Jeep = Kleenex, if you think about it. Almost nobody says, “Please hand me a facial tissue.” Instead, they say, “Please hand me a Kleenex.” Almost everyone who isn’t a dyed-in-the-wool car guy or car gal refers to most small SUVs as Jeeps, especially ones that resemble a Jeep, such as this 1951 Willys-Overland Jeepster. It’s listed here as a Proxbid on the Thomas Hirchak Company site. The current bid price is $3,800 and there are still over 11 days left to get your bids in, and it’s located in Craftsbury, Vermont. Thanks to Dakota for the tip!
The unusual thing with the Jeepster is that they have rear-wheel drive rather than 4WD as we’ve come to expect from Jeep. I don’t mean unusual as in there being anything wrong with a vehicle that doesn’t have power going to all four wheels, it’s just that we’ve come to expect our Jeeps to have 4WD. They haven’t always had 4WD and for four short years, from 1948 through 1951, Willys-Overland offered the Jeepster, designed by Brooks Stevens.
This was a very unique vehicle and it still is today. A truck-like five or six-passenger convertible with a Continental Kit spare tire on the extended rear bumper? Unique. That isn’t even counting the fact that this Jeepster probably wouldn’t cut it crawling across rocks in Moab, but it would sure be a fun way to get around Moab otherwise.
The seller gives very little information on this Jeepster other than it has 17,542 miles and has a three-speed with overdrive, that’s it. We don’t know if this is original and a survivor or an older restoration or what the story is, unfortunately. The exterior looks a bit better than the interior does, as you can see some damage on the left side of the driver’s seat bottom. The back seat looks good and they included photos of some rust and also underside photos so bidders can see what they’re getting, or getting into. It appears that new floor pans are included.
The engine should be a Willys-Overland L61 Lightning, a 161-cu.in. inline-six with 75 horsepower. We know nothing about its condition, but hopefully, it at least turns over. It sends power through a Borg-Warner three-speed synchromesh manual with optional overdrive to the rear wheels. Hagerty is at $14,000 for a #4 fair-condition Jeepster, what is this one worth?
Also several million mail Jeeps are/were 2wd
Up until the AMC era, 4wd was OPTIONAL on most Jeep products.
Towards the end, there was the J-Series (AMC renamed SJ) and the Universal (open jeep). Only the C-101 Jeepster came standard with 4wd.
But that was twenty years later than this model. The Jeepster roadster was to take advantage of the GIs’ memories of the Jeep, while using Willys chassis and of course, NOT providing four-wheel-drive.
It was a tough time for Willys, which was in financial hard times after Ford took much of the jeep contracts; for Kaiser, which also was failing, but the parent company, Kaiser Industries, would buy Willys; and then, the road-happy 1960s, which didn’t do off-road-rigs many favors until later in the decade.
They might not have had a front axle drive, but Jeepsters did come with a dual-range transfer case for mud and snow.
I own 2 early Jeepster’s , both are registered and I’ve Never seen an early Jeepster with a 2 speed transfer case. In 66 or later they made 4 wheel drive Jeepsters with Buick V6 ‘s but only for a few years .
You are correct, my source led me astray! But it SHOULD have been offered with 4WD!
As I understand it, Willys Overland decided to end the Jeepster after the 1950 run and did not market a 1951 model. But after concluding the 1950 run, the factory had enough parts left over to assemble a few more Jeepsters and called them 1951 models. I don’t know how many models were sold in ’51, but I believe they were identical to the 1950 model.
I thought Jeepsters came with a 4 cylinder engine.
No, a flathead 6 was offered in the first series of Jeepsters (including the one being sold). My 1950 model had one.
Bought a ’49 jeepster from Ozzies junk yard when I was in HS. Buddy towed it home with his dad’s ’51 Chevy PU. Engine was in the back seat, popped the Engine back in and did the African safari thing in New Jersey corn fields, after they picked the corn of course. Great fun, no 4WD needed.
Yes, they did offer a 4-cylinder engine. The 48-49’s had the older L-head (flat head) 4-cylinder engine and the 50 & 51’s (like mine) had the newer F-head 4-cylinder engine.
Sweet….
I have always loved these cars and this one’s a beauty!