emailNeed to contact me and don't have my email? Click on email button.
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 .
This ad for Marine versions of the L-134 engine appeared in the October 06, 1947, issue of The Key West Citizen newspaper. As the ad notes, these are the “J1” models, which I take to mean that the serial numbers might start with “J1”?
Roy Rogers and Post Cereals had a licensing agreement for an unknown period of time, but it at least covered the period between 1952-1955 (I’m sure the Roy Rogers & Dale Evans archives can better answer the time period question). Together, the entertainer and cereal manufacturer produced a series of TV spots, print ads, and merchandise.
Here’s an example of a Post Cereal Commercial with Roy Rogers, Pat Brady and a hint of Nelly Belle (see many more commercials here):
In 1952 and 1953, Roy Rogers teamed up with Post Cereals to produce a series of 36 pop-out cards about Roy’s epic adventures. View references to the names for the entire list of cards here.
Card #4 “Pat Brady and Hi Jeep, “Nelly Bell”. Of course, the front is actually the same size as the back. See better images here.
Post Cereals also released a series of 3D cards with Roy Rogers, a few that included jeeps, that required the use of 3D glasses. Here are two examples that include jeeps (there are some of these 3D items for sale on eBay).
And one more off of eBay:
In 1953 Post Cereals joined Roy for a series of pins, one of which included NellyBelle on it.
This mower in this brochure looks like a Newton design. It’s form FS-514100.
Newton brochure from the late 1940s (See five early mowers here):
UPDATE: Matt shared this awesome pic of a Stork FC with a plow taken at the 2019 Great Willys Picnic.
I happened upon the Stork’s Plows website the other day. The company operates out of Bernsville, Pennsylvania. It looks like they carry a wide range of replacement parts for plows and other equipment, though how many vintage parts they have for those items isn’t clear. According to the website’s history page, the company started fixing plows and has a history of jeep support. They also sell some jeep parts on eBay.
Anyone familiar with the company?
Steve spotted this great photo of Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers piled into a jeep. You only receive the photo, but not the negative.
View all the information on eBay
“This auction is for one awesome IT’s A BEAUTY !!!! WE DO SHIPPED TO CANADA.. we do COMBINED SHIPPING COST !! 1950 JACKIE ROBINSON – DUKE SNIDER – PEE WEE REESE – CARL FURILLO – ROY CAMPANELLA Brooklyn Dodgers NL Team ” RIDING In A JEEP ” 8×10 TEAM PHOTO ! !!! awesome Made from super negative !!”
I find it rewarding to find the backstories to folks see in the old photos like this. You can read Harry’s full biography here.
This photo published in the Jackson Advocate on June 22, 1946, was taken in Leghorn, Italy, and shows Harry and his wife Orlean together again after being separated during WWII. Born in Mississippi, in 1909, Harry rose to the rank of Major, serving in both WWII and the Korean War. A writer, editor and highly educated man, after spending time in Germany, France, Korea, California, Africa, and other places, he eventually returned to Mississippi, become the first black teacher at the Gulfport High School. He went on to win a variety of awards and was a member of a number of societies. Major Harry C. Tartt passed away in 2008, with Orlean preceding him.
This 1973 Busch Beer commercial includes multiple shots of a post 1972 CJ-5. I don’t remember this commercial, yet it feels oddly familiar.
Here’s the original source: https://media.dlib.indiana.edu/media_objects/6h440x06f
While the sign reads “approved”, to me this particular sign does not look like Willys approved signage. There are too many signs of slight overspray. Perhaps it was done by a service station owner? I’ve also not seen one with that background color. Anyone seen another like this?
https://toledo.craigslist.org/clt/d/toledo-vintage-1950s-s-willys-metal/7119346029.html
Marked form FS-F514105, this brochure highlights some of the tool bar implements available for jeeps, including the Rotary Lister Planter, the Conventional Moldboard Middle Buster, The Roatry Bottom Middle Buster, the Field Cultivator and the Row Fertilizer Attachment.
Barry Thomas suggests that some or all of these may be ex-newgren items that, following Newgren’s struggles, Willys-Overland began to market and sell under ‘Jeep’. I’m not as versed as some folks on the individual implements, so maybe someone can confirm this?
One thing is clear to me; Willys-Overland did not devote much marketing resources to this sales effort. These brochures are pretty simplistic compared to many other marketing documents of the time. Maybe there was a small team with a tight budget assigned to try to make something happen with this niche of farming and implements?
Unlike the other brochures in this group of seven, this was the only one-page brochure and it lacked a form number.
