Vehicle Description
The short-lived line of Willis Aero cars is a very interesting
piece of American automotive history. Built by the Willys Motors
Inc. (the year prior, Willis-Overland was purchased by Kaiser and
renamed) as a low-cost alternative to the Big 3, cars like this
1954 Willys Aero Lark were a precursor to the light-weight compact
cars to come down the pike in the near future, and despite the
car's eventual demise and relegation to the South American market
several years later, they helped pave the way for the European and
Japanese compacts to gain a foothold in America. That is not
insignificant, as it also changed the focus of the Big 3, resulting
in a plenitude of compact car options for the American family from
a variety of manufacturers, ostensibly molding the way the car
industry is set-up today. Cars that escaped the crusher like this
'54 Aero Lark sedan are super-rare, and finding one that can
actually be regularly driven and enjoyed is all but a fable these
days.
1954 was the most ambitious of the Willys Aero models, with
available Lark, Ace, and Eagle submodels that offered refined
styling on their surprisingly wide and long 108-inch wheelbase
dimensions. Those platform specs would be copied for years to come,
as the car provided room for a family of six in a pinch, a fact
that was not lost on the American consumer. Proposed by an
ex-Packard engineer and styled by famed designer Phil Wright, the
Aeros were meant to be easy to build for the struggling Willys
division of Kaiser at their plant in Toledo, but they were also
meant to look stylish with a minimal amount of flair - focusing
mostly on being an economical car that was a lot of fun to drive
because of its advantageous power-to-weight ratio and comfortable
suspension. Notable upgrades for the year included a wraparound
one-piece windshield, 'hooded' headlight and parking light bezels,
larger taillights, and redesigned bumper guards. Wearing rather
nondescript gray paint that's reported to be the car's lone
repaint, this one looks exactly the way it might have on Main
Street circa 1954, easily tooling around town where its trim size
and great maneuverability were a big asset. And Willys stylists did
work wonders with it, as it shows wonderful details like the ornate
open-mouth front grille with integrated 'W' badge and the neat
little kick-up for the taillights that proves fins were not just
for the big cars. Despite the low overall production numbers, the
4-door post sedans were the most commonly built Aeros, and thanks
to great preservation and a reported 2-owner history, it remains in
solid driver-quality condition throughout, without any of the rust
issues that plagued so many of these compact cars decades ago.
The interior is even more of a treat, with period textures and
materials that make the affordable Lark feel special. The floor is
covered by a rubber mat that looks to have been replaced not long
ago, but the wide bench seats sport two-tone seat covers and door
panels to match, all of which are likely original to the car. The
redesigned dashboard is post-war simple with an all-in-one gauge
cluster that will be familiar to both Willys and Kaiser fans. The
matching steering wheel and column-mounted shifter offer light
control efforts and a splash of color in the super-cool horn
button, which sports a stylized "W" emblem. The back seat is
spacious enough for three in a pinch, with plenty of headroom
thanks to the 4-door post design of the base-model Lark. Focusing
on value, this one is light on options, set-up with only a heater
(currently inoperable) and AM radio from the factory, but again,
that's all part of this economical compact's charm. Out, the trunk
includes a full-sized spare with an original cover, along with
original mat covering the floors.
Probably the most appealing part of the Willys-Aeros was the
surprisingly excellent performance, as the power-to-weight ratio of
these cars was incredibly advantageous. Based on the submodel, you
got a choice of two motors in your Aero: the base-model I-4
"Hurricane" or up-model I-6 "Hurricane Six". This particular model,
the Aero Lark (this is an import-market car, so there may be some
variables that are difficult to trace back to Toledo), is reported
to sport the believed-original 161 Hurricane Six, which sports a
hefty factory-rated 90 horsepower. That may not seem like a lot
today, but for a 1954 compact model that only weighed approximately
2500 pounds, it's very impressive. It's energetic around town and
will happily cruise at 50mph, and in fact, this engine might make
the Aero a smart hobby car today, as it often pulled down as much
as 27 MPG while 'country driving', and there's no reason it can't
do it today. The engine bay is detailed properly, with black paint
on the engine, a big oil bath air cleaner, and the original 6-volt
generator, which still spits out great starting power. The ratios
in the 3-speed transmission are well chosen and the suspension is
more-than-capable and quite frankly ahead of its time, with a
modern coil-spring style front and more conventional leaf-spring
set-up in the back that handles great and gives the car solid
riding comfort. It's uber-solid underneath and features a burbling
single exhaust with a newer chambered muffler, as well as
color-matched painted steel wheels adorned with period-correct
Willys hubcaps all wrapped in 6.00-15 bias-ply white-walls.
A piece of automatic history that represents one of the final
breaths of life for Willys in North America, this Aero-Lark is an
amazingly rare find. Featuring several original documents and
manuals, this is the esoteric compact you want if you're going rare
game hunting. Or, if you're just looking for a great classic driver
with one of the coolest histories in the industry, it's got that in
spades too. Call today!
