1949 Station Wagon The Willys Wagon made its debut in 1946 but wasn't available in four-wheel drive until 1949. That year, they still had a flat nose and the two-tone faux Woody paint. The only engine available was the 60 hp Go-Devil, but this rig was useful to a lot more people than the original jeep. This one belongs to the Chrysler Museum. (Photo courtesy Chrysler Group LLC.)1949 Station Wagon The Willys Wagon made its debut in 1946 but wasn't available in four- The New Jeeps: 1946-1965 The Jeep CJs were good as far as they went but the market was narrow. By the end of World War II, Willys-Overland's thoughts returned to cars-but as a carmaker, they were little more than an also-ran behind the Big Three and several other larger car builders. By developing new lines of trucks and station wagons, they carved themselves a unique niche in the market. Though there was resistance internally, Willys management eventually decided to focus on utility vehicles. A line of innovative cars was produced in the early '50s, but they were generally unsuccessful in the market and discontinued by 1955. From there, the die was set, and the core business for the company, eventually to be owned by many corporate entities, was utility vehicles. "Jeep," once an obscure generic term with multiple meanings, became the trademarked name for a particular vehicle in 1950 and had evolved into a corporate identity by the '60s. 1948 Pickup Willys pickups had the four-wheel drive option right from the get-go in 1947. They too bore the flat-nosed, very CJ-like front end. These trucks were very generously rated for a 2,000-pound payload, even though they were Go-Devil powered. This stupendous '48 was restored by Willys America. (Photo courtesy Willys America/Jane Barry.)1948 Pickup Willys pickups had the four-wheel drive option right from the get-go in 1947 1952 Ranger Fire Truck Many Willys trucks were sold as chassis-cabs or flat-faced cowls, and conversions were common. The Ranger was offered though the factory, even though the actual conversion was done by Mobile Fire Apparatus. This '52 Ranger was restored by Willys America, in Cazadero, California, and it's still ready for a good fire.1952 Ranger Fire Truck Many Willys trucks were sold as chassis-cabs or flat-faced cowls, 1961 Pickup By 1950, the flat nose was gone, replaced by a V-nose on both the Wagons and trucks. The flathead four was replaced by the F-head that year. In 1954, the 226ci flathead six was added to the options list. By the time this '61 was built, the windshield was a single pane and the rear window had been enlarged.1961 Pickup By 1950, the flat nose was gone, replaced by a V-nose on both the Wagons and 1957 FC-150 In 1957, Willys went into uncharted territory by offering forward-control (cabover) light trucks. They came in two varieties: the FC-150 short- and the FC-170 long-wheelbase trucks. The FC-150s, like Ed Tromley's '57 seen here, used a chassis layout very similar to the CJ-5 and with the same 81-inch wheelbase. The combination of a narrow track and nose-heavy attitude yielded some unusual handling characteristics, which inspired Jeep to strap a big iron weight to the rear chassis. In 1958, the axles were widened from the CJ-version 48.4 inches to the same 57-inch track used on the FC-170. This FC is mostly original and happens to be the 18th FC-150 ever built.1957 FC-150 In 1957, Willys went into uncharted territory by offering forward-control (c 1964 FC-170 DRW One of the most useful applications of the FC was the dual rear-wheel version, available from 1959-65. Most had a full 9,000-pound GVW rating with a nearly 4,000-pound payload. Power came from the 226ci six-cylinder. M. Barshinger's nice unrestored '64 shown here showed up at the 2010 All Breeds Jeep Show equipped for a snowplow. In the late '50s, Jeep built some prototype medium-duty trucks using the FC body and Ford V-8s engines, but the project never went beyond the development stage.1964 FC-170 DRW One of the most useful applications of the FC was the dual rear-wheel ve 1964 M-677 Among the most interesting FC variants are the military units built for the Marine Corps in 1963 and 1964. Most were powered by a unique three-cylinder Cerlist two-stroke diesel. The M-Series FC-170s came as a regular-cab pickup, crewcab pickup like this, a carryall van with windows or an ambulance. This one is owned by Fred Williams (he works for something called 4 Wheel & Off-Road), who threatens to install a GM big-block in it. He must be stopped.1964 M-677 Among the most interesting FC variants are the military units built for the M « | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | » | View Full Article By Jim Allen Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
