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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 .
Hunting vehicle with raised rear seat.
https://ocala.craigslist.org/cto/d/umatilla-1953-willys-jeep/7219631897.html
“Runs and drives good. Has top and hunter seat that are optional and some extra new parts. Price negotiable”
UPDATE: Still Available.
(10/04/2020) Appears worth a look.
https://greenbay.craigslist.org/cto/d/brussels-1947-willys-jeep/7207112883.html
“1947 Willys Jeep with plow. Mostly original (except for tires). Not restored. Good condition. Unknown mileage. Stored indoors year around. Will negotiate. You pick up.”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $2800.
It’s a project, but appears to have potential.
“Willy’s wrecker. 6 cyl. PTO winch set up. Push bumper. Plow. Was a wrecker at a Willy’s dealer brand new. Body and frame have been patched over the years. It’s complete. Nothing missing or parts robbed. Hasn’t run in many years. In storage. In Marquette Michigan. DJ 906 360 7452. Comes with title”
Not a whole lot of value here. Might be worth it for a parts vehicle for another Champ.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/708802280049136/
“50’s British jeep they were made from 1951-1956 It has been sitting for years I do not know if it will run it is a full project. Sold as is $1200”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $500.
Still welds.
“This is an old but still functional Hobart wilder. It comes with the leads and an extra engine block. It has a Willies motor in it now and still turns over. It’s been in storage since my brother pasted. It was his.”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $500.
Includes an MB engine #253438
“Willys MB engine in a WWII generator set. Engine serial number MB 253438. Engine oil clean and antifreeze in
the radiator. Generator was used up to a few decades ago until wood rats inflicted damage on the generator wiring
and controls. Engine turns freely. This is sold as an engine only as I do not think the generator is worth repairing.
I am not sure how correct the carburetor is.
$500 or offer”
UPDATE: Still Available.
(10/08/2020) Not sure how much value is here.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/813163672777788/
“1956-1964 Very Rare Willy’s CJ-6 Jeep most all the pieces are there torn apart to be a project vehicle never put back together, It needs some love. Moving to Idaho out of California needs to be sold first come first serve with cash!! ”
Not sure there’s much value here. Axles NOT included.
https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/d/banning-1948-willys-cj-2a-crawler/7216843104.html
“Up for sale is my 1948 Willys CJ-2A project, selling the Tub and Frame. *Axles NOT included* The tub is in better shape than most, has some rust and some Bondo. However I didn’t care, as it was going to be a rock crawler. I also have a spare wind shield that is included. The frame is made from 2″x4″x1/4″ steel and excepts YJ Leafs, as shown in the photos, I bought it from a couple guys in Nevada. Other than that make me an offer, i’m not looking to sell separately.”
UPDATE: Price dropped to $1500.
(06/20/2020) It’s rough. Has a front facing PTO.
https://panamacity.craigslist.org/cto/d/youngstown-1948-cj-2a-willys-jeep/7208079379.html
“1948 Willy’s CJ-2A Jeep. Ready to be restored. The engine turns over. It has already been switched over to a twelve volt system. Needs to be rewired, and a new fuel tank. I have the original title. Included is a second frame with spare parts. Also includes a wench, and a pto Transmission”
This “honeymoon” jeep was bedecked with whitewall (painted) tires and plenty of wedding finery. Inside the jeep was the price, WAC Cpl. Forence L. Bauer of Lyndhurst, Ohio, and Capt. Wilson W. Hopkins, Jr., of Durham, North Carolina. They spent their honeymoon in the Italian mountains during the late August of 1944.
This photo appeared in the August 20, 1944, in the Sunday News out of Ridgewood New Jersey.
This first article from January 22, 1950, in the Independent Press-Telegram (Long Beach, California) provides purchase numbers and eventual destinations for some Forest Service Jeeps.
This second article, from May 05, 1954, in the Sacramento Bee, notes the sale of 10 USFS jeeps that had been part of the Forest Service since 1947 and 1948.
UPDATE II: Here are two more Willys Make Sense ad that were featured in Sunday newspapers (seller indicates both were from 1951):
This one is currently on eBay for $20:
This one is currently on eBay for $20:
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Originally posted May 29, 2019: Here’s another Willys Makes Sense ad from the February 13, 1951, issue of the Evening Star newspaper that differed from the others.
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Original Post: May 21, 2019:
In 1950, Willys-Overland launched a Willys Makes Sense advertising campaign. Unlike past campaigns, such as the 1948 City and City ads, which were about encouraging the sales of wagons and positioning the wagon as a luxury vehicle, the Willys Makes Sense appears to have been organized to re-imagine how the public should view the brand.
Before I get too deeply into this, I’d like to note that the way I’d prefer to write this article is to document specific reasons behind Willys-Overland’s decision to make such a big change. Unfortunately, I don’t have access to enough financial material as I’d like (especially annual reports). So, conjecture and theory will have to do for now.
BACKGROUND: After WWII, pent up demand meant lots of sales for automakers. That could explain, in part, why post-war sales were pretty good for Willys-Overland. For example, sales increased from almost 79,000 jeeps in 1946 to 159,000 jeeps in 1948. But, in 1949, sales plunged to almost half, coming in at 86,000. I don’t have details into why sales dropped so much, but likely parts or material shortages or labor disputes could have had an impact. Certainly, the recession of late 1948 – late 1949 didn’t help sales at all!
Future sales might not have looked too good for 1950 and beyond either. As of 1950 the US produced 76% of automobiles, but given the post-war rebuilding/resurging of industry world-wide, I expect automakers must have realized that international competition would return soon (by 1955 US market share would drop to 67%). This may have stimulated management to clean up their branding as soon as possible to protect against increasing competition (remember that Willys-Overland had expected to sell 25% of their autos internationally, based on the 1946 Fortunate Magazine article).
Another issue Willys-Overland was facing was that going into 1950 the company still didn’t have a registered trademark for the term JEEP (wouldn’t get it until June of 1950). Added to that, the company was not only producing 4WD 1/4 ton jeeps, trucks, and wagons, but also 2WD trucks, wagons, Jeepsters, and an upcoming automobile. Such a portfolio of non-4WD vehicles must have concerned management that it wasn’t just a “jeep” company; so the challenge of how the company should represent itself to dealers and consumers had to have become an issue.
Finally, in a similar vein, up until 1950, the company had been positioning itself as the ‘Jeep’ company, with ads that emphasized the Universal ‘Jeep’, the ‘Jeep’ Truck and the ‘Jeep’ Wagon. Perhaps with the introduction of the Jeepster (note that the company did not call it the ‘Jeep’ Jeepster nor was there any ‘Jeep’ branding on the introductory brochure), the branding issue must have really came to a head. Because of the entrenched nature of Willys-Overland’s efforts to become ‘Jeep’, management may have felt that a company-wide retooling of the company’s branding was in order.
Perhaps one, two, or all of these issues resulted in the 1950 rebrand of the company as a WILLYS manufacturer with a wide range of 2WD and 4WD vehicles for sale. (For a look back at 1952, see Derek’s post “When the CJ-3B Was New“).
NON-JEEP BRANDED ADS:
Willys-Overland began 1950 with an ad that felt similar to past ads, but excluded the ‘Jeep’ brand. For example, in January of 1950 Willys published this ad in the Saturday Evening Post. Note the reference to ‘Jeep’ has been replaced with a small ‘Jeep’ badge.
January 07, 1950, ad in the Saturday Evening Post
As did Colliers Magazine on January 21, 1950:
