Barrett-Jackson 2009: 1951 Willys Jeep
Click above for live, high-res image gallery of the 1951 Willys Jeep
Before this 1951 Willys Jeep went on the auction block, we thought it was little more than a curiosity among the more prestigious and rare hardware lining the halls at Barrett-Jackson. Apparently, we were wrong. The little ex-military GP vehicle sold for a staggering $104,500 after all was said and done, and it's certainly a fine example of the genre, with its period-specific detailing and high-quality frame-off restoration. Perhaps it sold so well because of the show that the vehicle put on as it was being driven on stage, with its siren startling those in attendance just a few minutes before its propane and oxygen powered "gun" caused a few hearts to skip a beat.
Photos copyright ©2009 Jeremy Korzeniewski / Weblogs, Inc.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Kumail 5:29PM (1/16/2009)
want it.
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firstplace 5:39PM (1/16/2009)
for 104k? you can have it.
la 5:43PM (1/16/2009)
a perfect example of the dolts that spend money at that event.
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caddy-v 5:55PM (1/16/2009)
And so what would you have us spend our disposable income on? Drugs? Or would you rather we just give it to you?
I'm one of those "dolts" you refer to and I'll spend it how I see fit. After all, he who masses money, buys toys like there's no tomorow and dies broke wins the game.
Chris 7:02AM (1/17/2009)
A fool and his money are soon parted.
MemphisNET 5:59PM (1/16/2009)
100k really isn't a lot for a museum quality piece of history. Well worth it, and if I could, I'd be up there bidding for it as well.
Very well done.
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Chris 6:56AM (1/17/2009)
FFS! $100k? I don't care if it's "museum quality" - it's not even from a WW2 one. You can buy a freaken TANK for that money - and a Willy's with the change!
Doug A. 6:07PM (1/16/2009)
Where's the YouTube Video?
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Jmanbball 11:36AM (1/17/2009)
If thats a real machine gun, that alone is worth about 25k.
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catgirlshyla 3:21AM (1/17/2009)
For that price, i'd at least expect the M1917 to be in good working order and ready to do some plinking at the range. M1919....eh, a tad too much firepower for my tastes.
Houston 8:27PM (1/16/2009)
rear wheel arches are round!
square box around front wheels have practical value. GI could stand on it, or put instruments when doing engine maintenance
I don't see any value in square arches in modern jeeps
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John 8:34PM (1/16/2009)
to boot, that's not even an original MB, its a later CJ2A.
regardless, fine example of a rolling piece of history, I'll have that over any muscle car.
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Justin 9:19PM (1/16/2009)
This is one fine car that I would like to add a real '50 Caliber to!
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paul.callahan+engadget4 11:31PM (1/16/2009)
I've seen PERFECT examples with WWII history, restored, going for under $10,000.
This is nuts.
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Avinash machado 8:16AM (1/17/2009)
Comparing this with the present day Compass shows how low Jeep has reached.
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caddy-v 10:06AM (1/17/2009)
Need a little help here guys. I've been watching the auction with the laptop in hand waiting and waiting and waiting to bid on all those classic cars from Japan and seemed to have missed them somehow. Now we all know that Toyota's and Honda's are the epitomy of design so there has to be a classic Toyota out there somewhere. And for Honda, I'm quite sure somewhere there is one that has survived all the rust and is just waiting to cross the auction block under it's own power, all 82hp of it. The ultimate muscle car. You work your muscles shoveling up the rust.
I just don't understand how all those Corolla's, Camry's and Accord's have missed their chance for fame and glory at this auction. Perhaps they all went to Pebble Beach or maybe they're waiting for Auburn to find their rightous place alongside the Deusenburgs. Or could it be the owners are waiting for the value to go up over scrap prices?
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twistedfusion 2:30PM (1/17/2009)
imagine rolling down the block with that thing....
....no officer, the guns aren't real.
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peashooter 12:31AM (1/19/2009)
Nice work but a guy could do better for a lot less. The M38 I drive around is closer to being historically correct than this one, has no guns or screaming siren. After covering my slightly inflated asking price you'd have $90k left over for noise makers.
1952m38 8:01AM (1/19/2009)
Ok Just to clear up some of of the things said. What this is a Willys model m38. It is a military jeep produced from 1950-1952. It should be 24 volt. The price it sold for is way out of line. You can get perfect examples that are 100% correct for well under 20 grand.
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brkdoc@aol.com 12:26AM (1/19/2009)
First this is a M-38 jeep not a CJ-2. M-38's were made in 1951-1953 with a production of 45,500 total. This is a rare jeep in this condition. The .50 is a gas gun and there for is not a real gun. The 1917 does not apear to be hooked up for gas but they may have the connection hidden well. Also it has a full radio set-up this is woth big bucks now a day. Never the less I would price this jeep as being worth $18,000 to $25,000 in today's market. Military vehicles have not lost any value such as the hot rods have.
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