Bidding ends very soon for this super original 1957 Willys DJ-3A, which the seller notes is a rare “Dispatcher” model that is notable largely for being a two-wheel drive model. The auction ends in about two hours, and bidding seems fairly light for this no-reserve listing. The Dispatcher may seem like an oddball for being a classic Jeep with two wheel drive, but they were made in far lower quantities than their 4×4 siblings, so it could be a nice addition to a Jeep collection that has  everything else. The listing notes it ran well when it was put into storage – 45 years ago – but no mention as to whether it still does. Find it here on eBay with bidding right at $6,000.

The listing says that the Jeep and many others went into storage and haven’t been offered for public sale since that time. It does look quite tidy and given its location of Salt Lake City, Utah, it seems that the solid panels aren’t a mirage – lots of good, rust-free tin out that way. The DJ-3A is incredibly spartan, but it also inspired several novel spin-offs, from the classic postal carrier Jeeps to the oddball Surrey editions marketed towards resort communities (not unlike what was done for a short time with the VW Thing Acapulco – God, those were simpler, wonderful times.) The DJ-3A also had some subtle design tweaks as well.

Engine-wise, the familiar L-134 engine still provided the primary means of propulsion, paired to either a column- or floor-shift manual gearbox. This one features the former, but no word on how well it works or whether the clutch still engages. While I appreciate the seller’s recounting that it worked well when it went into storage 45 years ago, that’s hardly a ringing endorsement for finding a functional Jeep in your driveway when it arrives via flatbed two weeks after you win it. Still, Jeep enthusiasts know a survivor when they see one, and I’m sure the impressive cosmetic condition is what’s driving interest in this example more than anything else.

The dash is doing its best to impersonate an early VW Beetle (or rather, the Beetle is doing its best impression of an egg-shaped Jeep) with that classic single gauge layout. The maroon paint from inside to outside would seemingly indicate this is the DJ-3A’s original shade of paint, as it all looks to have weathered quite evenly. At the very least, it’s a very old respray done to a decent level. The seller expressly states there’s no rust on this example, and combined with the long-lived nature of the drivetrains, I doubt the next owner is risking much to buy this 2WD example sight unseen and hope that the engine will fire up again. Would you consider a 2WD Jeep?