Features Research Archives

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June 1949 Southern Utah – Glen Canyon Trip

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

These two photos from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science Digital Archives includes these two photos from a June 1949 trip though Southeastern Utah, specifically the Glen Canyon area. It’s unclear who these folks were or whether this was an official survey party or just an jeep adventure.

 
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1957 French-Canadian FC-150 Ad From Kaiser-Willys of Canada

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

This ad appeared in a July 1957 magazine, but don’t which one. As Vernon noted about this ad, the ad below also shows a truck with a stake bed extension. Any ever seen that option?

1957-07-fc150-truck-french-canadian-ad-lores

 
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February 1945 Ireland Denies Jeep Trademark

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

On February 11, 1945, the Pittsburgh Press shared the news that Ireland had ruled that the word Jeep could not be trademarked there. There were two reasons for that decision: 1) the word had not been stamped on the vehicle(s) and 2) the term ‘Jeep’ had fallen into public domain as a result of usage.

Both concerns seem valid. Even today, there’s confusion around the brand in terms of Willys vs. Jeep. However, one could argue that both issues were the result of Willys-Overland’s effort to win a war, thus the company sacrificed normal naming (in terms of vehicle models), advertising, and trademarking issues. So, why should they be penalized?

1945-02-11-pittsburgh-press-Ireland-jeep-trademark-denial

 
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Fiberglass Drag Jeep Bodies Monticello, IL **Status Unknown**

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

UPDATE: **Status Unknown. Was $1800. As of June of 2023 the link no longer works.

(11/26/2020) There’s a company out of Illinois selling drag ‘jeep’ fiberglass bodies called Dunn & Gone Racing, Inc. (some of the ads on the racing junk site are old, so, this may or may not be available).

https://www.racingjunk.com/Sand-Drag-Racing-Cars/184108659/RAMROD-JEEP-BODIES.html?category_id=&search=jeep&quickSearch=1&np_offset=32&from=search#6

jeep-drag-race-bodies

jeep-drag-race-bodies2

“The newset addition to our high quality fiberglass family
—RAMROD—
Each body is hand laid with the best resins and glass available
Specs
overall length 143 inches
cage opening width 30 ½ inches
rear width 63 inches
front width 52 inches
Basic wheel base from rear center to front center 96 inches
untrimed rear wheel well opening 34 inches, trimmed 39 inches
no body work required, just wetsand and paint!!!!
1800.00 in stock and available NOW
Thanks
JD
Dunn and Gone Racing Inc.
Located in Monticello Illinois”

 
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March 1950 Dealer’s Day Booklet

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

As best as I can tell, this booklet was part of a Willys-Overland Motors Dealer Day presentation on March 30, 1950. This particular booklet came out of Canada, so I am not positive whether this was a Canadian event or a Brand-wide (US, Canada, and other?) celebration.

At 5″ x 7″ the booklet is smaller than I thought it would be.
1950-03-30-dealer-day-pamphlet-1-lores 1950-03-30-dealer-day-pamphlet-2-lores 1950-03-30-dealer-day-pamphlet-3-lores

1950-03-30-dealer-day-pamphlet-4-lores

Continue reading

 
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1949 Trip Down Africa in a Jeep

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

On December 06, 1949, New York Artist and former Gallery owner Elenore Lust drove her WWII jeep  into Capetown, completing a 13,000 mile trek from France to South Africa. Their trek took them across ten countries. During one long stretch in the Sahara Desert she and her husband Paul Koston, who didn’t know how to drive, had to spread wire mesh on the sand, drive atop it, then roll it up, move it to the front of the jeep, then drive forward again, a process they repeated many times.

Unfortunately, I could not locate a photo of her and her jeep, but I was able to find a photo and an obit, which shared that after teaching art in South Africa, she returned to the US and began teaching art in Pennsylvania up until her death.

This article from the December 07, 1949, issue of New York’s Daily News provides some details about the trip.

1949-12-07-dailys-news-ny-elenore-lust-desert-crossing

Here’s the only photo of Elenore I could find. It was printed in the June 08, 1988, issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

1988-06-08-philadelphia-inquirer-elenore-lust

Her obituary was published in the April 24, 1997, issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

1997-04-24-philadelphia-inquirer-elenore-lust-obiturary

 
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IH Scout Toy on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Other 4x4s This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Brian shared this post from the AACA site that shared information about an IH Scout toy, a dealer promo that was given away or sold. I’ve never seen that toy, but I was also never around Scouts much either.

1960-model-scout3

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There’s one of these on eBay, with the box. It’s pricey, but cheaper than a similar quality Al-Toy would be.

View all the information on eBay

“TRUE VINTAGE WITH MINOR AGED CHARACTERISTICS PLEASE SEE PICS FOR HIGH DETAILS
DISPLAYS WONDERFUL AGED PATINA WITH BOX!! STORED WELL AND SHOWS GREAT
BOX IS IN FAIR CONDITION CONSIDERING AGE, DOES HAVE SOME MINOR TEARS AND IS MISSING A FLAP”

1960-model-scout4

 
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1955 French-Canadian Ad From Kaiser-Willys of Canada

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

This ad appeared in a 1955 magazine, but I can’t say for sure which one. This mostly shows the CJ-5 busily at work, though a 3B and the truck make an appearance.

1955-french-candian-jeep-ad-lores

 
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Winter 2020 Issue of the Dispatcher is Available

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

The new issue of the Dispatcher Magazine has been released. Jim Allen’s article on the Jeep Creep and other prototypes in the late 1950s was very interesting (something I’ve never documented), as were the restoration articles on the Tonka Surreys and the Jeepster Convertible. As always, there’s lots of good stuff in this issue!

2020-winter-dispatcher-magazine

 

 
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Mark Felton’s WW2 Bazooka & Rocket Jeeps Video

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

Craig shared this video from Mark Felton that focuses on the WW2 Bazooka and Rocket Jeeps.