Willys (pronounced , "Willis" ) was a

brand name A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...

used by Willys–Overland Motors, an American

automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...

company, founded by John North Willys. It was best known for its design and production of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

era and later military jeeps (MBs), as well as civilian versions (Jeep CJs), and branding the 'jeep' military

slang Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-gro ...

-word into the '(Universal)

Jeep Jeep is an American automobile marque, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with remaining assets, from its previous owner American Moto ...

' marque.

History

Early history

In 1908,

John Willys John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

bought the Overland Automotive Division of Standard Wheel Company and in 1912 renamed it Willys–Overland Motor Company. From 1912 to 1918, Willys was the second-largest producer of automobiles in the United States after

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...

. In 1913, Willys acquired a license to build

Charles Yale Knight Charles Yale Knight (born 1868-1940 in Indiana) was an entrepreneur and inventor of the sleeve valve technology. His engines would be used in the early cars, British tanks, and British aircraft. The Knight engine technology for automobiles was u ...

sleeve-valve The sleeve valve is a type of valve mechanism for piston engines, distinct from the usual poppet valve. Sleeve valve engines saw use in a number of pre-World War II luxury cars and in the United States in the Willys-Knight car and light truck. T ...

engine which it used in cars bearing the

Willys–Knight Willys-Knight is an automobile that was produced between 1914 and 1933 by the Willys-Overland Company of Toledo, Ohio. John North Willys purchased the Edwards Motor Car Company of Long Island, New York, in 1913, moving the operation to Elyri ...

nameplate. In the mid-1920s, Willys also acquired the F.B. Stearns Company of

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

and assumed continued production of the

Stearns-Knight F. B. Stearns and Company, later known as F.B. Stearns Company was an American manufacturer of luxury cars in Cleveland, Ohio marketed under the brand names Stearns from 1900 to 1911 then Stearns-Knight from 1911 until 1929. History Frank Ballo ...

luxury car, as well. John Willys acquired the Electric Auto-Lite Company in 1914 and in 1917 formed the Willys Corporation to act as his

holding company A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own shares of other companies ...

. In 1916, it acquired the

Russell Motor Car Company The Russell Motor Car Company was an automobile manufacturer in Toronto, Canada, that produced cars from 1904 to 1916. The company is considered to have produced Canada's first successful automobile.Filey, Mike. ''Mount Pleasant Cemetery: An Ill ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

and the

Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company (1909 – 1929) was an American aircraft manufacturer originally founded by Glenn Hammond Curtiss and Augustus Moore Herring in Hammondsport, New York. After significant commercial success in its first decades ...

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

, by 1917, New Process Gear, and in 1919 acquired the

Duesenberg Duesenberg Automobile and Motors Company, Inc. was an American race car, racing and luxury car, luxury automobile manufacturer founded in Indianapolis, Indiana, by brothers Fred Duesenberg, Fred and August Duesenberg in 1920. The company is ...

Motors Company plant in

Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth is a city and the county seat of Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.New J ...

. The New Jersey plant was replaced by a new, larger facility in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

, and was to be the site of production for a new

Willys Six Willys (pronounced , "Willis" ) was a brand name used by Willys–Overland Motors, an American automobile company, founded by John North Willys. It was best known for its design and production of World War II era and later military jeeps (MBs) ...

at an adjacent site, but the

depression of 1920–21 Depression may refer to: Mental health * Depression (mood), a state of low mood and aversion to activity * Mood disorders characterized by depression are commonly referred to as simply ''depression'', including: ** Dysthymia, also known as pers ...

brought the Willys Corporation to its knees. The

bankers A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Because ...

hired Walter P. Chrysler to sort out the mess and the first model to go was the Willys Six, deemed an engineering disaster. Chrysler had three auto engineers: Owen Skelton, Carl Breer, and Fred Zeder (later nicknamed

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight f ...

) begin work on a new car, commonly referred to as the

Chrysler Six The Chrysler Six was a series of cars that were all installed with the Chrysler Straight Six when the company assumed operations of the Maxwell Automobile Company in 1924, and Chalmers Automobile Company in 1926. The Chrysler Six initially cons ...

. To raise cash needed to pay off debts, many of the Willys Corporation assets were put on the auction block. The Elizabeth plant and the Chrysler Six

prototype A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototyp ...

were sold to

William C. Durant William Crapo Durant (December 8, 1861 – March 18, 1947) was a leading pioneer of the United States automobile industry and co-founder of General Motors and Chevrolet. He created a system in which a company held multiple marques – each s ...

, then in the process of building a new, third empire. The plant built Durant's low-priced

Star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...

, while the Chrysler Six prototype was substantially reworked to become the 1923

Flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and start fir ...

. Walter Chrysler and the three engineers who had been working on the Chrysler Six all moved on to Maxwell- Chalmers where they continued their work, ultimately launching the Chrysler Six in January 1924. (In 1925, the Maxwell car company became the

Chrysler Corporation Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...

Depression era

In 1926, Willys–Overland introduced a new line of small cars named Willys–Overland Whippet. In the

economic depression An economic depression is a period of carried long-term economical downturn that is result of lowered economic activity in one major or more national economies. Economic depression maybe related to one specific country were there is some economic ...

of the 1930s, a number of Willys automotive brands faltered. Stearns-Knight was liquidated in 1929. Whippet production ended in 1931; its models were replaced by the Willys Six and Eight. Production of the Willys-Knight ended in 1933. There was also a pickup truck version of the Whippet, called the Willys-Six C-113 (reflecting its wheelbase in inches). This was not a sales success, with a mere 198 units being built. This vehicle was picked up by

International Harvester The International Harvester Company (often abbreviated by IHC, IH, or simply International ( colloq.)) was an American manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment, automobiles, commercial trucks, lawn and garden products, household e ...

, who installed their own 213-cubic inch engine and offered it in 1933 as the International D-1. In 1932, Ward M. Canaday, who beginning in 1916 had done advertising for the company before becoming a full-time employee, had taken on the role of chairman. He helped guide the company through its current

receivership In law, receivership is a situation in which an institution or enterprise is held by a receiver—a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights"—especially in ca ...

. At this time, Willys decided to clear the boards and produce two new models – the 4-cylinder

Willys 77 The Willys 77 was an American car first sold in 1933 by Willys-Overland from Toledo (Ohio), Toledo. It was a successor to the Willys Willys Whippet, Whippet. In the same year, Willys-Overland went into receivership but the 77 was still released o ...

and the 6-cylinder Willys 99 – but since the firm was once again on the verge of bankruptcy, only the 77 went into production. It was forced to sell its Canadian subsidiary, itself in weak financial shape, and started a massive reorganization. Only the main assembly plant and some smaller factories remained the property of Willys–Overland. The other assets were sold off to a new holding company that leased some of the properties back to W-O. The parent company was thus able to ride out the storm. In 1936, the Willys–Overland Motor Company was reorganized as Willys–Overland Motors. In 1937, Willys redesigned the 4-cylinder model. It gained a semistreamlined body with a slanted windshield, headlamps integrally embedded into the fenders, and a one-piece, rounded hood transversely hinged at the rear. For 1939, the Model 39 featured Lockheed hydraulic brakes, a two-inch increase in wheelbase to 102 inches and an improved 134 DID four-cylinder engine with power increased from 48 to 61 hp.MCG Car Spotter’s Guide to the 1937 to 1942 Willys, www.macsmotorcitygarage.com
/ref> The Model 39 was marketed as an Overland and as a Willys–Overland rather than as a Willys. In 1929, the company built a factory that built vehicles located at what is now 6201 Randolph Street,

Commerce, California Commerce is a city located in southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 12,823 at the 2010 census, up from 12,568 at the 2000 census. It is usually referred to as the City of Commerce to distinguish it from the ...

. During

, the factory built aircraft assemblies for

Lockheed Hudson The Lockheed Hudson is a light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built by the American Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. It was initially put into service by the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and prim ...

bombers. When the war ended, the factory resumed automobile production and was one of two locations to build the first CJ2A, as well as the Willys Aero. The factory was closed in 1954. The location is now occupied by

Prologis Prologis, Inc. is a real estate investment trust headquartered in San Francisco, California that invests in logistics facilities. The company was formed through the merger of AMB Property Corporation and Prologis in June 2011, which made Prologi ...

Eaves Distribution Center.

World War II

Jeep

Willys–Overland was one of two bidders when the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

sought an automaker that could begin rapid production of a lightweight reconnaissance car based on a design by

American Bantam The American Bantam Car Company was an American automobile manufacturing company incorporated in the state of Pennsylvania. American Bantam is credited with the invention of the Original Jeep in 1940. The company's founders, Roy Evans and Willia ...

. In 1938,

Joseph W. Frazer Joseph Washington Frazer (March 4, 1892 – August 7, 1971) was a mid-20th century American automobile company executive. Over the course of his life, Joe Frazer was employed in half a dozen different companies as a mechanic, instructor, financier, ...

had joined Willys from

Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...

as chief executive. He saw a need to improve the firm's 4-cylinder engine to handle the abuse to which the jeep would be subjected. This objective was brilliantly achieved by ex-

Studebaker Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana, with a building at 1600 Broadway, Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers M ...

chief engineer Delmar "Barney" Roos, who wanted Production of the

Willys MB The Willys MB and the Ford GPW, both formally called the U.S. Army Truck, -ton, 4×4, Command Reconnaissance, commonly known as the Willys Jeep, Jeep, or jeep, and sometimes referred to by its List of U.S. military vehicles by supply catalog ...

, better known as

, began in 1941, shared between Willys, Ford, and

. 8,598 units were produced that year and 359,851 units before the end of

. Willys–Overland ranked 48th among United States corporations in the value of World War II military production contracts. In total, 653,568 military Jeeps were manufactured. The origin of the name "Jeep" has been debated for many years. Some people believe "jeep" is a phonetic pronunciation of the abbreviation GP, from "General Purpose", that was used as part of the official Army nomenclature. The first documented use of the word "Jeep" was the name of a character

Eugene the Jeep Eugene the Jeep is a character in the ''Popeye'' comic strip. A mysterious animal with magical or supernatural abilities, the Jeep first appeared in the March 16, 1936 ''Thimble Theatre'' comic strip (now simply ''Popeye''). He was also presen ...

in the

Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar.Minneapolis-Moline Motec Industries was a large tractor and farm and industrial machinery producer based in Hopkins, Minnesota known for its Minneapolis-Moline tractor line. It was the product of a merger of three companies in 1929: Minneapolis Steel & Machinery (M ...

in 1937. Whatever the source, the name stuck and on February 13, 1943, Willys–Overland filed a trademark application on the use of the term "Jeep" with the U.S Patent Office. After several denials by the patent office and appeals by Willys–Overland, the trademark "Jeep" was finally awarded to the company on June 13, 1950. Willys also built 1292 airframes for the JB-2 Loon.

Postwar struggles

After the war, Willys did not resume production of its passenger-car models, choosing instead to concentrate on Jeeps and Jeep-based vehicles. The first postwar Willys product was the CJ-2A, an MB stripped of obviously military features, particularly the

blackout light Blackout lights are head and tail lamps that are equipped with special lenses that are designed to cast a diffused horizontal beam of light for the driver of the vehicle to navigate with, and drivers of other vehicles to spot the vehicle with. I ...

ing, and with the addition of a tailgate. Willys initially struggled to find a market for the vehicle, first attempting to sell it primarily as an alternative to the farm

tractor A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or construction. Most common ...

. Tractors were in short supply, having been out of production during the war. However, sales of the "Agri-Jeep" never took off, mainly because it was too light to provide adequate draft. The CJ-2A was among the first civilian vehicles of any kind to be equipped with

four-wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case ...

from the factory, and it gained popularity among farmers, ranchers, hunters, and others who needed a lightweight vehicle for use on unimproved roads and trails. 1947 Willys (4536099507)

In 1946, a year after the introduction of the CJ-2A, Willys produced the Willys "Jeep" Utility Wagon based on the same engine and transmission, with clear styling influence from the CJ-2A Jeep. The next year came a "Jeep" Utility Truck with four-wheel drive. In 1948, the wagon was available in four-wheel drive, making it the ancestor of all

sport utility vehicle A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...

s. Willys planned to re-enter the passenger car market in 1947 with the Willys 6–70 sedan. Its name came from the fact it was powered by a 6-cylinder engine that produced 70 hp. The 6–70 was touted as the 'first stock car' in America that offered independent suspension on all four wheels, but it never entered production. In 1948, under a contract from the U.S. Army, Willys produced a small one-man four-wheeled utility vehicle called the

Jungle Burden Carrier A jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past recent century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅ ...

which evolved into the M274 Utility ½-ton vehicle. Willys later produced the

M38 Jeep The Willys MC, formally the -Ton, 4 x 4, Utility Truck M38, or the G740 by its U.S. Army Standard Nomenclature supply catalog designation, is a quarter-ton four-wheel drive military light utility vehicle made by Willys between 1949 and 1952. I ...

for the U.S. Army, and continued the CJ series of civilian Jeeps. One variation was the Jeepster, which came with a 4-cylinder or 6-cylinder engine, but only with two-wheel drive to the rear.

1950s

In 1952, Willys re-entered the car market with a new compact car, the

Willys Aero The Willys Aero was a line of passenger cars manufactured first by Willys-Overland and later by Kaiser-Willys Corporation from 1952 through 1955. It was also produced in Brazil from 1960 to 1971. US production The father of the Aero was Clyde ...

. At first available only as a two-door sedan, it was available with either an

L-head A flathead engine, also known as a sidevalve engine''American Rodder'', 6/94, pp.45 & 93. or valve-in-block engine is an internal combustion engine with its poppet valves contained within the engine block, instead of in the cylinder head, as ...

F-head The intake/inlet over exhaust, or "IOE" engine, known in the US as F-head, is a four-stroke internal combustion engine whose valvetrain comprises OHV inlet valves within the cylinder head and exhaust side-valves within the engine block.V.A.W H ...

six-cylinder engine. Export markets could get the Aero with a four-cylinder engine. A four-door sedan and a two-door hardtop were added for 1953 along with taxi models. The Aero cars were called Lark, Wing, Falcon, Ace, or Eagle depending on year, engine, and trim level, except for a small production run in its final year (1955) with models called Custom and Bermuda. The bodies for the Willys Aero were supplied by the Murray Body Corporation, which also made the bodies for the short-lived

Hudson Jet The Hudson Jet is a compact automobile that was produced by the Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, during the 1953 and 1954 model years. The Jet was the automaker's response to the popular Nash Rambler and the costs of developing an ...

. Also in 1952, CJ-3B Jeeps went into production. By 1968, over 155,000 were sold. In 1953,

Kaiser Motors Kaiser Motors (formerly Kaiser-Frazer) Corporation made automobiles at Willow Run, Michigan, United States, from 1945 to 1953. In 1953, Kaiser merged with Willys-Overland to form Willys Motors Incorporated, moving its production operations ...

purchased Willys–Overland and changed the company's name to Willys Motor Company. The same year, production of the Kaiser car was moved from Willow Run, Michigan, to the Willys plant at Toledo, Ohio. Although Jeep production was steady, sales of the Willys and Kaiser cars continued to fall.

The Brazilian era

Willys–Overland established its Brazilian operations in 1953, just before the Kaiser-Frazer takeover. The tooling for the Aero went to Brazil, where it entered production in 1960. In 1956–1957, Brazil's Executive Group for the Automotive Industry (GEIA) had approved Willys–Overland for production of the Aero, the Willys MB Jeep, a truck version of the Jeep called the Rural, and the French

Renault Dauphine The Renault Dauphine () is a rear-engine design, rear-engined economy car manufactured by Renault in a single body style – a Three-box styling, three-box, 4-door sedan (car), sedan – as the successor to the Renault 4CV; more than two ...

small car.

Shapiro Shapiro, and its variations such as Shapira, Schapiro, Schapira, Sapir, Sapira, Spira, Sapiro, Spiro (name)/Spyro (in Greek), Szapiro/ Szpiro (in Polish) and Chapiro (in French), is a Jewish Ashkenazi surname. Etymology The surname is derive ...

, p. 897 Also, an abortive plan was made to create a company called Chrysler-Willys do Brasil SA to build the 1956

Plymouth Savoy The Plymouth Savoy is an automobile model produced from the 1954 through 1964 model years by Plymouth. Early history Plymouth used the name Savoy on several automobiles. From 1951-1953, the Savoy name was used on a station wagon, upgrading th ...

and a Dodge truck there, in the hope of taking advantage of Willys' "Brazilian-made" credentials. Willys went through considerable effort to appear as a Brazilian company, even selling a large portion of their company to Brazilian stockholders to forestall a possible nationalist backlash, and to become eligible for various government incentives. Wolfe, p. 128 The little tail-engined Dauphine was a result of Kaiser's Renault connection, and was produced by Willys do Brasil from 1959 until 1968. Willys–Overland was one of the first companies to enter the Brazilian passenger automobile market, and their early entry originally paid off, with sales spiking in 1954 when Willys became the number-one selling car. Wolfe, p. 120 Being distributed by the family of

Getúlio Vargas Getúlio Dornelles Vargas (; 19 April 1882 – 24 August 1954) was a Brazilian lawyer and politician who served as the 14th and 17th president of Brazil, from 1930 to 1945 and from 1951 to 1954. Due to his long and controversial tenure as Brazi ...

' closest advisor

Osvaldo Aranha Oswaldo Euclides de Sousa Aranha (, 15 February 1894 – 27 January 1960) was a Brazilian politician, diplomat and statesman, who came to national prominence in 1930 under Getúlio Vargas. Considered a moderate by many in and outside of Brazil, ...

also helped, and Willys–Overland reached a 52% share of Brazilian passenger car production in 1959. Wolfe, p. 121 Willys held a market share of around 30% in Brazil from 1960 until 1966, its last full year as an independent, mostly Brazilian-owned company. Willys entered the Brazilian market in the hope of offsetting their shrinking market and losses at home. However, unlike in the case of the Argentinian Kaiser operations, which were essentially developed around hand-me-downs, Willys built a very modern plant from the ground up in Brazil. The original promise was to build cars for export back to the United States, but such a situation never materialized. Wolfe, p. 119 However, by late 1961, Brazilian-built Willys Jeeps began to be exported to

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

. Wolfe, p. 123 Willys expanded into Brazil's impoverished northeast in the early 1960s, when they built an assembly plant for the Jeep in the state of

Pernambuco Pernambuco () is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.6 million people as of 2020, making it seventh-most populous state of Brazil and with around 98,148 km², being the 19 ...

. Wolfe, p. 124 In 1962, Willys started building the French Alpine A108 as the Willys Interlagos. It was produced until 1966 and was the first Brazilian-made sports car. It was also the car in which many Brazilian racers cut their teeth, including greats such as

Emerson Fittipaldi Emerson Fittipaldi (; born 12 December 1946) is a Brazilian former automobile racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship and the Indianapolis 500 twice each and the CART championship once. Moving up from Formula Two, Fittip ...

. Willys also designed and showed a larger sports car called the "Capeta" (Devil) in 1964, powered by the 2.6-litre six-cylinder Aero engine. In 1965, Willys–Overland do Brasil and Renault began collaborating on a new front-wheel drive car, called "Project M" and meant to replace the aging Dauphine. Developed in parallel with the

Renault 12 }), the other is the submodel designation TS. Sold as a sedan or a station wagon (TSW), it has a 1.4 litre carburetted C1J (Cléon) engine with and came with either a four- or a five-speed transmission. Australia The Renault 12 won Australia's ...

, which it antedated, the car eventually saw light as the

Ford Corcel The Ford Corcel ("stallion" in Portuguese) is a car which was sold by Ford do Brasil in Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Venezuela. It was also assembled in Venezuela (along with the Del Rey). The French-influenced styling of the Corcel was ...

. Early Corcels had "Willys" stamping in the glass, and the Corcel line (which continued in production until 1997 as the

Ford Pampa The Ford Pampa is a coupe utility manufactured by Ford do Brasil between 1982 and 1997. It was derived from the Ford Corcel and Ford Del Rey, and was the best-selling coupe utility in Brazil for several years. The Ford Pampa was replaced by the ...

) always showed its French origins in its characteristic three-bolt wheels. In 1967, Ford took a controlling interest in Kaiser and thereby gained control of Willys–Overland do Brasil. The Aero-based Itamaraty continued in production until the early 1970s, in latter years wearing "Ford" badges. Dauphine production ended in 1968, but the Willys Rural/Pickup and its derivatives were built as the Ford F-75 until 1983. The only visual difference is that the post-1970 cars have a tailgate with "Ford" rather than "Jeep" stamped in it. The military version of the Jeep Pickup was called the F-85. In America, the company had already changed its name in 1963 to

Kaiser-Jeep Kaiser Jeep was the result of the 1953 merger of Kaiser Motors, an independent passenger car maker based in Willow Run, Michigan, with the Toledo, Ohio-based Willys-Overland Company. Willys-Overland had been at one point before World War II ...

Corporation; the Willys name disappeared thereafter.

Legacy

Kaiser-Jeep was sold to

American Motors Corporation American Motors Corporation (AMC; commonly referred to as American Motors) was an American automobile manufacturing company formed by the merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company on May 1, 1954. At the time, it was the ...

(AMC) in 1970 when Kaiser Industries decided to leave the automobile business. After the sale, AMC used engines it had developed for its other cars in Jeep models to improve performance and standardize production and servicing.

Renault Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...

purchased a major stake in AMC in 1979 and took over operation of the company, producing the CJ series until 1986.

purchased AMC in 1987 after the CJ had already been replaced with the

Jeep Wrangler The Jeep Wrangler is a series of compact and mid-size four-wheel drive off-road SUVs manufactured by Jeep since 1986 and is currently in its fourth generation. The Wrangler JL, the most recent generation, was revealed in late 2017 and is produ ...

(also known as the YJ and later TJ), which had little in common with the CJ series other than outward appearance. The Jeep marque, owned by DaimlerChrysler and later Fiat, produces Jeep vehicles at a new

Toledo Complex The Toledo Assembly Complex is a automotive factory complex located in Toledo, Ohio. Now owned by Stellantis North America, sections of the facility have operated as an automobile assembly plant since 1910, originally for Willys-Overland. The T ...

DaimlerChrysler The Mercedes-Benz Group AG (previously named Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler) is a German multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of the world's leading car manufacture ...

introduced the Overland name for a trim package on the 2002

Jeep Grand Cherokee The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a range of mid-size SUVs produced by the American manufacturer Jeep. At its introduction, while most SUVs were still manufactured with body-on-frame construction, the Grand Cherokee has used a unibody chassis from the ...

. The badging is a recreation of the Overland nameplate from the early twentieth century. In 2014, the ''Willys'' trademark was acquired by Italian

Carrozzeria Viotti The Carrozzeria Viotti was an Italian coachbuilding company active between 1921 and 1964. The company was founded in Turin, Italy by Vittorio Viotti. Designers like Frua and Mario Revelli worked for the company. It was the first coachbuilding ...

, declaration of Emanuele Bomboi (head of design of Viotti). Carrozzeria Viotti together with Fabbrica Italiana Maggiora introduced at the Bologna Motor Show 2014 the Willys AW 380 Berlineta, a concept car inspired by the original Willys Interlagos assembled by Willys in Brazil under license of the French Alpine. Viotti and Maggiora plans to produce the vehicle in limited edition and relaunch the Willys marque.

Racing

The 1933-36 coupés and pickups were very popular gassers. The best-known would be the 1933

.Taylor, "Wrenchin' @Random: Why the Rare Willys Was the Go-To Gasser" in ''Hot Rod''. Only 12,800 were sold in 1933, 13,234 in 1934, 10,644 in 1935 (including a new panel delivery), and 30,825 the company's final year, making it a puzzle why it became popular: it was neither cheap nor plentiful.Taylor, "Wrenchin' @Random: Why the Rare Willys Was the Go-To Gasser
Hot Rod Network online
(accessed 19 April 2017) After the company revived, the 1937-42 coupés, sedans, and pickups were again popular with

hot rod Hot rods are typically American cars that might be old, classic, or modern and that have been rebuilt or modified with large engines optimised for speed and acceleration. One definition is: "a car that's been stripped down, souped up and made ...

ders and gasser teams, and again, comparatively low production leaves unexplained why they gained so much attention. Ollie Olsen's ''Wil-A-Meaner'' 1940 coupé (driven by Bob "Rapid" Dwyer) won the 1961 NHRA Nationals A/G title.

List of Willys vehicles

Willys

(1933–36) *Willys Four *Willys Six *Willys-Six C-113 truck (1931-1932) *Willys Eight * Willys-Knight (1914–1933) *

Willys Americar The Willys Americar was a line of automobiles produced by Willys-Overland Motors from 1937 to 1942, either as a sedan, coupe, station wagon or pickup truck. The coupe version is a very popular hot rod choice, either as a donor car or as a fiberg ...

(1940–1942) *Willys Sedan 1940-194? *

*also many early cars with model numbers

Overland

*Baby Overland *Overland Whippet (1926–1931) *Overland Four *Overland 59t (1911–1912) *Overland Six *Overland 90 *Overland 91 *Overland 93 *Overland 39 *also many early cars with model number

Aero-Willys

*Aero-Willys JT (1951) *Aero-Willys Wing (1952) *Aero-Willys Scout (1953) *Aero-Willys Lark (1952–1954) *Aero-Willys Ace (1952–1954) *Aero-Willys Falcon (1953) *Aero-Willys Eagle (1952–1954) *Aero-Willys 2600 (1963) *(1960–1969 with Ford of Brazil) *Aero Willys (Brooks Stevens´design)

Willys–Overland

*Willys Dauphine (1959–1965), licensed from Renault. 23,887 produced (

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

) * Willys Gordini (1962–1968), a more powerful Dauphine, licensed from Renault. 41,045 produced (

) * Aero-Willys (1960–1971) 99,621 produced. (

) *

Willys Itamaraty Willys (pronounced , "Willis" ) was a brand, brand name used by Willys–Overland Motors, an American automobile company, founded by John Willys, John North Willys. It was best known for its design and production of World War II era Willys M38A1 ...

(1966–1971) 17,216 produced. (

) *

Willys Interlagos The Alpine A108 was a light-weight glass-fibre bodied, rear-engined two-door coupé produced for a young competition-oriented Dieppe based Renault dealer called Jean Rédélé. The car replaced the Alpine A106 and was based on mechanical components ...

(1961–1966), licensed from Renault/Alpine. 822 produced. (

) * Willys Itamaraty Executivo (limousine) (1966–1969). 27 produced. (

) * Willys–Overland Crossley (United Kingdom)

Jeeps

* Willys MA (Original Jeep Concept) *

(1941–1945) 335,531 produced. * Willys CJ-2 (1944–45) * Willys CJ-2A (1946–49) * Willys Wagon (1946–65) 300,000 produced. * Willys CJ-3A (1949–1953) 132,000 are produced. * Willys Pickup (1947–65) 200,000 are produced. * Willys Jeep FC (1956–65) 30,000 are produced. * Willys Jeepster (1948–50) 19,000 are produced. *

Willys M38 The Willys MC, formally the -Ton, 4 x 4, Utility Truck M38, or the G740 by its U.S. Army Standard Nomenclature supply catalog designation, is a quarter-ton four-wheel drive military light utility vehicle made by Willys between 1949 and 1952. I ...

(1951–52) 61,423 produced. * Willys CJ-3B (1952–68) 155,000 are produced. *

Willys M38A1 The Willys MD, formally the M38A1 Truck, Utility: 1/4 ton, 4x4, or the G758 by its U.S. Army Standard Nomenclature supply catalog designation, was a four-wheel drive, military light utility vehicle, made by Willys and Willys Motors / Kaiser Jee ...

(1952–57) * Willys CJ-5 later Jeep CJ5 (1954–1983) 600,000 are produced. *

Rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are describ ...

Jeep (1960–1969) or Ford Rural (1970–77) (Brazil) * Willys Jeep Pickup (1960–1969) or Ford F-75 (1970–83) (Brazil) * Willys Corvo (1977–1977) (Chile)

Body type designations

* Bermuda – Hardtop designation, 1955

Gallery

Image:Willys-knight 1918-0508.jpg, A 1918 Willys Knight advertisement – "Sleeve Valve Motor" – Syracuse Herald, May 8, 1918 Image:Willys-Knight1920.jpg, 1920 Willys–Knight advertisement

Vehicles

Image:Willys Six 97 4-Door Sedan 1931.jpg, Willys Six 97 4-Door Sedan 1931 Image:Willys Six 4-Door Sedan 1931.jpg, Willys Six 4-Door Sedan 1931 Image:Willys 6 1931 Sport Coupe.JPG, Willys 6 1931 Sport Coupe Image:Willys 77 4-Door Sedan 1936.jpg, Willys 77 4-Door Sedan 1936 Image:Whippet 4-Dörrars Sedan.jpg, Whippet 4-Door Sedan Image:Whippet Touring 1929.jpg, Whippet Model 96A Touring 1929 Image:1930 Overland Whippet 96A sedan.JPG, 1930 Whippet 96A sedan Image:Whippet 2-Dörrars Sedan 1927.jpg, Whippet Model 96 Coach 1927 Image:1922 Willys-Knight Model 20.jpg, 1922 Willys-Knight Model 20 in the

Petersen Automotive Museum The Petersen Automotive Museum is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile neighborhood of Los Angeles. One of the world's largest automotive museums, the Petersen Automotive Museum is a nonprofit organization specializi ...

Image:17 03 320 little white house.jpg, custom built 1940 Willys roadster on display at the

Little White House The Little White House was the personal retreat of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, located in the Historic District of Warm Springs, Georgia. He first came to Warm Springs (formerly known as Bullochville) in 19 ...

Image:1939 Willys Overland 4-Door Sedan (Model 39).jpg, Willys Overland 4-Door Sedan (Model 39) 1939: This example has a body built in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. It was an Australian automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter which sold cars under its own marque in Australia. In its last thre ...

that differs from the American model in having an additional window behind the rear door Image:Overland Roadster 1910.jpg, Overland Model 38 Roadster 1910 Image:Overland Model 46 Torpedo Roadster 1911.jpg, Overland Model 46 Torpedo Roadster 1911 Image:Overland Model 82 Touring 1915.jpg, Overland Model 82 Touring 1915 Image:Overland Model 91 Touring 1922.jpg, Overland Model 91 Touring 1922 Image:Overland Model 91 Touring 1923.jpg, Overland Model 91 Touring 1923 Image:'50s Willys.JPG, Aero-Willys Image:Brazilian Aero-Willys.jpg, Brazilian made Aero-Willys 1960 Image:Willys FC150 Truck 1963.jpg, Willys FC150 Truck 1963 Image:Willys 1957 P1270690.jpg, 1957 Willys pickup (four-wheel drive) Image:JeepwwII01.jpg, A