Six years ago I discovered a Willys MB Jeep with a Renault 4 body conversion and took some pictures.
Two and a half years ago I started to write this blog and decided to kick it off with the story about the converted Jeep.
A week ago, on a roadtrip home from Malaga, we spontaneously decided to cross the Massif Central instead of driving through the Rhône valley.

While driving through the Gorge du Tarn from Millau, memories kept popping up inside my head. Thoughts about my then-girlfriend, the surfing holidays we came back from, the chambre d’hôte in Millau we stayed at and the car we were traveling with: my 1989 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3. Good old times.

This time around, I was traveling with a good friend in a 1988 Toyota LandCruiser HJ61. The ride was a lot more agricultural compared to the W201 and because of that, I suddenly remembered shooting pictures of the R4-bodied Willys somewhere between Saint Enimie and Le Puy. This instantly sparked my desire to look if the Jeep was still there. And guess what – we arrived at the gas station in Châteauneuf-de-Randon and the field next to it was empty. But hey – asking is free and I never give up just like that.

David, the owner of the gas station and Renault dealership Sarl NEGRE is a very friendly fellow and told us that his dad built the little truck decades ago. My guess on the conversion wasn’t too far off back then. It was actually never used by the local fire brigade but did years of reliable duty towing cars in the area. Davids father added the Renault 4 body to keep warm and dry in winter. If you look closely, the old livery is still visible. Gotta love the patina!

It surely must be rather quiet in an area with two-digit telephone numbers. This could possibly be the reason why the blue Renault 5 in the background only shows 6.000 km on the odometer! Seems like it didn’t get driven around much.

Living in a quiet area does have some advantages, though. It’s amazing that the car has not been vandalized in the decades it has lived outside.

I really hope it will still be there when I visit the next time – whenever that is going to be. Until then: rust in peace.

PS: David kindly showed me the other truck his father build. And let me tell you one thing: it is equally genius and even more impressive. Come back soon to read about it in the Drive-by Snapshots post. Meanwhile, enjoy reading how Guido Kehder (Die Leitplanke) built a 1:24 scale model of this vehicle.

[Edit: Here is the new link to the above mentioned article.]