Old Images Research Archives

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1945-1946 Ads for Army Surplus Jeeps in Minneapolis

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs, Features, Old Images • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This ad appeared within the classified ad section of the October 04, 1946, issue of the Minneapolis Star. It was posted by American Motor Sales, which was located at 1220 West Broadway. Whether the company actually had Ford GPs for sale isn’t clear; most likely, it was just standard MBs or GPWs.

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A few days later, the Downtown Chevrolet Company advertised in the October 09, 1946, issue of the Minneapolis Star that they had 100 surplus jeeps available for customers:

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Subsequently, an ad was placed by Twin City Motors, which also claimed to have jeeps (either GPWs or FORD GPs or both):

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So, how did these companies obtain the jeeps? As we saw yesterday, there were some bidding opportunities that allowed Hyman Berg and others the opportunity to purchase multiple prototype jeeps. So, perhaps these Minneapolis-based companies also scored some prototypes that way?

What we do know is that the government was selling jeeps to veterans (previous stories highlight sale in Hawaii and California). And, those jeeps sold pretty quickly.

For example, in late 1945, the government’s War Asset group put 10,000 jeeps up for purchase by veterans. Those 10,000 jeeps were promptly sold (November 30, 1945, the Star Tribune):

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A month later, an article  from the Dec 08, 1945, issue of the Minneapolis Star, announced that another batch of 10,000 jeeps had been made available as of December 1945:
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Wilensky Auto Parts’ Ford GPs

• CATEGORIES: Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs, Features, Old Images • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: The press photo at bottom appeared in the January 24,  1944, issue of the Minneapolis Morning Tribune (seen below). It seems that Harvey Wilensky must have also won a bid for jeeps about the same time as Hyman Berg did.

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Originally Posted November 16, 2013: This photo shows a lineup of surplus Ford GPs for sale. The selling price: $750 at Wilensky Auto Parts in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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1944 Article on the Burma Jeep Trains

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

The article shares information on why the GI’s had to use jeeps on the tracks and the dangers they faced. The photo is from a later newspaper.

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January 31, 1945, in the Evening Sun, Baltimore, Maryland.

From the Tucson Daily Citizen, October 23, 1944:

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1944 Photo Angelo Tempesta Sleeping on Jeep on eBay

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

This photo shows jeep driver Angelo Temesta sleeping on the hood of his jeep.

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“For sale is an Original WW2 US Army Press Photograph of a named Solider Sleeping on Jeep Willys in St. Lo France, dated July, 1944. Measures 5″ x 7″. There is wear and a creases in the middle. Other edge wear and minor creases. Please see all photos.”

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1947 Photos of the Indianapolis Speedway Fire Jeep

• CATEGORIES: Features, Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

These two 1947 photos can be found as part of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway digital 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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1953 Photo of Working Model Jeepster

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

The Tribune newspaper out of Coshocton, Ohio, shared this photo and caption on the May 24, 1953. It shows three-year-old Terry Schley driving a model Jeepster his father built for him. It includes a feature that auto braked when the foot is lifted from the accelerator.

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Photos of early DJ-3A Hardtops with Side Glass

• CATEGORIES: Features, Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles, Library Collections, Old Images • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: 2 more photos of DJ-3A Hardtops with side glass (note also the use of the modified hardtop with glass on the Jeep Creep jeep above). The first is a different 1956 DJ-3A with the same type of hardtop (side windows and small rear window) was posted to Facebook.

So, does this mean Willys Motors had planned on selling DJ-3As with side windows, but for some reason changed its strategy? Or, did they only intend these tops for commercial/governmental use?

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Caption: August 27, 1956. New Police Equipment: This new jeep, recently acquired by the City of Ann Arbor – Police Department, is being used to service parking meters throughout the city. The small vehicle has proven ideal for swinging into small spaces while meters are emptied. Patrolman John Biederman drives the jeep and is assisted in the meter collection by George Kaercher.

This second is undated, but shows a DJ-3A with a windowed hardtop for the Triangle Drive-in. It was posted to Facebook by Michael Canup.

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The photos of this RHD drive DJ-3A were posted by Andy to Facebook. They show a RHD DJ-3A at work for the Los Angeles School Police Department (that’s the department’s insignia on the door).

This is a 1956 RHD DJ-3A. It has the small rear window top that was halted sometime around late 1956 or early 1957 (http://www.ewillys.com/2020/03/17/different-version-of-the-koenig-manufactured-hardtop/), but also has the Hall tail lights which I am surprised to see on a 1956 (https://cj3b.info/Dating/Taillights.html). Oddly, it also has the rear side windows on the hardtop, which wasn’t common for the DJ-3As, but the side windows were standard for this model of the CJ-5 hardtop. So, this must have been a special order?

There was another photo taken with what appears to be the same jeep (same number on the door), but having a different driver (at least a different cap) named Officer Verne Schlotzhauer, while Captain Maurice W. Calfee watches the officer. The car to the right is different, also. This appeared in the July 24, 1956, issue of the Valley News, Van Nuys, California:

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The top pic was also syndicated to newspapers. The image below appeared in the June 22, 1956, issue of the Des Moines Register:

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Kent Frost Jeep Photos from 1955 and 1957

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

The Huntington Digital Library has some more Kent Frost photos from his trips through Canyonlands and other southern Utah places. The photos represent two different trips. Most pics are from an October of 1955 jeep excursion, while one photo is from May of 1957.

This first photo from October of 1955 is a great photo that shows Kent and Fern Frost standing in front of a CJ-2A with a Porter & Reed hardtop. I’m not sure if this was one of their jeeps or not.

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CREDIT: None …. Caption: Fern and Kent Frost next to a CJ-2A. DATE: Oct. 1955.

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CREDIT: J. Ballard Atherton …. Caption: Frost Jeep Party. DATE: Oct. 1955.

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CREDIT: Dudziak, Joseph Lawrence …. Caption: Camp of Kent Frost jeep party near Lizard Rock.. DATE: 1957-05-01

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CREDIT: J. Ballard Atherton …. Caption: Frost Jeep Party. DATE: Oct. 1955.

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1950 Photo of Roy Fisher’s Willys “Jeep” Dealership

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

This 1950 photo from the Gateway to Oklahoma History archives shows Roy Fisher’s jeep dealership. His dealership was active between 1946 and 1950 in Oklahoma City, OK. It was sold about the time this May 1950 photo was taken. Note the CJ-2A Fire Jeep in the second story window. The vintage Willys sign with the drop “J” logo is cool as well.

Here are a few ads from the Roy Fisher Willys ‘Jeep’ dealer era.

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January 05, 1950, Daily Oklahoman.

Here is the sale announcement from the May 25, 1950, issue of the Miami News-Record out of Miami, Oklahoma:

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1951 Photo of Jeeps Carrying Personnel during Korean War on eBay

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

It looks like these jeeps were stuff full for the drive to the front.

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“This is an original press photo. An American convoy,part of reinforcements being rushed to the front to stem advance of tank led North Korean forces, prepares to move forward Photo measures 7.25 x 8.5 inches. Photo is dated 3-2-1951.”

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Circa 1954 Photo of Jeep on Lake Mendota Ice Fishing

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

This photo from the University of Wisconsin Digital Achrives was taken around 1954 and shows a jeep atop the Lake Mendota Ice, surrounded by fisherman.

Lake Mendota borders the northern side of downtown Madison, Wisconsin. In the early 1990s I lived in Madison for a couple years, but rarely spent much time near Lake Mendota.

Learn more here: https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AGOAAUBBNQBJC28P

This first photo is a closeup from the photo below it. The jeep appears to be a pretty stock MB.

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