We know you know that Willys is famous for making Jeeps. But we'll bet you didn't know about the company's other creations.
To most people, the mere mention of the name Willys conjures memories of the original Jeep.
But though this sturdy mainstay of the Second World War continues in one form or another, much of the company's history, and the man credited with making it, has been all but forgotten.
The workers at the Overland Automobile Company had John North Willys to thank for keeping them on the payroll after 1907. The fledgling operation, which had begun making automobiles back in 1903, had run into severe financial difficulties, the first of a number of such near catastrophes the company would be forced to endure.
To the rescue came John Willys (actually pronounced Willis), a flamboyant 34-year-old entrepreneur who purchased 500 Overland cars for resale, and had already shelled out $10,000 in deposit funds. To protect his investment, the customer soon became the principle owner, and in 1912 Overland was reorganized as the Willys-Overland Motor Company, with manufacturing facilities located in Toledo, Ohio.
Under the direction of Willys, the company not only survived, but thrived. From 1910-'19, automobile production was second only to Ford's Model T.
Along with selling a line of affordable Overland models, Willys also produced the more expensive Knight-powered cars. Willys met Charles Knight in 1913 and was immediately impressed with his revolutionary sleeve-valve engine. Knight's patented design had been proven to be far more durable than anything else on the market and was quieter and more fuel-efficient to boot. The only drawback to the Knight design was its relatively high production costs. As a result, the engine had only been used in low-volume, premium-priced North-American and European marques.
After securing a license from its inventor, Willys began manufacturing a line of higher-priced Willys-Knight-branded cars, eventually churning out more than a half million examples between 1914 and 1933.
But the road to success was hardy a smooth one for Willys. Disaster loomed in 1918 when a protracted six-month strike at his Toledo plant nearly killed the company. To stave off disaster, Willys' financial backers - namely the banks - hired none other than Walter P. Chrysler to oversee their investment. Chrysler had recently retired as head of Buick and had yet to start his own car company. From 1920-'22, Chrysler restored Willys-Overland to financial health before moving on to earn his own spot in the pantheon of automotive magnates. Willys was saved, but it would never again enjoy a prominent position as one of North America's top-selling brands.
Throughout the Roaring '20s, both Overland and Willys-Knight vehicles proved not only popular, but profitable. Leading the way was the high-volume Overland Whippet that became the company's prime income earner. From 1927-'31 more than 100,000 of the popular-priced Whippets were sold.
To most people, the mere mention of the name Willys conjures memories of the original Jeep.
But though this sturdy mainstay of the Second World War continues in one form or another, much of the company's history, and the man credited with making it, has been all but forgotten.
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The workers at the Overland Automobile Company had John North Willys to thank for keeping them on the payroll after 1907. The fledgling operation, which had begun making automobiles back in 1903, had run into severe financial difficulties, the first of a number of such near catastrophes the company would be forced to endure.
To the rescue came John Willys (actually pronounced Willis), a flamboyant 34-year-old entrepreneur who purchased 500 Overland cars for resale, and had already shelled out $10,000 in deposit funds. To protect his investment, the customer soon became the principle owner, and in 1912 Overland was reorganized as the Willys-Overland Motor Company, with manufacturing facilities located in Toledo, Ohio.
Under the direction of Willys, the company not only survived, but thrived. From 1910-'19, automobile production was second only to Ford's Model T.
Along with selling a line of affordable Overland models, Willys also produced the more expensive Knight-powered cars. Willys met Charles Knight in 1913 and was immediately impressed with his revolutionary sleeve-valve engine. Knight's patented design had been proven to be far more durable than anything else on the market and was quieter and more fuel-efficient to boot. The only drawback to the Knight design was its relatively high production costs. As a result, the engine had only been used in low-volume, premium-priced North-American and European marques.
After securing a license from its inventor, Willys began manufacturing a line of higher-priced Willys-Knight-branded cars, eventually churning out more than a half million examples between 1914 and 1933.
But the road to success was hardy a smooth one for Willys. Disaster loomed in 1918 when a protracted six-month strike at his Toledo plant nearly killed the company. To stave off disaster, Willys' financial backers - namely the banks - hired none other than Walter P. Chrysler to oversee their investment. Chrysler had recently retired as head of Buick and had yet to start his own car company. From 1920-'22, Chrysler restored Willys-Overland to financial health before moving on to earn his own spot in the pantheon of automotive magnates. Willys was saved, but it would never again enjoy a prominent position as one of North America's top-selling brands.
Throughout the Roaring '20s, both Overland and Willys-Knight vehicles proved not only popular, but profitable. Leading the way was the high-volume Overland Whippet that became the company's prime income earner. From 1927-'31 more than 100,000 of the popular-priced Whippets were sold.