It's the one type of car show where they'll let you sit in the car - and maybe even drive it.
That's according to Jeff Petrowich, a committee member for the 2018 Willys Jeep Reunion. About 50 of the vintage vehicles rolled in to Fulton on Friday and Saturday for an enthusiast get-together.
"You've got everything from fully restored ones to ones that've never been touched and still have their original paint to the ones that are rusted out and covered in mud," Petrowich said Friday. "That's the difference between this and car shows."
Tom Johnson, of Jefferson City, founded the reunion in 1995 with that welcoming philosophy.
"Willys Jeep guys love them, but we're not old car people," he said. "Jeep guys don't go to car shows."
He said he and his vehicle were turned away from car shows in the past, with some people pooh-poohing his Willys as "military hardware." That's why these reunions are open to anyone who's interested.
"There's no judging," Johnson said. "You just show up and enjoy."
Willys Jeeps were first manufactured during World War II. To hear Johnson talk, they were partially responsible for the Allies' victory. Willys continued manufacturing the Jeep until 1955, when Kaiser Aluminum took over. Since then, the Jeep name has changed hands several times. Aside from the classic Jeep, Willys also manufactured pickups, station wagons and even fire engines.
Despite the vehicles' age, they remain popular among enthusiasts for a number of reasons.
For one, Willys Jeep parts are still easy to find, said Art Gloss, of New Bloomfield, one of the event's organizers.
"They're very easy to work on and there's just something about them," said J.W. Heater, of Lee's Summit.
Heater has owned Willys since he was 17 years old, he said, and now the annual reunions are a highlight of his grandkids' summer. Heater pulled out his phone to show off his tiny grandson wielding a wrench on a Willys.
They also have a certain je ne sais quoi - a mysterious something that enchants enthusiasts.
"Somebody told me that they're so ugly they're beautiful," Heater said.
Johnson tried to list the reasons he enjoys Willys.
"The history, the novelty, they're cute, they're fun," he said.
Gloss fell in love with Jeeps before he could even drive.
"When I was a young boy, maybe 9 or 10, my grandpa would take me to the Chicago Auto Show," he recounted. "I would say, 'Just drop me off at the Jeeps and pick me up at the end of the day.'"
The Jeep fans don't just gather for the cars, however. There's also camaraderie.
"Willys Jeep owners are the nicest people," said Tom Jones, museum curator.
Mark Yocum, of St. Charles, broke off a story about his first time driving a rally cross course.
"There was blood all over my elbows and I had my foot jammed under the clutch," he said.
Yocum had been driving a 1951 Dodge M-37.
"They'll even let us Dodge people join them," he said.
Gloss said attendees came in from Louisiana, Nebraska, Texas, Illinois, Ohio and Missouri.