It's always nice to see pictures of the kids or the whole family out in the Willys, but maybe the photos that are most typical of the spirit of Willys Universal Jeeping are those of a man posing in front of his Jeep at work or at play.
Ken Bushdiecker, well known as "oldtime" on the CJ-3B Bulletin Board, finally coughed up some photos of his 1953 CJ-3B, to which he added a Koenig halfcab from a '61 3B. He writes, "Here I am in about 1985 running a mink trapline with my trusty '53. Remember my Christmastime story titled Tracks in the Virgin Snow? Well, there's a pair of those 'Norwegian hiking boots' sitting in the foreground here. As you can see I always like to put the Universal to use in outdoor activities.
"Note the rear mounted spotlight that makes reverse in deep dark woods a pleasure. Also a whip CB antenna mounted to the rear rack. That's right... a 3B with a CB! The CB radio is mounted onto the center of the cab's roof.
This 3B has correct original marking lamps installed as blinkers on the rear.
Too bad the flush mount taillights are not original. The spare wheel is mounted to the rear of the cab inside the short bed. Rear corner bow sockets and the side spare mount were removed."
See also our Fall 2007 cover photo showing Ken's 3B with a load of tipi poles (100K JPEG).
James Patton wasn't quite a man yet when this photo was taken in 1960, but he probably thought this moment was a big step along the way, as he and his brother unloaded a deer he shot. The Jeep was a '54, and is still owned by James.
This one is a mystery photo spotted by Bruce Agan. The "Journal Télévisé" pennant suggests this is France, where JT is still the major daily TV news show, and the year 1956 is visible on the sign attached to the front bumper. What was the event, and why did the TV newsmen need a Jeep to cover it?
But when I saw this photo, the first thing I thought of was the next photo below. Almost the same two guys!
A 1958 photo from Promoting the Australian-Made CJ-3B shows a support vehicle for the 6th Around Australia Mobilgas Trial. Some 14,000 km in length, this was one of the most prestigious of the long-distance rallies which were very popular in the 1950's, and was a good opportunity for Willys Motors Australia to advertise the new Australian-assembled Jeeps. These two gentlemen are apparently mechanics.
This 2007 photo advertising Bathys Hawaii watches shows that a tough guy in front of a high-hood Jeep is still as cool an image as ever.
Wearing the watch is the Jeep owner Mr. Bob, who says, "My '54 3B was photographed for an advertisment on the web for Bathys
Watches, which are being marketed internationally. The engine was apart
when the photo was taken, so I guess beauty, in this case, was only skin deep. Did not end up with a watch, just the enjoyment of seeing the photographer and his crew fall in love with the Willys. The watches are expensive. I'd rather spend my money on parts for the CJ-3B."
Another photo from the Flash slide show on the Bathys Hawaii website -- this one with a younger dude wearing the watch. Good choice of vehicle by Bathys -- maybe they noticed that the CJ-3B showed up as #29 on Automobile magazine's list of the 100 Coolest Cars of all time (110K JPEG).
Thanks to everybody who helped me find these photos. -- Derek Redmond
Return to the Index of Unusual Photos on The CJ3B Page.
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