Before World War I, Willys-Overland ranked second only to Ford in total production. Even in the early 1920s, the company founded by John North Willys occupied 6th place in industry sales, moving as high as 3rd in 1928 with help from its low-priced Whippet model. Move ahead to 1942 when the company turned to the production of military “general purpose” or “GP” vehicles, as they became known. Essentially designed by competitor American Bantam and also built by Ford Motor Company, both lacked the production capacity to meet the demands of war. Ultimately, Willys produced far more of the “Jeeps” which would later become synonymous with the firm. Ultimately, they produced 361,339 from 1941–1945.

In March 1951, the one-millionth Jeep was produced. The company reported a backlog of orders by the end of the year with government contracts for the Korean War that would keep Jeep production running all-out through mid-1954. Today, these are popular among collectors of not only automobiles, but also of World War II and military memorabilia.

This military-issue Willys Jeep with factory utility trailer is an older restoration that was purchased from an estate by the consignor in 2017. It is currently kept in climate-controlled storage as it had been under previous ownership. Having been used sparingly following its restoration, the consignor had the vehicle comprehensively serviced. All systems were thoroughly gone over, including brakes, fuel supply, and carburetor, to ensure drivability and proper operation.