roger Martin bought this cool, Marine-made jeep.
He wrote, “I bought another Jeep. It was built by marine in August of 1948. He was a machinist on a ship during the war. The wheels are made out of solid brass. The toy is pretty heavy. I bought it from a guy yesterday who bought it in 1970 from the widow of the original owner that built it. The Marine that built it worked for Fisher body in Cincinnati, Ohio.”
Under the things-I-didn’t-know, Ann tells me that folded material into shapes is 1) a thing and 2) is called a “cake”. To wit, she spotted this jeep made from folding diapers and material together (no glue). This is certainly more clever than if I tried to make a jeep using diapers and material.
From the Facebook Post: “A Jeep diaper cake for a new Mom!! She loved it and doesn’t want to take it apart!! LOL!! 10 washcloths, 6 blankets, 2 bottles, 1 pair of socks, 1 medicine dropper, and 55 diapers. I never use glue!”
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1000582063996149&set=pcb.1224982958173993
Another little treasure found while looking through the family stuff is this card drawn on heavy stock paper by my aunt. An architect, she was famous within the family for the cards she produced.
The card below was drawn for my dad’s birthday, likely mid 1970s. No doubt folks can relate to it (though I teased my aunt during a phone call yesterday about the poorly drawn jeep … she is usually attentive to details).
I ran across this magazine on eBay. Given the cover, I couldn’t resist buying it, though there was no other jeep pics or illustrations within it.
