My grandfather bought this Surrey Gala from a gentleman that had five territories of a Pepsi-Cola franchise in or around the Milwaukee-Chicago area. This gentleman purchased my grandfather’s condo in Florida and they became friends. Grandpa was invited to his home up north and was shown this Surrey. The guy didn’t have just one; he had five of them, one for each of his territories to pull floats in parades. A trailer hitch was on all of them.
One thing led to another and grandpa mentioned that if they were ever sold he would like to purchase one of them. Later he got that call and he got his Jeep Surrey. My father inherited it and now my youngest brother Bruce owns it. It’s a 1960 and all original with 20 some thousand miles on it. I have yet to see or hear of another like it, though there are at least 4 others out there. Maybe more?
It is a light bluish/green. Maybe Foam or Jade tint. All of the light colored paint is a cream. The top and seats are Yellow/White stripe. On the back seat rail covers the words Pepsi-Cola are silk screened on them. It has all the canvas doors and all around side curtains. The spare tire did not have a cover so I had one made several years ago according to what I thought it might be if they had made one.
I have a 1949 Jeepster and Dad and I have attended many car shows in Western Michigan together.
The Pepsi Surrey is not a myth.
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I own a 1960 pink and white surrey gala.I want to replace the pink and white vinyl roof assy.Does anyone know where to find this?Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks Colin for sharing your knowledge about the Surrey. Love to see pictures of Kevin’s Pepsi Jeep. I’ll be at the 75th Jeep Fest on Aug 13, 2016 in Toledo, OH. Hope to see other Surrey owners there! https://www.facebook.com/ToledoJeepFest/
Hi- Finally heard from Kevin Tingler and we will be getting in touch very soon. Would also like to hear from Mr. Peter Dolan about his Surrey as well. As I mentioned before, anyone with a DJ3A is welcome to contact me at my email address.
Thanks!
Colin Peabody
1960 DJ3A Surrey 56337 19170
1948 Willys VJ2 Jeepster 463 75742
1960 Corvette 00867S1xxxxx
Kevin Tingler-
Please contact me about your Pepsi Surrey. I am tracking them and would like to get your info. Contact me at : colins60vette@cox.net in Phoenix. Where are you located?
I have a 1960 Pepsi promo Jeep. I have complete history on it and im the second owner. It has 19,000 miles.
Typically it’s the drivers side.
I have a 1960 Jeep Willys pickup. I know it has left-hand threads on one side, but I don’t remember which side, and I don’t want to damage the threads trying to find out. Do you know which side has the left-hand threads?
Additional info, Elvis’ Graceland Museum does have a pink Surrey, apparently one used in Blue Hawaii that Elvis got after the movie. A pink Surrey was also used in the movie Ride the Wild Surf driven by Barbara Eden(I Dream of Jeannie).
My Jeep buddy in Smithfield, Maine, Glenn Byron is helping me put the database together, so you can also contact him at: glenns@tdstelme.com with any info you might have on Surreys or the DJ3A Jeeps.
Thanks,
Colin Peabody
Phoenix, AZ
colins60vette@cox.net
The history of the DJ3A Jeep Surreys is lengthy and can be found on the CJ3B Page in the CJ3B Siblings area. As far as we know presently, there were about 1200 Surreys made between mid 1959 and the end of 1964. Most were sold to resorts like the Hawaiian Hilton(Henry J. Kaiser owned that hotel and also owned Willys Motors(Jeep), the Las Brisas in Acapulco, Mexico and places in the Virgin Islands. The resorts would rent them to their customers for a minimal amount on a daily or weekly basis. They were also sold to private individuals here in the continental US. There were three color combinations available on Surreys, Coral Rose/Tropical Pink, Cerulean Blue/Glacier White and Jade Green/Glacier White. The Surrey option came with whitewall tires, chrome bumpers front and rear, striped interiors, tops, side curtains and rear mounted spare tire with cover. They were powered by the L-134 4 cylinder Jeep engine with 60hp, 3 speed column shifted transmission and 2 wheel drive, large(used on the 1954-55 Willys Aero Sedans) hubcaps for Surreys equipped with 15 inch wheels and smaller hubcaps on the Surreys with 14 inch wheels in 63 and 64. We also know that Willys offered the Pepsi Cola option to Pepsi that included different paint schemes as well as Pepsi specific Yellow and Cream striped fabric for the tops, interiors, tire covers, side curtains and body surrounds with the Pepsi Cola Logo. We don’t know how many Pepsi Surreys were made, but we are attempting to locate as many as possible. The Wierda’s Surrey is a prime example of the Pepsi option.
Mr. Dolan, please contact me at: colins60vette@cox.net so I may include your Surrey information in a database I am building. Anyone else who has a Surrey or info on a Surrey, feel free to do the same.
Thanks!
Colin Peabody, Phoenix, Owner of 1960 Surrey 56337 19170
I had a 1960 jeep but it was a cj-5. Didn’t know that jeep still produced cj-3’s in 1960. That is a nice jeep what ever year it is.
Hi, this is Peter, we live in Bluffton, s.c. just across the bridge from Savannah. any one is welcome to stop by, as we appreciate any imput we can get. regards, Peter
There was a Jeep something like that at Elvis Presleys house in Tn.
Hi Peter, Where are you located in S.C.?
Thank you Fritz – it’s comments like yours that keep us going!
Guys your are out doing yourselves with this web site. I’ve only been into jeeps for two years now and really enjoy the emails with the different model jeeps and the rare ones like this. Keep up the great work and articles coming. Your rebuild tips should be a lesson to other mfg’s to copy your excellent work.
Thanks again….Fritz
I thought that they had skipped 1960, I have a pink surry that I found in a barn here in s.c. I is complete with all hubcaps frame top etc.My son and I are in the middle of a complete frame off rotisserie restoration. We are about to start putting it back together, it needed no mechanical work other then tuning and cleaning, It had 24,000 miles on the odometer, It had been in this barn for 26 years,after the owner won it in a poker game with the shriners. you can not make up stuff like this. We will be posting photos soon. I am really impressed with yours.regards,Peter Dolan
Great looking Jeeps. Thanks for sharing.
Throughout the years I’ve known Willys Jeeps to do every possible task that can be done by a vehicle on 4 wheels… but this is a new one. I never thought of a Willys as a promo vehicle.
Very cool!
I hope you’re able to track down the other 4 Pepsi siblings.
Chris
Hutto, TX
This is very similar to the Jeeps used in Hawaii in the early sixtie’s by the Kaiser Hilton Hotel in Hawaii. As I recall, they were pink but had the same striped surrey tops, hubcaps, etc.
Probablly an option offered by Jeep at the time.