E-Delivery

Ga ra g e | sh o t s Between 1912 and 1918, the Toledo-based Willys-Overland Company was America's second largest producer of automobiles. In the bleak years of the Great Depression, the company was struggling to stay afloat in the midst of an economy that had claimed many independent car companies. In 1936 it went bankrupt and reorganized. The company found salvation in the Willys 77, a small four-cylinder car that was selling for as little as $395. It was an ordinary but well-built compact passenger car produced under the presidency of Joseph W. Frazer and engineered by Barney Roos. The L-head four-cylinder engine and ladder chassis were conventional, while the sharp-nosed body styling owed a tip of the hat to previous Hudsons and Nashes. It's estimated that about 22,000 1941 models were built. The 1941 Willys Americar vehicles were slightly longer than the earlier models but still a relatively small automobile. In addition to the 2-door coupes, a limited number of 3-door woodie wagons were produced as well as a 4-door sedan and pickup truck. At the time, an Americar 441 could be had for about $700, depending on the model and options. Unquestionably, 1941 was the company's banner year. First, it introduced the Willys Americar 441. Second, it was the year that the now famous 4x4 "Willys" was chosen by the War Department as its light utility vehicle for the war effort. The "Jeep", as it would become known, was based on an original Bantam design which the Willys company married to a shortened Americar chassis and modified running gear. 38

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