Dealerships Research Archives

To Top

Two Dealer-Focused Ads from 1953 and 1956

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Here are tow ads directed at existing or potential dealers. The first is from Willys-Overland likely in early 1953 and can be found here on eBay. Note the lack of a CJ-3B within the jeep-family that is shown.

1953-willys-dealer-for-year-round-profit-magazine-ad

This second one (here on eBay) is reported to have been published in 1956, though it lacks the CJ-6 or DJ-3A, so maybe early 1956? What’s curious is that by this time, the new “Willys Motors” organization had refocused on the “Jeep” brand. So, to see the brochure specifically refer to “Willys”, especially as the car brand was abandoned, is especially odd. This kind of has a recycled feel, as if someone in a hurry re-used an early 1950s ad.
1956-willys-offers-profit-mag-ad

 

 
To Top

1947 Ad for Poole Motor Co. Jeep Dealer in Steele, MS

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

This full page ad for the Poole Motor Company out of Steele, Mississippi, appeared in the October 06, 1947, issue of the Courier News out of Blytheville, AR. It’s too bad the pics aren’t clearer.

1947-10-06-courier-poole-motor-co-jeep-ad

Nine months later, on June 01, 1948, the Poole Motor Co. published this ad in the Courier News:

1948-06-01-the-courier-news-poole-motor-co-dealer

 
To Top

1965 Photo of New Jersey’s Smith Motor’s Jeep Franchise

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

This photo shows the new Ken Smith Motors Jeep franchise. The photo appeared in the May 22, 1965, issue of The News, out of Paterson, New Jersey.

1965-05-22-the-news-paterson-nj-dealer

 
To Top

Maine Willys Sales Company Bangor, Maine

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

The Maine Willys Sales Co, appears to have launched in 1946 in Bangor, Maine. By 1949, the company was located in multiple Maine cities, including Bangor, Rockland, Lewiston, Portland, and Augusta. At some point, circa 1949, the Augusta branch sold six jeeps to the Forestry Department. The below image posted to the Forest Fire Lookout Association’s FB page documents this purchase:

1947-1950-maine-willys-jeep-sales-forestry-trucks

Here’s an ad from the March 30, 1949, issue of the Bangor News. Note that multiple cities are listed under Maine Willys Sales:

1949-03-30-bangor-daily-news-maine-willys-sales-lores

It’s likely that 1949 wasn’t kind to the Maine Willys Sales Company, because the February 09, 1950, issue of the Bangor Daily News reported that Chrysler had taken over the Maine Willys Sales Company property, though nothing was mentioned about what happened to the company.

Later that year, on June 15, 1950, a large ad appeared in the Bangor Daily News, but only the Maine Willys Sales Company of Rockland appeared on this list of dealers.

1950-06-15-bangor-daily-news-maine-willys-sales

The above ad strongly suggests that Maine Willys had dwindled to just one city in Maine by the summer of 1950. The company’s name was rarely seen in the newspapers after this ad.

The last reference I found for the company was for a July 11, 1953, article in the Bangor Daily News that mentioned an accident where a driver backed into the Rockland Maine Willys Sales showroom, shattering two large windows.

 
To Top

FC-150 Ashtray Sold on eBay

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

This R.B. Macbride Ashtray sold on eBay for just over $20. R.B. Macbride was a long time vehicle dealer in Modesto, California, that didn’t get a jeep dealer agreement until early 1957. Here are photos of the ashtray.

FC-150-ashtray1

FC-150-ashtray2

This January 17th, 1957, article in the Modesto Bee shares the news about Macbride’s Willys Jeep dealership:

1957-01-17-modesto-bee-macbride-dealership

Later that same year, on July 17th, the Modesto Bee ran an ad for Macbride touting the new FC-170:1957-07-13-modesto-bee-macbride-dealership