1928 Willys-Overland Whippet

In 1908 John Willys (pronounced: will-iss) bought the Overland Automotive division of Standard Wheel Company and in 1912 he renamed it Willys-Overland Motor Company. They built cars in Toledo, Ohio and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Through the teens it was second only to Ford in auto production but the recession of 1920 brought it down and Willys assets were sold off. Production of Overland cars continued until 1926 when it was replaced by the Whippet brand which lasted only until 1931.

By the standard of the time the Whippet was a small car. Introduced in May 1926 with a four-cylinder 134 cu. in. flathead engine, the Whippet Model 96 was one of the earliest cars to offer 4-wheel brakes, a water pump in the cooling system and pressure lubrication. Whippet advertising emphasized light weight, acceleration, braking, low center of gravity and that it was the lowest cost car offering four-wheel brakes. In December 1927 the 96 was replace by the 96A with a more powerful four-cylinder engine that was later used in the depression era Willys Model 77 and the WWII-era Willys jeep.