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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 August 21, 1942, photo in the Nogalas International Newspaper didn’t provide any names, but does make it appear that these airmen are enjoying the ride.
UPDATE: The March 19, 1948, ad art was later used for this 1949 CJ-3A brochure.
The firm of Caver-Wiggins advertised jeeps for sale in the Pascagoula, Mississippi, Chronicle Star newspaper from July 1946 to November 1947.
In October of 1947, the Caver-Wiggins corporate charter was changed and the firm renamed to Runnels-Wiggins, with Julius Wiggins and Davage Runnels taking control of the entity.
In November of 1947, a week after the final Caver-Wiggins jeep ad, Runnel-Wiggins began advertising jeeps in the Chronicle Star. The ads only appear to last through April of 1948. No additional information appeared in the Chronicle Star about Runnel-Wiggins.
Later that year, in December of 1948, Coast Cities Motor Sales announced its status as a new jeep dealer in Pascagoula and began advertising in the Chronicle Star.
Below are some Runnels-Wiggins ads:
November 14, 1947 The Farm Vehicle That Works 12 Months a Year:
February 06, 1948 Get the Facts and You’ll Get a ‘Jeep’:
February 13, 1948 Winter Chores are Easier with the Universal ‘Jeep’:
Just a few updates today…
Jeep dealer Caver-Wiggins began operations in January of 1946 with three people incorporating the company: W. Ed Wiggins, Julius E. Wiggins, and J. B. Caver. Mr. W. Ed Wiggins was President of Pascagoula’s Rotary Club at the time.
The firm of Caver-Wiggins advertised jeeps for sale in the Pascagoula, Mississippi, Chronicle Star newspaper from July 1946 to November 1947. Caver-Wiggins also advertised Crosley automobiles in October of 1946 and Kaiser Frazier vehicles in November of 1946.
In October of 1947, the Caver-Wiggins corporate charter was changed and the firm renamed to Runnels-Wiggins, with Julius Wiggins and Davage Runnels taking control of the entity.
Subsequently, in February of 1948, Runnel-Wiggins became the Chronicle Star’s main jeep advertiser. Runnels-Wiggins ads began in February of 1948, then stopped in April of 1948.
Later, in December of 1948, Coast Cities Motor Sales would supplant Runnels-Wiggins as the main advertiser.
Below are some Caver-Wiggins ads:
July 05, 1946 Get a ‘Jeep’:
July 19, 1946 If you have Tough Jobs … and lots of ’em GET A ‘Jeep’:
March 28, 1947 The Versatile Farm Vehicle:
April 25, 1947 Speed Up Work with the Vehicle that Does More Jobs:
UPDATE: Some updated information and ads.
Coast Cities Motor Sales announced the opening of the Jeep dealership in a December 10, 1948, article in the Pascagoula, Mississippi, Chronicle Star. Subsequently, for eleven months, from December 1948 through October 1949 they published ads in the same paper.
Later, In May of 1950, a new seller, Jackson County Motor Company, appeared. Perhaps, not coincidently, Jackson County Motors launches on the same highway (HWY 90) as Coast Cities Motor Sales had been located.
Prior to Coast Cities Motors Sales. jeep dealer Caver-Wiggins advertised from July 1946 to November 1947 in the Chronicle Star. Subsequently, in a corporate restructuring, Runnel-Wiggins became the main seller/advertiser. Runnel-Wiggins ran ads from November of 1947 through April of 1948. No additional information appeared in the Chronicle Star about Runnel-Wiggins.
After April, the next Jeep ad for 1948 was the December 10th, 1948 ad by Coast Cities Motors. Whether Coast Cities Motor Sales was related to the previous dealer isn’t clear, as they were located in a different places.
Below are some Coast Cities Motor Sales ad example:
December 17, 1948 & January 07, 1949: Pascagoula’s New Dealer For The World’s Most Useful Vehicles
(The ad shown is actually the January 07 ad. The December 17, 1948, ad has only minor text differences from the January ad. This is a long one-column ad, so it’s been chopped to better fit the page)
January 14, 1949: Announcing … Another Home for the World’s Most Useful Vehicles
January 24, 1949: Launch of Coast Cities Motor Sales
February 11, 1949: One Farm Vehicle You Can Count on in Any Weather
Derek put together a great multiple-article look at the Kaiser’s purchase of the Willys assets.
https://cj3b.info/History/KaiserWillys1953.html
Below you’ll find some added some additional info and research as well.
First, my only quibble with one article is that there is the implication that Willys-Overland was humming profitably along. Despite profits, it’s my understanding that the company was dealing with some cash issues, hence why they (especially Ward Canaday) might have been interested in selling. At the time, Canaday controlled Empire Securities, the single largest shareholder in Willys-Overland. For some background on Empire Securities, read this 1946 Fortune article.
In regards to some of the issues raised in the final article of Derek’s the post, Edgar Kaiser addresses some of them in this 1955 Congressional testimony, particularly one reason the company lost money during the first two years.
Here are a few more reports from 1953, organized by the University of Toledo:
And more from the University of Toledo:
And, here’s Leslie Gould’s take on Ward Canaday in a March 30, 1953, article:
The Duffield Intermediate School was featured in this January 29, 1944, photo in the Detroit Tribune after successfully enough war bonds and stamps to buy a jeep.
Just one update Sunday, next updates Monday.
This jeep was painted by Pfc. Joseph Chesley, who’s come up with some creative jeep names. This article appeared in the December 22, 1944, issue of the Arizona Blade-Tribune.
This April 30, 1950, ad in the Evening Star is another example of Willys-Overland seemingly targeting the same demographic for both vehicles. And that seems to be a reasonable approach. I haven’t investigated how often the company did this in their advertising yet.
The June 24, 1944, issue of the Detroit Tribune shared the below caption and photo. I do with the picture is better. I was unable to discover any more about George Carr or the Jeep. Because the text is hard to read, I’ve transcribed it below.
YES, YOU’RE WRONG AGAIN!–But you’re correct when you say it’s a Jeep. The model of the famous 1/4 ton Army vehicle Brough two first prizes to Private George Carr, of Des Moines, Iowa, Negro member of a Quartermaster Trucking Company of the 13th Army Air Force at an “Ingenuity Contest” sponsored by the American Red Cross in New Caledonia, South Pacific. About one-twentieth the size of a real Jeep, this model has a hood that raises and latches, real springs, transmission, and rear differential, a windshield which may be raised and lowered, and a steering gear that actually moves the front wheels. (U.S. Army Signal Corps Photo.)
This photo and caption about boxing champ Joe Louis driving a jeep made the Detroit Tribune newspaper on October 02, 1943.
The biographical book Joe Lewis: The Life of a Heavyweight includes a short look (pages 193-196) at his time in the military during WWII. The book explains that he had a unique opportunity to advocate for black troops, due to his substantial connection inside the War Department. He took advantage of his connections to overcome discriminatory practices that he witnessed.
