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GALA / Surrey DESIGN TEAM ?; History of Automotive Design 1957-1959
Topic Started: Dec 12 2014, 02:58 PM (972 Views)
glennstin
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Do you subscribe to Hemmings "Classic Car"? In the Jan 2015 edition is an interesting article starting on P. 52 about Frank Hershey, Manager of Kaiser Aluminum's Industrial Design Department and his assistant, Rhys Miller. They are showing several concept car illustrations that Henry Kaiser had the department create outside the confines of Kaiser / Willys regular designs, which of course had ceased auto production in 1955. One quote especially caught my eye: "They created not just one or two, but six design proposals with colorful Hawaiian names, because old Mr. Kaiser owned a big slice of Hawaiian property and was building a resort village there." Do we have any information about who dreamed up the Gala / Surrey ideas? Some of what is explored here sure sounds like these guys may have put ideas out to Mr. Kaiser for his resort. Both these guys are well known for work all over Detroit designs, and just seems like a little side work might have solidified their position with the boss. The time frame sure is right on. I don't think I've ever heard of what individuals might have pushed the Gala / Surrey forward. How about you?
1963 CJ3B, 1962 Surrey Project, 1961 DJ3A, 1956 DJ3A, 1953 CJ3A Farm Jeep, 1949 Jeepster, 1948 Station Wagon Project, Al-Toy Model Jeeps, Willys Special Equipment Galore, Willys History and Literature. WILLYS BLOOD Runs in My VEINS.
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Bill Norris
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Bruce Agan can probably add to this more than I can, but Hawaiin newspapers back then named Louis Yocich as conceving the Gala idea.

I was fortunate to enough to talk to Mr Yocich about 10 years ago. You can find the basic story here: http://cj3b.info/Siblings/SurreyGala.html

Bill
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PapaC
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As mentioned in one of the links provided...... the name Surrey in the US as opposed to Gala in outher country's was supposedly inspired by this song from the musical 'Oklahoma'

THE SURREY WITH THE FRINGE ON TOP

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss1CXo8QMi8

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Mrs. Kaisers favorite color.....was pink.

Part of the lyrics


The wheels are yellow, the upholstry's brown
The dashboard's genuine leather
With eisenglass curtains you can roll right down
In case there's a change in the weather

Two bright side lights winkin' and blinkin'
Ain't no finer rig I'm a thinkin'
You can keep your rig if you're thinkin that I'd keer to swap
Fer that shiny little surrey with the fringe on the top
Charles Tate....North Mississippi

1956 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible
Doing ground up nuts and bolt restoration by almost entirely reconditioning original used or a few NOS DJ3A parts.

1962 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible. (For research and parts only)
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ba25
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Outside Derek and the 3B page we have to thank Bill Norris for his great article in Vintage truck magazine from Dec 09
for those who dont have it, they can get back issues from Vintage Truck, I couldnt find my magazine copy but did have the text
If anyone cannot read it here, i can send it directly to you.

also posted the newspaper article where we learned of Louis Yocich.
Mr Yocich was a treat to talk to and I still wish him the very best.

Thanks Bill, for asking the right questions and taking the time to take notes when talking to Louis. I didnt do such great job. I was surprised to have found him in CA and my mind went blank when he answered the phone.

Maybe it is true that "The idea for the Gala was borrowed from Mexico." at least Ben Thompson thought so. (print reporter)

dont want to forget to thank Keith Buckley and Ron Szymanski and Colin Peabody as well as many others who have added to all we know now.
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BA Agan

46 Bantam T3-C 2953
46 Bantam T3-C 19638 "Big Red"
49 CJ-2A 222564
51 M38 MC 28115
52 M100 285896
62 CJ5 57548-148683
64 DJ3A 8204-24210
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SteveK
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Thanks to all for the great background history. I find it confusing that the articles make references to different years and different serial number prefixes than what I have read before. Was the Gala produced in 1958 and/or the Surrey 1959? and weren't the dispatcher prefixes already 56337 since 1953? They even quote different 'daily rental fees' as one at $4/day and the other $9, but both agree on the 100 count fleet. More proof how 'everything is different' around these Dj's and their history and just what is accurately 'standard'...Very Interesting. Thanks!
SteveK
62 Dispatcher
South Florida
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ba25
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Steve
Bill can clarify, but from what I understand the prefix error was made after Bill submitted story for publication.

on the rental rates I think the $9-$10 refers to rentals in Hawaii and the $4 refers to DJ Gala rentals in Las Brisas.

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BA Agan

46 Bantam T3-C 2953
46 Bantam T3-C 19638 "Big Red"
49 CJ-2A 222564
51 M38 MC 28115
52 M100 285896
62 CJ5 57548-148683
64 DJ3A 8204-24210
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Bill Norris
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Bruce is correct, there was a typo in the serial number listings. I must have stared at it too long and missed it. The magazine proof reader would not have known the error of my ways. I really hope that didn't cause problems for readers! Bruce's eagle eyes found it right away.

Mr Yocich was really interesting to talk to. He told his primary job was educating buyers that there was a limit to what a Jeep could do. He said they were getting all these calls from customers that were doing stupid things in their Jeeps that defied common sense.

He also told me the factory sent most of the Gala/Surrey development info home with him. He took it to his house in New York where there was a fire and it was all lost.

They decided on the name 'Gala' because it translated to 'Gay' which had a totally different meaning back then.

He also told me he started the Willys office in Switzerland. He left Willys for a job with Chrysler, which he ultimately retired from. For all he did, he was a very humble guy.

Bill
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glennstin
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BOY, Do we get into interesting stuff here on The CJ3B Page? Now we have several pieces to study right here in one place. At least the article that started this discussion showed us the mood around Kaiser / Willys and an owner willing to spread the umbrella, widening the appeal of the product. Every one of these individuals mentioned found themselves employed in an organization, not well established in a newly formed cooperation. Your paycheck is dependent on producing results. The boss is heavily invested in resorts and is very receptive to anything that will help push that forward. Rhys Miller is not a well known name. Get into Mustang Development at Ford and you'll find him right in the fray. Maybe his signature isn't on the Gala / Surrey, but he's on this team and talking often with these players. This is very exciting to peek into cooperate boardroom activities in the 1950's. Derek's Forum at it's finest, and our DJ3A jumped from an obscure product to a super star.
1963 CJ3B, 1962 Surrey Project, 1961 DJ3A, 1956 DJ3A, 1953 CJ3A Farm Jeep, 1949 Jeepster, 1948 Station Wagon Project, Al-Toy Model Jeeps, Willys Special Equipment Galore, Willys History and Literature. WILLYS BLOOD Runs in My VEINS.
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Joe Friday
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As Bruce and Bill mentioned, since Ron S was such a surrey fan he had many of the early Surrey dev photos including the Fiat Jolly, but there is more on the Kaiser archive since they took over on October of 1954. Rhys was not one of the names I recall from those records.

Update: Since I wrote this note this morning I reviewed my notes from the archive, reviewed hundreds of concept photos, and did a healthy dose of google searching.

Rhys was clearly a pioneer in the design industry, but I'm still struggling to find a credible connection between him and the Surrey.

It appears he worked on the Secret Kaiser "Red and Blue" concept cars which were nver produced.
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colin
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To answer SteveK's question about the introduction of the Gala in 1958 and the Surrey in 1959, I have two undated press releases that are worded nearly identically, on for the Gala and one for the Surrey, probably both around mid 1959. The one for the Gala speaks of the model being released for export(outside the continental limits of the USA) and in the lower paragraph, mentions a sister to the Gala called the Surrey to be sold in the United States. That memo is from Willys Export Corporation. The press release for the Surrey is worded similarly, but refers to a model released for export as the Gala, with that release coming from Willys Motors Inc..

From that, I think the Galas and Surreys were introduced around the same time or within a couple of months of each other. As for the Galas in Hawaii, even though Hawaii had been granted statehood in April, 1959, sales of the colorful DJs was handled by Willys Export Corporation rather than Willys Motors Inc.

Bruce and I each have a heavy desk paperweight showing a depiction of the "Jeep" Gala in Hawaii, and stating "Double your Vacation fun with a "Jeep Gala". The depiction shows a Gala with the unusual forward sloping top bows that appear in a couple of the factory photos. The location appears to be the same as on the Gala Rental Guide booklet. On the bottom side of the paperweight is the rental vehicle information for Paschal's Gray Line Motor Tours, Hertz System Licensee General Office WAILUKU Phone 32-3162 and KAHULUI AIRPORT phone 72-8475 and Lobby Maui Palms Hotel, KAHULUI phone 7-2215.
There is no date on the paperweight, but I suspect it is sometime in mid to late 1959. The article mentioning Mrs. Holland doesn't show the photo that accompanied the written part, but it shows a Jeep Gala with the forward leaning top bows and that article is dated Sept. 16, 1959.

Its just a shame that Willys Export and Willys Motors didn't keep better records on how many of each were produced and when they dropped the name Gala from their advertising.
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Joe Friday
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I'm not aware that there was ever a special serial prefix for either Gala or Surrey to be able to track. The head of Export during that period was Steve Girard. I'm hoping that someday the production numbers will appear in his notes.
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colin
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I don't think Bruce, Glenn or I have ever found any special designations for either the Gala or the Surrey to be able to track how many of either or all in total were produced over that 4- 5 year period. I talked with Ron Szymanski a couple of years back and he was unable to add anything to that discussion either. We do know that 100 Pepsi Surreys were ordered in early 1960, but other than that grouping, we are simply guessing as to total G/S numbers, although Ron thought around 1100 total.

I think I have one "Gala in my database that the seller indicated it was a Gala that came up from the Las Brisas in the mid 60s, but we have nothing to verify that. Bruce has a Special Order Number on his 64, but I have not seen any other special identifying codes or prefixes on titles or registrations so far.

If Joe can come up with anything in his research, that would be great.
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Joe Friday
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So far my research of the tooling process for making bows, tops, seat covers, etc, they are referred to as Surry, Surrey, and Gala, all 3 as subsets of DJ3A OB#4.

Very interesting to see both those promotional articles dated Sep 16th, 1959.

The tooling wasn't signed off till mid October and November in 1959...

I'm still in the scanning stages and haven't read the documents in detail.
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