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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 .
This photo of a CJ-5 with a bed extension (possibly Kent Frost’s jeep) was taken in the Needles District of Canyonlands in 1963 or 1964. It can be viewed more in-depth at the Utah State Historical Society’s website.
CREDIT: Utah State Historical — Society https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6zw391g .. “Jeep party is shown ascending steep pitch through Needles area of projected Canyonlands National Park.”
Thanks to Roger Martin for spotting this photo on Facebook. This 1942 photo shows a jeep carrying an elevated target to help with shooting practice at Wendover Airfield. The photo was posted on Facebook by Damon Viola after he visited the The Historic Wendover Airfield Museum in Utah. He added, “This is a WWII Army Air Base dedicated in part to training the flight crew of the Enola Gay for the atomic bomb drop in Japan. If you’re ever in Western Utah I urge you to stop and check it out.”
Moving Target, Gunnery Range on Wendover Airfield, 1942. Courtesy of the Utah Historical Society.
UPDATE: This is back on eBay.
This looks to be a press photo of a fire department jeep from the city of Columbus, Georgia, The date of the photo appears to be March 27, but I can’t make out the year on the right side of the photo (maybe ’53). I think the posters on the grille read “Don’t let FIRE lick YOU”.
View all the information on eBay
“Press Photo Fire Department Jeep Col92671 10X8 Photo Photo Is Undated.”
An article from January 4, 1947, in the Honolulu Advertiser (and other publications) shared the news that the Japanese were customizing jeeps for civilian use.
This photo shows a search party from the First Cavalry Division in Tokyo heading out to find graves of American soldiers and POWs. It appeared December 07, 1947, in the Star Tribune out of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
UPDATE: Well, clearly the exhaustion got the best of me on this post. I thought this was a North Carolina story, when in fact it was a California story.
This November 11, 1946, article in the Wilmington Daily Press Journal highlights the opening of Carl’s Motor Company. I’d love to see an original of that photo.
Some of the serial numbers are the same, but it also appears to include some new ones (I only did a cursory comparison). This appeared in the July 11, 1946, issue of The Honolulu Advertiser.
There’s no date associated with this photo, but General Krueger made Lt. Gen. in 1941. Given the jeep appears to be an MB, then this is most likely a 1942 or 1943 photo.
While in Louisiana, according to Wikipedia, the General adapted quickly to modern warfare, In at least two different phases of mock battles, the Lt. Gen. out gamed his opponents. He’d later use similar strategies to confront Japanese forces in the Pacific Theatre. After the war, he authored From Down under to Nippon: The Story of the Sixth Army in World War II.
View all the information on eBay
“Press Photo Lieutenant General Walter Krueger and Soldiers with Army Jeep. This is an original press photo. When a three star general roams the maneuver country, no cushioned limousine will do the job. Lieutenant General Walter Krueger, left above, confers with Staff Sargent M. Hanson about the ground-covering capabilities of his “war” Jeep, complete with two-way radio, siren, and – just to clear the road – the General’s three-starred flag. Both the Jeep and General have a task ahead – for General Krueger, as Commanding General of the Third Army, will direct strenuous maneuvers in the battle-tough Louisiana area.Photo measures 9.25 x 7.5inches. Photo is dated –None.”
This July 30, 1956, article in the Sacramento Bee gave a brief description of the late July jeep trip over the Sierras.
A search for something else led me from a jeep photo (below) to a post about Major Art Hasler’s experience in Germany. The post is mixed with original and period photos, a few of which include jeeps. His story about Karl von Frisch’s work on bees was fascinating to Art, and later to the Nobel Price Committee, as he won the Nobel Price for his work on the social behavior of bees.
Read the full post here: http://haslerhistory.blogspot.com/2016/07/adh-1945-strategic-bombing-survey-photo_26.html
PHOTO CREDT: Art Hasler, June 1945 .. http://haslerhistory.blogspot.com/2016/07/adh-1945-strategic-bombing-survey-photo_26.html
Below you’ll find Press Release Photos #11 & #13. The seller did not have #12, so at this point I’m left to guess what #12 was. My best guess is that given #11 shows a half top and #13 shows no top, that #12 may have been an image that included some version of the full top.
Photo #11 shows the half or front top:
Possible Photo #12: These images were published in an article on the introduction of the jeep. The top photo is press photo #13, which adds weight to the bottom photo being #12:
The original photo caption for the bottom photo would likely have been identical to #11 and #13’s captions, except that the last sentence probably read, “Here it is shown with both tops up“.
Photo #13 shows the jeep without a top:
Press Photo #14? Finally, there’s this photo which shows the windshield down. It could easily have been Photo #14 as it was taken in the same location, but I have no evidence such a photo was included in the press kit.
PHOTO CREDIT: https://www.topspeed.com/cars/jeep/2016-jeep-wrangler-75th-salute-concept-ar173805.html
If this was actually included in the press kit at photo #14, the caption for the photo would likely have been identical to #11 and #13’s captions, except that the last sentence probably read, “Here it is shown with the windshield down“.
UPDATE: Mark shared a link to a “Reparto Celere” model jeep: https://www.carmodel.com/edicola/itapolc052/1-43/jeep/willys-reparto-celere-polizia-1945/63694
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Original Post: A December 12, 1947, article in the Austin American-Statesman showed an image of an Italian “Police Squad” jeep breaking up a crowd. The phrase “Reparto Celere” translates to Express Department in English, but I doubt that’s a correct interpretation.
