Old Jeep Photos and Advertising

I’ve always appreciated Jeep advertisements, especially the old-time ads selling Jeeps that I’ve never seen new (this would be prior to the early 1970s for those of you counting). Oddly, as a young child, I used to think that all Jeeps were old and that was why they looked the way they did; boxy with straight steel panels. Of course, this was in contrast to the curvaceous body lines many other auto manufacturers employed in this era. AMC, with its forward and somewhat different vehicle offerings, being one of them-but I’ll leave this for a future blog entry. 

While I could certainly notice the differences between Jeep models at a young age, I still believed them to be a vehicle from years before me. I did get over this way of thinking but it didn’t hit until some years later when my family purchased a 1969 CJ5 and I began to notice the differences between old and new that I witnessed on the road, trail, and around town.  I saw the release of the YJ in 1987 and it almost ruined Jeeps for me because the biggest rich kid doofus I knew got a brand new YJ when he turned 16 and, well, I did not. I didn’t let this ruin Jeeps for me altogether but it did take me quite a few years to warm up to the YJ. These days it’s one of my favorite trail rigs. Anyhow, I came across these old Jeep photos and advertising and I thought I would share.

The lead image shows a selection of CJ and Wagoneer Jeeps on the assembly line floor in 1964. Note that the CJ just behind the front one has a split windshield and top mount windshield wipers. The front and rear CJs have a full frame windshield and bottom mount.  The split windshield likely indicates that it is a CJ-3B, which was produced until 1968. However, it also has a front bench seat, which is indicative of the Tuxedo Park edition CJ, which was released in 1964.  Also note that it appears to use a heavier tread, possibly bias-ply, tire, whereas the CJ5s in the front and rear have a more mild terrain tread. As for the Wagoneer, check out the factory roof rack on the front vehicle. I also like that the steel tail gate isn’t covered with carpet in the interior. I think the last Wagoneer in line is a Gladiator pickup, judging by the centered grille and dual headlamps. Ah, the old days.

Great Willys Overland Motors advertisement for the Willys CJ-2A. “The Jeep Has Two Business Ends,” is  a great slogan. It is referring to the front drive axle and the Power-Take-Off (PTO) at the rear of the vehicle. The PTO can be used to operate belt- or shaft-driven equipment, which made these CJs great farm implement and utility vehicles. I’m not sure about the year of this advertisement but it was likely produced sometime in the 1940s.

The 1940 Willys “Quad” is the granddaddy of all Jeeps. Willys Overland built just 3 of these vehicles as demo models for the Army design competition that led to the creation of the Willys MA, which later became the MB, and then the CJ-2, CJ-2A, CJ-3A, M-38, CJ-3B, etc. , etc. . The Quad used a 60 hp engine, had an 80-inch wheelbase, weighed 2, 520 lbs., used a Spicer T-84G 3-speed manual transmission, Spicer 25 axles front and rear with 4.88 gear ratios, and a Spicer Model 18 transfer case. The Spicer Model 18 transfer case was a standby in Jeep models through 1984 when production of the CJ-5 ceased.