Vintage Snapshots: Early Jeep Adopters – 1950s-1970s

Text by Patrick Bell.

We are viewing Jeeps and their operators for today’s feature.  Some of these folks got to know the Jeep through their service in World War II, so if they had a need for one, it was probably an easy choice.  They were (and still are) very popular in my home state of Alaska in my growing up years.  I encountered many, and drove several.  They were tough, reliable, and slow, but they got you where you needed to go.  I am sure this will trigger memories for many of you as well.

Our first image is Les Schwab in safety red, of Tire Center fame in the western states.  It is dated in 1955, and the location was central Oregon at a hunting camp.  He was using his CJ-2A, which was the first civilian Jeep and built from ’45-’49.  It looks like he was not afraid to use it.  He passed away in 2007 at the age of 89.

Here is a ’48 or ’49 Willys-Overland Jeepster, a model introduced to fill a gap in their line up between the CJ and the Station Wagon.  It was not very popular, and lasted only three years, through model year ’50.

It had no roll up windows, only snap in side curtains, and at first it was powered by a 134 cubic inch four cylinder, with a 148 cubic inch six cylinder offered in ’49.  Both of them were upgraded slightly in ’50, and it came in two wheel drive only.

This one appears to be a family on a hiking trip in the desert.  This DeLuxe model is hard to date from this view, it could be between a ’52 and ’59 model.  It was well equipped with two tone paint, chrome moldings, and whitewall tires.

Another Jeepster, this one a ’50 model showing the new V shaped grille and sculptured front fenders.  It looks close to new, and the gentleman seems pleased with it.

Now we are at the Dunes Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.  A lady is posing with a ’50-’53 DeLuxe Station Wagon from California.  The newest car I see in the parking lot is a blue ’59 Cadillac parked nose in to the right of the yellow over white ’55 or ’56 Buick heading to the right.  That would mean this Jeep is at least six years old.  It looked in very good condition.

A couple of cuties sitting on the fenders of a ’46-’49 Station Wagon with a New Hampshire license plate from Hillsborough County.  I can’t quite make out the name on the market in the background, and further down the road was a gas station.

The Hemet Jeep Club is based in Hemet, California, and was established in 1948.  Their website is operational, but I didn’t see any posts within the last two years.  The image appears to be one of their outings in the early sixties.  “Fearless” looks to be a ’53-’64 CJ-3B with a tow bar, and the one in the center a CJ-5, a version that was built from ’55-’83 with improvements along the way.  It was dressed up with an extended chrome bumper, chrome jerry cans, a storage box, plus both of them had whitewall tires.  You sure don’t see any of that in today’s world.  In the background was a ’60 or ’61 GMC pickup with a V6 and a cabover camper.

We likely have a government official here, such as a game warden.  His ’54-’59 Utility Wagon has a whip antenna, roof mounted spotlight, fog lamps, plus an official looking seal on the door.  The green and white color combination plus the scenery make me think of Colorado, but I may be way off.  It did look like a beautiful summer day.

Camping alongside of the railroad tracks in a ’46-49 Station Wagon with a utility type trailer for their gear (which was also used for meal preparation) and a tent for sleeping quarters.  I don’t see a front axle hub sticking out through the hub cap so this likely was a two wheel drive model.  The warm clothing perhaps indicates an early fall day.

A lady was walking and talking at the same time near a 70’s CJ-5 with chrome wheels and wide tires in a trailer park.  To the left was a ’74 Chrysler New Yorker with perhaps an Ohio license plate, and to the right a ’72 Chevrolet El Camino with a vinyl roof.  The trailer house in the background has a permanent awning, and the complete rig looks like it has been there for at least twenty years.

Somewhere in Colorado in 1978 is what the image search reveals.  This lady was posing on a ’72 or ’73 Commando Roadster with a V8, custom bumper with a winch, and a soft top.  The Commando was in production from ’66-’73 and was replaced by the full size Cherokee.  Other notables were a Datsun 1200 in the lower left, a silver first generation Honda Civic along the upper right edge, and behind it a white over turquoise first gen International Scout.

Here was a hard working FC-170 with tire chains all around, towing a camp trailer, and wearing an Utah license plate issued in ’61.  The “FC” stands for Forward Control, and it was also available in a short wheelbase model called the FC-150.  They were produced from ’57-’65, and were not all that good of a seller with just over 30,000 units produced in total.  It looks like a late fall day after the first snowfall, and this may have been a hunting rig.

And one more ’50-’53 Station Wagon with a tow bar, aftermarket turn signals mounted on the fenders, later style wagon wheels, and a spotlight.  It was still working in its element, a fresh wet snowfall.

Thanks for joining us and have a great day!

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