Vehicle Description
1952 Jeep Willys CJ3A
World War II saw the creation of one of America's most beloved
vehicles, the Jeep. Now primarily produced for consumer use, the
Jeep was once a military workhorse designed to move troops, help
the wounded and more. The story of the Jeep begins in the late
1930s, when the United States military was searching for a vehicle
that was light, rugged and could travel over rough terrain. The
M38A1, only the second Jeep produced post WWII, was made from 1952
to 1971 with a total of more than 101,000 units produced.
For consignment, a 1952 Jeep Willys CJ3A showing 94,969 miles, but
the true miles are unknown. This one dressed as it might have been
for the Korean war, or an episode of MASH, right down to the
mounted rifle and the trailer.
Exterior
Typical military Olive Drab covers the 4x4 and trailer and is
adorned with contrasting white stenciled writing and Army stars,
and the 16-inch steel wheels share in the olive coverage. Up front,
the utilitarian bumper is topped with a pair of tow shackles under
the seven slot grille and siren on one fender and night light on
another and everything from the hinges to the hardware share one
color. A pintle style hitch hooks the to the trailer and safety
chains, olive green of course, secure it in place and a Jerry can
is mounted to the back of the Jeep. Exterior features include a
whip antenna secured to the cowl, a snorkel air intake that rises
with the windshield, and of course, the machine gun which is
equipped with propane to create harmless, flared popping. The flat
trailer has a rugged canvas top secured to the unit with rope.
Overall, the truck and trailer are in good shape with no major
dents. Imperfections include some bubbling, cracked paint, uneven
filler, and paint runs.
Interior
The doorless Jeep features olive green padded seats with the
driver's riding above the gas tank. In back, a straight bench can
seat a couple more infantrymen who can keep tabs on the radio
equipment and the six secured ammo boxes that reside nearby.
There's a first aid kit, some vintage headphones, and canvas
storage attached to the front seat backs. Attached to the post of
the belt fed .30 caliber machine gun is a plastic rifle, completing
the profile as a rolling, ground fighting tool. The basic steering
wheel is joined by toggle switches and a center instrument cluster
and three, floor mounted shifters for gears and range type. The
floor is painted but not covered with anything and the trailer is
equally as bare bones, housing a number of canvas pieces.
Drivetrain
Don't look for chrome in here, it's mostly drab under the hood
where we find the 134ci inline 4 cylinder, fueled by a 1-barrel
carburetor and rated at 60 horsepower. The Borg Warner T90 3-speed
manual begins the transfer of power which is split between the Dana
25 up front and the Dana 44 out back, both with short ratio 5.38
gears. Drum brakes are found at all four wheels.
Undercarriage
You'll never guess what color most of the undercarriage, frame, and
components are painted! It's all business underneath with some
serious leaf springs front and rear and heavy duty axles. There's
some surface rust present, some old grease, even a bit of oil, but
in general the underside is on the clean side. A single exhaust
flows through a stock style muffler before terminating just beyond
the rear bumper as a tall narrow stack.
Drive-Ability
This no frills purpose built 4x4 provides the expected ride on
knobby 7-inch tires and even with the trailer attached, we feel
like we could traverse mountains. But for now, we're stationed here
on the base we call Classic Auto Mall, or in military terms, CAM.
The limited functions afforded operators all work as they should
and we high tail this little grunt back to the indoors. While
Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at
the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions
will be working at the time of your purchase.
Car shows, Military vehicle shows, air shows, parades. There are
ample opportunities to utilize a Jeep like this and a ravenously
enthusiastic group of devotees have clubs and get togethers to
perpetuate the historic significance of military machines and their
role in worldwide battles and peacekeeping. This is a fine example,
a turnkey Army Jeep from 1952, ready to report to show duty!
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee
is not included in the advertised price.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
