COMPANY

John Willys, during 1908, purchased the Overland Automotive branch of the Standard Wheel Company. Giving it a name change in 1912, it became the Willys-Overland Motor Company. From then until 1918, Willys-Overland was the most successful automobile manufacturer with the exception of the Ford Motor Company. Willys obtained a license for building Charles Knight sleeve valve engines in 1913. He used these engines in his flagship vehicles under the Willys-Knight namesake. Willys purchased the Cleveland, Ohio Stearns company in 1922 and carried on the production of Stearns-Knight luxury vehicles.

Prior to that in 1914, he additionally obtained the Electric Auto-Lite Company and three years later established a holding company under the name of the Willys Corporation. Also, in 1816, Willys obtained Toronto, Canada's Russell Motor Car Company, which he renamed New Process Gear in 1917. His acquisition streak continued when in 1919, he obtained the Duesenberg Motors Company plant of Elizabeth, New Jersey. He used the site to establish a larger facility to produce the new Willys Six, but experienced serious complications with the economic recession of 1920. Willys' bankers sub-contracted Walter Chrysler to provide a solution for the company. His first move was to scrap the plans for the Willys Six and he proceeded to design the Chrysler Six instead with the help of Fred Zeder, Owen Skelter and Carl Breer, all professional auto engineers.

By this time, the assets of the Willys Corporation were put on auction in order to obtain the necessary funds for their inherent debts. During that time, William C. Durant purchased the Elizabeth plant as well as the Chrysler Six prototype. He used the plant to produce his economy vehicle, the Star and reworked the design for the Chrysler Six, which was released as the 1923 Flint. Walter Chrysler began working with Maxwell-Chalmers, which was later to become today's Chrysler.

Overland productions ceased entirely in 1926 and in its place came the Whippet cars, known for their small size. The Depression saw the end of other Willys brands as well. Stearns-Knight's life ended in 1929 and Whippet productions ended in 1931. These were replaced by a new Willys Six in addition to the Willys Eight. Two years later, Willys-Knight productions ended as well. However, this was not enough to discourage Willys.

After these failures, he released a four-cylinder model, the Willys 77 and a six-cylinder model, the Willys 99. However, he ended up not being able to produce both models, once again due to tightened funds and only produced the 77. He had to sell his facility in Toronto as well as several other properties, leaving him with only his main assembly plant. The holding company leased some of this back to him, which greatly helped him through his troubles. In 1936, he changed the company name to Willys-Overland Motors and would later produce the first Jeep.