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Images From the Los Angeles Public Library

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

These images are only some of the jeep images within the Los Angeles Public Library digital collections.

1) This August 11, 1964, photo shows Frank Millard’s 4 Wheel Drive Center in Encino. There’s a pretty wide diversity of jeeps, including CJ-3BS, CJ-5s, A DJ-3A, Gladiators, and Wagoneers.

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Photo LAPL Location. Photo Caption: Photograph caption dated August 11, 1964 reads “Val B. B. West, left, and Calvin Strong are the men heading up the new four-wheel-drive center in the Valley, located at Frank Millard’s new 15611 Ventura Blvd. facility in Encino. Strong heads up the dealership and West is assistant manager. Millard, ‘The Man in Red,’ says they will stock a complete line of the four-wheel-drives, including the Jeeps and Datsuns.

2) A September 24, 1943, photo of a Hollywood Bond Cavalcade with numerous stars.

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Photo LAPL Location. Photo Caption: The Hollywood Bond Cavalcade parading down the street. A long line of jeeps carries a multitude of stars who wave and smile at the crowds. The calvacade is on a 21 day nationwide tour for the Third War Loan drive. Photograph dated September 24, 1943.

3) A rare photo of the Antelope Valley Sheriff’s Posse jeep.

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Photo LAPL Location. Photo Caption: Photograph caption dated November 3, 1953 reads, “Members of Antelope Valley Sheriff’s Posse No. 11 take their jeep and mobile kitchen on trips into isolated areas to search for lost children and hunters. The men serve as volunteers in the rescue work on a 24-hour-a-day schedule. Viewing the new 1,200-watt auxiliary power plant are, left to right, Capt. R. M. Boyd, Lancaster Station, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, commander of the posse; Sgt. R. F. Brown, co-ordinator, and Capt. Jack Bones.

4) These boys were photographed on July 18, 1958, while riding on the African Jungle Safari Ride at the Pacific Ocean Park (aka POP … see more images on PINTREST) in Santa Monica.

1958-07-18-lapl-archives-Boys_on_amusement_ride_at_Ocean_Park

Photo LAPL Location. Photo Caption: Photograph caption reads, “Stanley Radar 13, and Darryl Ferges, 11, ride the jeep through the Safari Ride which has the ‘African Jungle’ replete with gorillas, spear-throwing natives and screeches and roars of the jungle.” Photograph dated: July 18, 1958.

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Another photo from the safari ride that was posted to PINTREST.

5) This photo was taken as part of the Los Angeles Attacks Army-Navy Show on January 4, 1944.

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Photo LAPL Location. Photo Caption: An Army jeep, loaded with soldiers, climbs up the Spring Street steps of City Hall on January 4, 1944, to lead the “capture” of the building as a prelude to the “Los Angeles Attacks” Army-Navy Show to be held Saturday and Sunday at the Coliseum.

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Rudy’s Flower Truck

• CATEGORIES: FC150-FC170-M677, Features, Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Jim and his wife Tracey spotted Brittany together with Rudy’s Flower (FC) Truck yesterday afternoon in St. Louis, so he took these photos. I’ve seen this FC appear in a few posts on Facebook and was hoping someone would track it down. Speaking of FB, you can visit Rudy’s Flower Truck page here (or through the website or instagram)

Brittany mentioned to Jim that Rudy’s hopes to expand its fleet by adding another FC that won’t break the bank. So, if you have an FC you’d like to sell which you hope to see go for a good purpose, contact Rudy’s.

Since Brittany is purportedly an eWillys reader, which clearly means she has excellent taste, I have some questions. Who is/was Rudy? Was this Rudy’s FC? Inquiring minds need to know!

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Aug. 18, 1944 Newspaper Ad for the Willys Jeep

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

Here’s a curiously early newspaper ad for the Willys Jeep in the August 18, 1944, page 3, of the Healdsburg Tribute and Enterprise out of California. It’s a small, one-column, straight to the point ad without any credit as to what company placed the ad. This may be the earliest ad for the jeep I’ve seen in a newspaper. This would have been placed during Willys-Overland’s fight with the FTC over W-O’s use of the term “Jeep” in its marketing.

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The ad was again published the following month in Monterey, Virginia, on September 29, 1944, in the Highland Recorder: https://virginiachronicle.com/cgi-bin/virginia?a=d&d=HR19440929.2.28.1&e=——-en-20–1–txt-txIN-willys+jeep——-

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Kids Driving Jeeps

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

UPDATE: This photo of Jimmy Crabtree resides in the Free Library of Philadelphia Digital Collections (see bottom image).

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PHOTO CREDIT: Free Library of Philadelphia Digital Collections ; PHOTO CAPTION: San Francisco: Jimmy Crabtree, 3, does some repair work on his miniature Jeep, with some aid from a helper. Jimmy’s father, a race car aid from a helper. Jimmy’s father, a race car mechanic, and his uncle made the Jeep for him. It is powered by an electric motor like those used in invalid chairs. Two batteries, one under the hood and one under the rear seat, furnish enough juice for 10 hours driving at 14 mph. Mr. Crabtree estimates it cost about $75 in parts and $2,000 in labor. February 21st, 1948

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Originally posted in November of 2014: The Chicago Tribune featured two kids driving jeeps. The first was about a boy named Richard Aulerich who built a soap box entry and then turned it into a drivable vehicle.

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Boy from Detroit turns Soap Box Jeep into drivable vehicle.

A year later Jimmy Crabtree proved a little smarter than Richard. Three-year-old Jimmy had his father make him a drivable jeep, but it seems ladies-man Jimmy made sure it was a two-seater. He wasted no time picking up Susan Spitzer and taking her for a ride.

1948-02-16-chicago-tribune-pg16-kids-in-jeep

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Free Library of Philadelphia Digital Collections Photos

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

These photos are located in the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Digital Collections. I’ve posted eight photos below. There are many more “jeep” related photos on the site. See all 124 of them here: https://libwww.freelibrary.org/digital/search/home/page/5/q/jeep

  1. Keystone Automobile Club Road Patral Service CJ-2A:

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    PHOTO CREDIT: Free Library of Philadelphia .. PHOTO CAPTION: Keystone Automobile Club – Road Patrol Service

  2. This photo was taken in 1946 in Denmark.

    free-library-of-philadelphia-denmark-cj2a

    PHOTO CREDIT: Free Library of Philadelphia .. PHOTO CAPTION: This Danish reporter was so bent in following his nose for news, he mounted the stairs of the Parliament building, Copenhagen, here with his Jeep. He was the first buyer of the Danish post war Jeeps sold in this city. It cost him about $2,000.

  3. 1946 Photo of Surplus Jeeps:

    free-library-of-philadelphia-surplus-jeeps

    PHOTO CREDIT: Free Library of Philadelphia .. PHOTO CAPTION: Willys-Overland Motors, Toledo, Ohio. Some of the 2,700 army Jeeps which will be sold to veterans by the War Assets Administration are shown parked in Atlanta. Sale will begin on June 10, 1946. There have been many complaints from veterans that they buy army surplus material only through dealers. These Jeeps will be sold directly by the W.A.A.

  4. 1948 Photo of CJ-2A plowing sidewalks in St. Louis, Missouri:

    free-library-of-philadelphia-snow-jeep-sidewalk

    PHOTO CREDIT: Free Library of Philadelphia .. PHOTO CAPTION: STL 46………………………………….NEW YORK BUREAU “OPERATION SNOWPLOW” ST. LOUIS: “SIDEWALK SNOW SCOOTER” IS THE AFFECTIONATE NAME GIVEN BY THE STUDENTS OF ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY TO THEIR SCHOOL-OPERATED JEEP. THE VERSATILE VEHICLE IS BEING USED AS A SNOWPLOW TO CLEAR SIDEWALKS AFTER THE YEAR’S HEAVIEST SNOWFALL, MARCH 11. NY-A-B CREDIT (ACME TELEPHOTO) 3/11/48

  5. Postcard of Pocket Testament League Jeep Truck in China (FRONT & BACK):
    free-library-of-philadelphia-1948-chinese-ptl-truck-frontfree-library-of-philadelphia-1948-chinese-ptl-truck-back
  6. This 99 year-old Civil War Vet wished he was a little younger so he could fight in WWII:

    PHOTO CREDIT: PHOTO CAPTION: Franke E. Ross, age 99 of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, fought in the the infantry away back in Civil War days and now he would like to fight against the Nazis. He said, "If I could go back a few years, I'd be figting with you fellows." He proudly steers a Jeep in front of his home during the pause of a unit there while on the maneuvers of the Second Army in middle Tennessee.

    PHOTO CREDIT: Free Library of Philadelphia .. PHOTO CAPTION: Franke E. Ross, age 99 of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, fought in the the infantry away back in Civil War days and now he would like to fight against the Nazis. He said, “If I could go back a few years, I’d be figting with you fellows.” He proudly steers a Jeep in front of his home during the pause of a unit there while on the maneuvers of the Second Army in middle Tennessee.

  7. Customs Inspector checking jeep:

    free-library-of-philadelphia-customs-inspector

    PHOTO CREDIT: Free Library of Philadelphia .. PHOTO CAPTION: Ralph Overall, U.S. Customs inspector, inspecting Jeep.

  8. Jack Hoffman and his CJ-2A (bought with proceeds from the sale of a champion steer):

    free-library-of-philadelphia-1947-01-12-steer-champion-jeep

    PHOTO CREDIT: Free Library of Philadelphia .. PHOTO CAPTION: Jack Hoffman, whose champion steer brought him a fortune of $43,005.77 at Kansas City’s American Royal Livestock Show, checks the water in the radiator of his new Jeep. January 1947, Ida Grove, Indiana

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Plastic CJ-2ish Toy on eBay

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

This plastic toy is priced at $25. This is the closest toy I’ve seen to a CJ-2 (grille, windshield, mid-mounted tire, tailgate, no glovebox.

View all the information on eBay

“In decent condition for the age. They have signs of use. Please refer to pictures and use the zoom to see more details. I’m not antique dealer, collector or expert. The pictures describe the item along with any flaws and markings we can find the best we can.show Sold As Is.  No returns.”

plastic-cj2a-jeep0 plastic-cj2a-jeep1 plastic-cj2a-jeep2 plastic-cj2a-jeep3 plastic-cj2a-jeep4

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Kaiser Willys Dealer Accounting Manual on eBay

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

Can’t be many of these around, but I suppose there are many folks around who want them.

View all the information on eBay

“Probably uncommon Vintage Kaiser Willys Dealer Accounting Manual In used condition. .A 3 ring binder made especially for them. Comes with some ledger paper. From the Reynolds & Reynolds Co. of Celina Ohio.”

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