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A VERY early entrant into the crossover segment, the Jeep Jeepster found in this Cool Car Find feature boasts a full restoration and straight-6 motor.
Cool Car Find: Vintage Jeep Jeepster
The name alone – Jeep Jeepster – is reason enough for this post-World War II phaeton-meets-crossover to be a cool car find. When you add in all the fascinating history behind the vehicle, it becomes a car that any auto enthusiast can appreciate. Given it features “Jeep” twice in the nameplate, a sidebar on the history of that word feels necessary. Especially considering no can say with 100% certainty where exactly the word came from.
Some point to soldiers taking the “General Purpose” or GP-branded vehicle that they were riding around in and giving it a single-syllable sound of “Jeep”. Others suggest it was borne from early Popeye comics that featured a bizarro pet cat-dog-thing named “Eugene the Jeep”. Regardless, it’s a name that stuck and one that has become synonymous with rugged capability.
Was the Jeep Jeepster the First Crossover?
It is somewhat interesting that the Jeepster was in fact anything but an off-roader. Built by Willys-Overland from 1948 to 1950, the Jeep Jeepster was about 70 years too early. Today, crossovers are the hottest segment in the auto industry, but back then, it wasn’t really a thing. Nonetheless, Willys-Overland took a shot at inventing one in an effort to broaden their product portfolio outside of basic utilitarian transport like pickups and panel vans. For more on the all the various forms an automobile can take, check out our explainer article on different types of cars.
Marketed as having a “dual personality for city and country driving”, the new Jeepster was only available in rear-wheel-drive configuration and had the windowless soft-top style of a phaeton. This was a big departure from the automakers’ bread-and-butter utility vehicles that were known far and wide for their ability to go anywhere thanks to their use in WW II. Willys even called the new Jeepster “America’s greatest value in sports cars!”, thanks to that RWD configuration and long list of standard amenities.
Unique Features Set It Apart, The Four Cylinder Engine Set It Back
First arriving in 1948, the Jeepster came relatively loaded with features that were typically optional extras like chrome hubcaps, sun visors, cigar lighter, and rear-mounted spare “continental” tire with a cover. But there was a hook. The standard engine was lifted straight out of the war effort in the form of the “Go Devil” 134 cubic inch straight-4. With a price tag of $1,795, the new Jeepster competed with the likes of Ford’s Super DeLuxe Club convertible, a vehicle boasting twice as many cylinders. This made for a tough sell.
The following year, Willys-Overland reduced the price, but made previously standard features extra-cost options. On the bright side, they punched up power with an available L148 Lightning inline-6 engine. For 1950, the Jeepster received a mild styling refresh with a new V-shaped front grille and updated instrument panel design. At the same time, the price dropped again, standard equipment was reduced, and a second six-cylinder was offered. As it turns out, this was not a winning formula and sales slipped dramatically in 1950.
Ultimately, the Jeepster didn’t last past that three-year run, which can be mostly chalked up to limited practicality and a relatively high price. The nameplate was briefly revived in the late 1960s as the Jeepster Commando, a more traditional 4×4 Jeep designed to compete with the likes of International Harvester’s Scout, another cool vintage vehicle whose history you can read up on here. As we discuss in our Defunct Car Companies article, at this point the Willys-Overland name had been dropped due to a tie-up with Kaiser, however the Willys brand is still commonly associated with Jeep today.
1950 Willys-Overland Jeepster
An upside to the limited production of these Jeepsters is that they are somewhat rare today and present an opportunity to dive into an interesting chapter of automotive history. Particularly with the 1950 Jeepster found in this listing. Having been fully restored, the yellow-and-black exterior looks pristine and features a newer convertible top. Along with those snappy whitewalls and chrome hubcaps, this Jeepster features trademark flat-topped rear fenders pulled from Jeeps’ truck line.
The cabin sports lovely brown upholstery with highlights like a 3-on-the-tree transmission, with rebuilt overdrive, that pairs with the factory-optional 148 CID straight-six showing just 23 miles! Though the Jeepster didn’t sell well back in the day, there’s no denying the cool-factor of these early crossovers today. Featuring that unmistakable Jeep front end and all the 1950s-era styling you can handle; this is a vehicle sure to turn heads wherever it goes.
