David EilersJanuary 13, 2022

The 'Jeep' As a Light Tractor

Barry wrote a version of this article for "Farm Collector" magazine. It has been accepted, but he's not sure when it will print. I was gratified to see he was able to use some of my research in it. I hope others can leverage their research with other aspects of eWillys.

https://www.farmjeep.com/the-jeep-as-a-light-tractor/

3 Comments

Michael From DaytonJanuary 13, 2022 at 3:36 PM
Good Morning Dave--your comment about research reminded me of your series on how Willys-Overland and Kaiser branded "jeep" through the years and how you documented different advertising formats and themes. This would (in my opinion) be a good basis for some ambitious college kid or author to do a book or story or something on how "jeep" went from a cheap defense vehicle, struggled to stay alive, and became a multi-billion dollar brand, with the top of the line Jeep Grand Wagoneer selling for close to $90K. Thanks again for such a great website!
Allan J. KnepperJanuary 13, 2022 at 6:03 PM
My brother is a Farm Collector subscriber.......I will have him on the lookout for the article when it gets published.
David EilersJanuary 21, 2022 at 3:48 PM
Allan: Thanks! Yes, I'd like to know when that gets published. Michael: It seems to me that writers of the jeep story often shape the story of the jeep in terms of models, but my opinion (and I think the research on eWillys backs this up) is that a book that examines the shifts in culture, through both the model features and the ad campaigns, along with the associated shifts in jeep products (along with references to critical non jeep vehicles), is a richer way to tell the story. For example, despite the widely available utility models during the 1950s (which is a cool era to study for jeep fans), jeep production was only half that of the late 1940s. 1958 was the worst production year at about 44,000 units. It wasn't until the early 1960s, and the introduction of the Wagoneer and Gladiator, that jeep production took off again (1964 saw 120,0000 or so units made or nearly triple the 1958 figure). If I had time, I'd write that book (maybe still will).