This silent, color film demonstrates the various attachments available for the Willys-Overland CJ model Jeep (a civilian version of wildly successful Willys MB U.S. Army Jeep of World War II fame), as well as the trim levels of the Willys Truck platform, and the Willys Cargo-Personnel Carrier. Filmed in 1953 in Ohio and Texas, the vehicles and their accessories are put through the paces tilling fields, digging tenches, transporting injured motorists, hauling cargo, and clearing snow. Each attachment featured is preceded by a peek at the item’s description in the Willys printed catalog.

Founded in 1908 and Headquartered in Toldeo, Ohio, Willys was the second-largest producer of automobiles in the 1910’s (second to Ford Motor Company). The company struggled to keep up that pace in the 1920’s and into the Great Depression, however. In 1940, Willys–Overland was one of several bidders when the War Department sought an automaker that could begin rapid production of a lightweight truck based on a design by American Bantam. Production of the Willys MB, better known as Jeep, began in 1941, and was shared between Willys, Ford, and American Bantam. In total, 653,568 military Jeeps were manufactured. After the war, Willys chose to concentrate on Jeeps and Jeep-based vehicles. The Jeep CJ was among the first civilian vehicles of any kind to be equipped with four-wheel drive from the factory, and it gained popularity among farmers, ranchers, hunters, and others who needed a lightweight vehicle for use on unimproved roads and trails. Though Jeeps are still manufactured today by Chrysler, the company that originally made them a household name was defunct by 1963.

00:08 Front cover of Willys catalog, hands open to first page 00:17 Procession of Willys vehicles of various trim levels/configurations drive through wooded area 00:51 Willys Cargo-Personnel Carrier page; driving over rugged, steep terrain with over a dozen people on board 01:41 Passengers disembark; bed filled with crates 01:56 Jeep Agricultural Implements page; man drive jeep with harrow attachment, works field 02:13 Jeep-mounted Monroe hydraulic lift page; plow attachment installed, Ohio 1953 license plate seen 03:25 Jeep plows field 04:20 Blue jeep plows field 04:50 Plow attachment lifted, set in bed of Cargo-Personnel Carrier 05:29 Jeep with larger harrow attachment works field 06:24 Jeep drags long wood pole 06:33 Man stacks crates onto Jeep with extended bed 06:54 Power Products Equipment page; Jeep with arc welder on board, man connects welder, repairs plow 07:57 Arc welder Jeep drives over rough terrain, man operates jack hammer attachment 08:18 Earth Moving Equipment page; Jeep universal scoop lift attachment demonstrated 08:39 Back Hoe page; back hoe attachment demonstrated 09:05 Willys Truck page; back hoe moves earth onto truck bed, truck drives away 09:53 Dump-O-Matic Hydraulic Hoist page; truck bed contents dumped out 10:40 Auburn Trencher page; trenching attachment demonstrated, trench dug then filled in by Jeep with snowplow attachment 11:35 Post Hole Digger page; post hole digger attachment demonstrated 11:53 Willys Ambulance pages; ambulance arrives at wrecked car (Willys Aero sedan), two men load stretchers into ambulance 12:40 Ambulance climbs steep slope 12:53 Ambulance arrives, men load stretcher 13:39 Canfield Wreckers page; Jeep with wrecker attachment dislodges wrecked Willys Aero, tows it away 14:22 Winch page; Jeep gets stuck in mud, man attaches cable end to tree trunk and winches Jeep free, Texas 1953 license plate seen 15:27 Pumper and Fire Truck page; Jeep fire truck tows tank trailer through wooded area, sprays water from hose as jeep drives 16:42 Jeep fire truck arrives at stack of burning crates 16:58 Men hook up hose to pump water from creek, put out fire 17:21 Shed on fire, Willys Pumper truck arrives, firemen put out fire 18:22 Snow Remover and Loader page; Jeep with snowblower attachment clears road, driveway, blows snow onto truck bed 19:14 Back cover of catalog

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com