According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a time capsule is "a container holding historical records or objects that is deposited for preservation until discovery by some future age." To car enthusiasts, however, it's also a low-mileage and unrestored classic car. One that's been kept in storage for a very long time.
The term is overused and applied to vehicles that don't necessarily fit the bill nowadays. However, automotive time capsules are still being discovered as we speak. This 1952 Willys Jeep Station Wagon, for instance, is a textbook example of what a proper time capsule should look like.
Although it's a whopping 71 years old as of 2023, this Willys-Overland-era Jeep is 100% original. Granted, that's something we can say about many classics that spent much time in storage, but things are a bit different here. Not only is this wagon surprisingly clean, but it's also rust-free and complete. Apart from the weathered paint and some wear and tear inside the cabin, this Jeep is pretty much showroom-new.
The video below doesn't provide any info on the vehicle's past, but the odometer suggests it didn't spend a lot of time on the road. The clock shows only 10,750 miles (17,300 km), most of which were covered until 1962, according to the door-jam sticker. Specifically, it was driven for 9,707 miles (15,622 km) in its first ten years on the road, covering only 1,043 miles (1,679 km) in the last 61 years.
That's just 17 miles (27 km) per year on average, proving that this Willys was a garage queen for most of its life. It also enjoyed proper maintenance based on its appearance, with the all-original paint still in good condition, including the yellow pinstriping below the side windows. And that's not the only spectacular thing about it.
The gray upholstery looks fabulous for a vehicle this old, and the jack is still wrapped in the original paper. Moreover, it still has the original Willys-Overland floor mats and the shift pattern sticker in the glove compartment. It doesn't get any better than this when it comes to time capsules unless we're talking about 1950s cars that have been stored since new. And those are rarer than hen's teeth.
Before you hit play to see this gorgeous Willys sitting pretty, let me tell you a bit about the Station Wagon. Because it's a classic Jeep that doesn't get as much attention as it deserves, being overshadowed by early CJ, Wagoneer, and Gladiator models.
Penned by industrial designer Brooks Stevens, the Station Wagon was part of a three-model lineup that Willys-Overland introduced in the mid-1940s. Launched in 1946, the wagon was joined by panel delivery and pickup truck versions in 1947. Initially powered by the 2.2-liter "Go-Devil" inline-four from the Willys MB, it received the updated "Hurricane" four-banger in 1950. Four-wheel drive became an option in 1949. This one here is a Hurricane variant with AWD.
In 1954, one year after Willys-Overland's merger with Kaiser Motors, the wagon became available with the 3.7-liter "Super Hurricane" inline-six. One final drivetrain upgrade was introduced in 1962, when the 3.8-liter "Tornado" became the company's inline-six of choice. The entire line was phased out two years later to make room for the then-new Jeep Wagoneer. However, production continued until 1970 in Argentina and until 1977 in Brazil.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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