1950 Willys Jeepster

1950 Willys Jeepster VJ3 463 Convertible

For consignment, a 1950 Jeepster that is a two-wheel-drive convertible designed by Brooks Stevens. Stevens and Willys hoped that returning World War II GIs would scoop up these fun-loving drop-tops as soon as they rolled off the assembly line. They are perhaps one of the most overlooked, but interesting vehicles in the storied off-road maker\'s past: a sporty automobile rather than an off-road vehicle, never offered with four-wheel drive or in any commercial guises during the four-year stint. This open bodied car, an ever-increasing rarity as the Fifties reared its headalso has a spot in history as the last true phaeton offered by a major manufacturer.

Exterior
The beneficiary of a full restoration, all rust is gone, and new steel replaces problem areas. A nicely aged pale yellow now covers these panels, which are fairly straight, and have good gaps but does present with its fair share of scuffs, dings, scrapes, chipoff and battle scars. The fenders are machine bent and are also looking good. The chrome is all rust free but appears slightly faded in its shine. A nicely preserved chromed \"T\" bar front grille sets off the standard jeep looking front of this truck. A chromed front split window surround goes nicely with black frame that also runs along the sills. The like new black canvas convertible top is complete with a plastic rear window and even has its side curtains, so this can be a year round cruiser. Chromed red center badged \"W\" dog dish wheel covers with just a hint of yellow painted steel wheels underneath showing, are wrapped with wide whites. At the back of this vehicle is an additional hanging spare tire on a simplified \"continental\" bumper. Interestingly, the silver rear bumper does not sport the Willys Overlander script, which prior to the end of the run they were stopped by a lawsuit form the federal government by being sued over the use of Overlander. Ball styled tail lights with a turret bezel are on either side of the spare.

Interior
The front seats are black vinyl with white piping. These are in good shape and are in an 80/20 split bench configuration. This setup allows the passengers bound for the rear bench easier access as this Jeepster has no exterior step to climb in. The doors are painted in body matching yellow and have utilitarian black painted textured melamine wood riveted panels. The metal dash has yellow paint and a black edging on the top. The face has a standard issue W badged gauge cluster and it resides in the center of the dash along with some pulls and toggles. To thedriver\'s left an aftermarket stereo has been inserted. A large bakelite steering wheel fronts the dash and has a W badge in its center. Black carpeting floods the floppers and is fairly clean.

Drivetrain
Floating within a lightly patina engine bay is the factory 134ci inline 4 cylinder mill. A 1-barrel carburetor sits proudly under the oil bath air cleaner and a 3-speed manual transmission with overdrive is on back. Way in the back is a Dana 23 4.88 geared ratio axle.

Undercarriage
Some light to moderate surface rust peppers the undercarriage which is still strong and structurally sound. The X frame is rust free and we see transverse leaf springs for the front, and leaf springs for the rear. Drum braking is on all 4 corners.

Drive-Ability
As a previous consignor with one of these Willys said: \"pump the xxxx out of the accelerator, choke it and it will start\". So, I used this exact procedure and the engine rolled right over, idled very smoothly, and off we went. It drove great, and the top down was an extra bonus. It will not take your toupee off, but it will get you there with ease as factory original Go-Devil 4-cylinder purred beautifully. It handled well to boot and was most definitely a fun driver that will turn heads.

A wonderful piece of automotive history, all buttoned up on the body work and fully restored at an earlier time. Not to mention the spacious and comfortable interior, this snazzy little post war pre SUV Jeepster is simply a blast...from the past.

Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 850 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display. This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.

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