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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 .
UPDATE: Don makes some good points in his comment below as to why there might not be any MBs pictured.
The January 1942 issue of Scientific American included an article titled “Meet the Jeep”, one I’ve been waiting about 7 years to snag. For some reason, though MBs were already being produced, no images of the MB were included. Instead, the first image shows a Ford GP. The second photo shows a Bantam BRC-40 T2E1.
Note all the bullet pitting on the pedestals.
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“Press Photo Pfc. Johnny Shoemaker conducts Berlin tour in jeep to nurses. This is an original press photo. Pfc. Johnny Shoemaker, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, shows points of interest to four American nurses making a sightseeing tour of Berlin in a jeep. In the background is the “Dome” famous cathedral, and on either sides are the horses in front of the Imperial Palace.Photo measures 8.5 x 7inches. Photo is dated –none.”
This is a great photo of General Walter Krueger, Commander of the Third Army.
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“1942 Press Photo Army Commander Lieutenant General Walter Krueger in “War” 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 tries out the two way radio with which his “war” Jeep is equipped. As commander of the Third Army, General Krueger will use the Jeep directing the strenuous maneuvers in the battle-tough Louisiana area.Photo measures 8.5 x 7inches. Photo is dated 07-29-1942.”
This May 02, 1943, article in the Evening Star excerpt shares the news of two newly-named jeeps: “Al Neale” and “Mount Vernon Spitfire”.
UPDATE: Blaine spotted a post that provides more background on the Joe Donham and a pic of how it looked as of 2006.
http://berkeleyheritage.com/eastbay_then-now/roadside.html
According to the website post,
Joseph B. Donham (1895–1982), who followed Warren at this location, was general sales manager for the Val Strough organization in the 1930s before striking out on his own. After running a used car dealership in Oakland, he opened an authorized Willys dealership at 2747 San Pablo Avenue, being the first tenant to lease the new showroom. Donham’s Willys dealership operated here from 1953 through 1956. After the car maker ceased production, Donham switched to selling used cars at this location and ran the Dalton & Norton Chrysler dealership in San Leandro. According to his son, Joseph Donham, Jr., Donham owned several East Bay used car dealerships while working as general manager of S&C Ford in San Francisco.
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Originally published in Feb of 2012: This image shows a Willys Dealership in the East Bay area near Oakland, Ca. Donham’s Willys dealership operated from 1953 through 1956.
Roger Martin shared a trimmed version of this Hawaii Kai image with me via Facebook. I later discovered the image below on Pinterest. Given the pink color scheme, the name of “Hawaii Kai” (an area on O’ahu developed by Henry Kaiser) and the fact that a matching jeep was pulling the hydroplane, convinced me that Henry Kaiser owned this pair.
However, thanks to information supplied by the hydroplane museum (a place Ann and I visited the museum in 2015), I learned it was actually his son Edgar that owned the combo (Henry had his own fleet of hydroplanes). The Hawaii Kai hydroplane was built for Edgar in 1956. The wagon, by all appearances a slightly modified Jeep Field Ambulance, was being sold at that time as well.
Below is the image I found on Pinterest. Based on the text font, this looks like the image and caption could have been published in a jeep news magazine or a brochure, but I don’t remember seeing any color versions of those documents.
For comparison, here’s the Jeep Field Ambulance (images are from brochure form W-992-5). Note how the Hawaii Kai wagon has a sloped rear bottom (slopes down toward the wheels), versus the stock flat bottom as seen below from a 1955 brochure. It also looks like the Jeep Field Ambulance has different sized windows on the driver’s and passenger side of the cargo area.
This short article in the January 02, 1948, issue of the Arizona Post featured a photo of this father and son team to “prove” they were in WWII together. There time in WWII did not quite go as planned, but you can read that in the article at the bottom. There’s more on Sam’s life, including his time as South Tucson’s mayor, in the book: What They Saved: Pieces of a Jewish Past.
Here’s the October 03, 1947, story that led to the photo published above …. (note the next to the last paragraph is cutoff in the original article for some reason; only one line shows “Kipnis are trying to forget … “).
This image shows a young girl and her Sherwood Lightening peddle jeep. I found what I think are images of a good example of this model (seen at bottom).
According to one site, this Sherwood Lightning Express pedal jeep was produced from 1947-1950 . Sherwood later became Hamilton.
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“5” x 3.5” in good condition.”
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These images of a Sherwood Lightening peddle jeep came from this site:
Not much of the jeep shows in this photo showing a soldier hoping for some sleep in the back of a jeep.
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“1950 Press Photo a soldier sleeps in his jeep while battle rages near Kumchon. This is an original press photo. South Korea — American troops grab their sleep whenever possible in the battle area near Kumchon. Here one soldier sleeps on the back seat of his jeep.Photo measures 9 x 7.25inches. Photo is dated 08-04-1950.”
No date on this photo of Joseph K. Brown checking this 1952/early 1953 M-38A1. There’s a possibility that this could be Joseph K. Brown who served in the Korean War and died in 2013.
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“Press Photo Joseph Brown checks the motor of a jeep for the workout. This is an original press photo. Sgt. 1/c Joseph K. Brown checks the motor of a jeep in preparation for the workout during the three-day exercises.Photo measures 10 x 8.25inches. Photo is dated –none.”
