The fourth annual Jeep weekend known as Camprodon Terra de Jeeps ("Camprodon Land of Jeeps") or CTDJ was held on 20-21 July 2024.
Sixty vintage Jeeps, built in the USA by Willys and in Spain under license from Willys, assembled in the town of Camprodon. (See a map showing its location in the region of Catalunya in northeastern Spain.)
Thanks to Raül Carmona for this photo.
CJ3B.info labeled Camprodon (population 2,400) as the Jeep Capital of Spain in 2010, because of the number of old Jeeps, many of them CJ-3Bs, in the surrounding foothills of the Pyrenees. And this year, Derek accepted a standing invitation to return to Camprodon to attend CTDJ.
As things got underway on the Saturday morning, several display areas in town filled up with vehicles, including this Hotchkiss JH-101 version of the CJ-3B, built in France.
The military Jeeps were also arriving. Some, like this M38, have been given U.S. Army markings, although most of the post-WWII ones are actually surplus from the Spanish Army, which used quite a variety of Willys vehicles (see Military Jeeps in Spain on CJ3B.info.)
Josep Bordas got a good photo of me demonstrating my camera technique, taking a shot of an example of a 1960s model that we don't get to see in North America.
It's an M606A2, a Kaiser-era version of the CJ-5, militarized for export under the U.S. government's Mutual Defense Assistance Program. Owner Manuel Martinez has brought this Jeep to CTDJ before, from nearby Girona.
In addition to the blackout lamp, M606A2 details include the split-glass ventilating windshield, the trailer light socket and the rear-mounted spare. The roll bar is a later addition.
When I'm in Camprodon I have to take photos of the scenery as well as the Jeeps.
This shot is from the 12th century bridge over the River Ter (seen at the top of this page) and shows the beautiful Hotel Camprodon.
An interesting fact is that the railing on the hotel's pedestrian bridge is made from the bed frames used when the hotel was a military hospital during the Spanish Civil War.
Since I didn't have a drone, I went across the street and upstairs for a high angle look at the Spanish-built CJ-3Bs lining up at the beautiful Passeig de la Font Nova ("New Fountain Promenade").
This CJ-2A painted in olive drab is a local Camprodon Jeep, owned by Rosa Gratacos and Josep Gou. As Rosa brought it in on Saturday morning, it started stalling. Here she and CTDJ volunteer Rocio Busquets are watching as Joan Busquets tries to get it going.
The same location seen in the photo above, with Camprodon's 10th-century Monastery of San Pedro in the background, was chosen by Ferran Vila for this original artwork for CTDJ.
Fans of the series of Tintin graphic novels, which often featured Jeeps, will recognize how beautifully Ferran has duplicated the look of the covers of the books. And the CJ-2A driven by Tintin and Captain Haddock also happens to be amazingly similar to Rosa's Jeep in the photo above.
Speaking of artwork, CTDJ mounted a display of art by Roberto Flores, in the entrance to the Cultural Centre where the weekend's presentation sessions took place.
Roberto and I both turned up on Saturday in the T-shirt he designed in 2011 for readers of CJ3B.info. We're seen here in a lineup of people involved in the presentations at the Cultural Center. On the right is Camprodon Mayor Xavier Guitart, who has been a strong supporter of CTDJ.
The room was packed for my talk about the CJ-3B and all the places it was built, including of course Spain, where perhaps the world's best version was in production into the 1980s. It had a full-floating rear axle, choice of diesel or gasoline engine, and optional short or long wheelbase.
In the afternoon I headed out to grab more photos. Here I'm shooting one of those long-wheelbase 3Bs, which VIASA called a "CJ-6." This one belongs to Joan Llibre of Barcelona, and it's unusual both because it's a firefighting vehicle and because it's one of the early VIASA Jeeps that was given a Go-Devil flathead engine.
The VIASA CJ-6 was purchased in 1963 by a company in Barcelona which needed their own fire protection. It had a rear power take-off to operate a pump trailer. "Bombers" is the Catalan term for firefighters, similar to the Spanish term "Bomberos."
Joan acquired the Jeep in 2001, when the company decided to scrap it after years out of service, and he's planning to replace the Go-Devil engine with a Hurricane. This year was his first time at Camprodon Terra de Jeeps, but he's planning on coming back next year.
See more on this CJ-6 in Jeep Fire Engines in Spain on CJ3B.info.
I ran across the Camprodon Jeep brain trust of Alejandro Cuadrado and Joan Busquets, still trying to get that CJ-2A to run without stalling. They were blowing water out of the carb and fuel line.
Rosa was watching, while Josep was taking another shot of me showing off the moves I use to get just the right camera angle!
And a little later he captured Roseanna and me showing off our dance moves, while
Chris López performed some swing tunes in the square in front of the Town Hall.
In the foreground, Javier Martinez of the Club Jeep Willys Clásico is grabbing some shots. He also presented me with a cool jacket (370K JPEG) embroidered with the club logo designed by Roberto.
Saturday afternoon also featured a tech session inside Joan Busquets' workshop, where Rocio Busquets' M38 was put up on the lift.
In the safety vest, talking to Joan, is CTDJ organizer Jordi Carreras, and taking notes in the background is journalist Valenti Fradera, covering the weekend for the Spanish magazine Motor Clásico.
Valenti wrote a good piece for the September issue of Motor Clásico, including a photo of me leaning on Rocio's M38!
Joan pointed out a number of things on the M38, including the chain looped under the rear driveshaft, an idea of Rocio's father Pere Busquets. In case of drivetrain breakage, it's intended to keep the shaft from dropping into the dirt and damaging the rear axle.
People also wanted to take a look at a CJ-3B that was in the shop, with a Go-Devil under the hood. The earliest VIASA 3Bs built in Spain had the flatheads installed at the factory in Zaragoza, but this one is actually a replacement engine in a Willys 3B.
The Spanish military liked its 3Bs with the Hurricane engine, but most of the civilian Jeeps, like this one, came with the Perkins 4-108 diesel. Like the Go-Devil, it takes less room under the hood than the Hurricane.
The tightest packed engine compartment on hand belonged to Josep Subirós, who has a Fiat 2500cc diesel in his VIASA 3B, plus Mercedes power steering, air horns and more.
When a Camprodon police car led a caravan of Jeeps on a tour around the narrow streets of the town, I rode in Josep's modified VIASA. The hinge at the back of his hood is raised to create a
gap at the rear (270K JPEG) to provide extra cooling.
As the Jeeps wound their way around town there was a lot of waving, both by the riders and by some of the townsfolk who are now starting to enjoy Camprodon's reputation as "Jeep Capital of Spain." This Royal Navy MB belongs to Ferran Sibila, president of Club Històrics.
Local residents, tourists and Jeep owners all strolled around checking out the vehicles on display in several plazas around the center of town. Kiosks set up by CTDJ provided information on the Jeeps at each location, for example
models produced around the world under license from Willys (310K JPEG).
Late Saturday afternoon Jordi got many of the Jeeps organized to head out on a trail ride up into the hills, to the Hermitage of Sant Antoni.
Part way up, the caravan came to a halt, and people were wondering what the holdup was.
I jogged ahead to see what was going on, and then brought back the news. Yep, it was Rosa's CJ-2A, stalled once again on the narrow road!
At the end of the road, everybody piled out of the Jeeps for a group photo (530K JPEG, photo by Javier Martinez) and a short hike up to the Hermitage.
The hike was worth it, for a look at the sun setting over the Pyrenees, and the 17th century Hermitage of Sant Antoni (430K JPEG, photo by Oscar Gil.)
Sunday we were back in the Cultural Center, where Jordi introduced
Juan Peláez, who talked about the process of writing his book Historia del Jeep (50K JPEG).
The newest Jeep models were on display all weekend near the bridge. On the right is the subcompact SUV badged as the "Avenger" (240K JPEG) which is built in Poland in electric and hybrid versions for sale in Europe, and is the smallest Jeep vehicle on the market.
On Sunday afternoon it started raining lightly, but Juan Garcia-Nieto got the canvas top up on his 3A and joined some of the Jeeps assembling for a drive to another hermitage, in the hills south of town.
The hermitage Mare de Déu del Remei ("Our Lady of the Remedy") is a beautiful church originally built in the year 930, and rebuilt a few times over the centuries. People with illnesses used to make pilgrimages here hoping for relief, but nobody in our group had their Jeep fever cured!
The group wanted me to pose alone so that Sergi Batalla could get this cool photo of me with the lineup of Jeeps.
Then Sergi and Txell gave us a wave as everybody headed out at the end of a great weekend.
AutoFoto magazine's September issue also had an article on CTDJ, including a group photo at the church. Roseanna and I are just below the tower.
Thanks to Josep Bordas, Jordi Carreras, Rocio Busquets, Sergi Batalla, Raül Carmona, Javier Martinez, Valenti Fradera and all the CTDJ volunteers (470K JPEG). -- Derek Redmond
For information on next year's event, contact Jordi at carrerasproduccio@yahoo.es.
See photos from Camprodon Terra de Jeeps in 2021 and 2022 and 2023.
See also more Jeeps in Spain on CJ3B.info.
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