The Willys Jeep Station Wagon was introduced by Willys-Overland in 1946, the same year in which it introduced the Universal CJ Series. Arguably the first sport utility vehicle in the world to gain mass appeal, the Willys ‘Jeep’ Station Wagon lineup had much to offer, with four-wheel drive, easy maintenance, ample space for its passengers, and safety beyond what other manufacturers offered at the time.

In 1946, James D. Mooney, president and board chairman of Willys-Overland Motors, announced the “introduction of a new Jeep station wagon” describing it as a “people’s car.” Designed by Brooks Stevens, the Willys Station Wagon’s steel body was extremely easy to mass produce, and was in fact, the first all-steel, factory-built station wagon in North America. Seats were removable (with the exception of the driver’s seat), making added cargo space optional for the post-war, increasingly more suburban consumer.

The four-wheel drive version was introduced in 1949, and used the same body as the earlier 4x2 Utility Wagon. While the station wagon was very popular among civilians, it was also well-suited for military use, especially with regard to the four-wheel drive model. Rated as a 1/2-ton 4x4, the 4x2 Utility Wagon was touted in press releases at the time with claims that it could negotiate a 57-percent grade and reach 60-mph on hard-surfaced roads.

Later on, several new models were added to the lineup that would eventually include the commercial delivery formats (Sedan Delivery, Panel Delivery and Utility). Ultimately, the Willys station wagon series, such as this Traveler Utility Wagon, was phased out in 1965 by the Jeep Wagoneer.

This Jeep is driven by a 230-cid inline six-cylinder Tornado engine and is matched to a three-speed manual transmission on a four-wheel drive platform. Among the equipment is a heater, sunvisors, 60/40 front and rear seats, locking gas cap, plus more. This is reported as a well-preserved vehicle that is intact and represents a good opportunity as an entry level vehicle.

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