Vehicle Description
Folks forget that in the early days of motoring, there were a lot
more cars than just the Model T. This handsome 1923 Willys-Overland
Willys-Knight 64 Sedan is far more advanced, powerful, rugged, and
stylish than the venerable T, all for a price that's about the
same. If you like the idea of primitive stagecoach machines that
still work as intended, this Overland 4-door is a great find.
With so few of these of these Willys-Overlands left on Earth (there
were never all that many produced at the Toledo, Ohio plant to
begin with), this is a very special car. It's not quite original
enough to be called a survivor, as it was obviously restored at
some point many years ago. Nevertheless, it has great patina that
seems to work especially well on vehicles from the early 20th
century. It's a substantial car, far bigger than a Model T, but you
don't realize that until you're right next to it. Bright blue paint
on a car in the '20s was a sign of great wealth, and along with the
black hood, fenders, and running boards it's a popular color
combination that still looks great today. The Willys-Overland line
of vehicles was very upscale, and these 4-door Touring cars with
their black vinyl roofs chauffeured around our betters throughout
the Roaring Twenties. Couldn't you see a gaggle of flapper girls
spilling out of this beauty after pulling up to the Cotton Club? F.
Scott Fitzgerald himself would be moved to write a masterpiece
after seeing one of these puttering by the Hamptons. The
contrasting black paint highlights the shapes of the hood, fenders,
and running boards, really dressing the car up and calling
attention to its many wonderful curves. The early-'20s weren't big
on brass or nickel trim quite yet, so most of it is painted to
match the body, although you do get a moto-meter on the radiator
and a single taillight out back. Bright bumpers fore and aft really
dress things up and add a modicum of safety, while the
fender-mounted headlights are positioned right where every car had
them in 1923, but in addition this beauty got a set of auxiliary
lights at either side of the cowl.
The interior has obviously been restored, as the itchy mohair has
been replaced with high-end velour-style upholstery finished in
correct patterns and materials to closely duplicate the original
look. The wide bench seats are comfortable and offer a commanding
view of the road, while the floors aren't just basic wood planks,
but are rather lined with dark carpets that insulate the cabin from
the outside world. A fat, four-spoke wooden steering wheel provides
plenty of leverage to maneuver the tall front wooden wheels and the
control layout is a twist on today's setup, with the throttle being
between the brake and clutch. Original Stewart gauges (must've been
before he met Warner) cover the basics and there's a beautiful
Overland badge over on the passenger's side dash, showing that
artistry mattered even when the transportation was basic. Rear seat
space is expansive and there are useful map pockets on the doors
and a robe rail behind the front seat. And because these Touring
cars were all class, you get vase holders for the fresh flowers the
chauffer would cut each morning (a precursor to our Big Gulp
cupholders of today), a neatly lined headliner up top, and vanity
shades over the windows to protect the precious cargo from making
eye contact with the unwashed masses that pass by.
This Overland uses a 3.0L cubic inch 4-cylinder engine that makes
somewhere around 40 horsepower. Now that may not seem like a lot,
but with clever gearing and lots of low-end torque, it feels peppy
around town and happily cruises at about 35 MPH, so it's not a
rolling roadblock. The engine is quite sophisticated for the time,
using a familiar distributor ignition system and a vacuum tank to
deliver fuel to the upgraded carburetor that's been topped with a
shiny air cleaner. Starters and generators were still a relatively
recent invention in 1923, and the big generator/starter unit looks
to be combined with the water pump on the driver's side of the
engine. The transmission is a typical 3-speed manual that needs
little more than a quick double-clutch between gears and the
buggy-spring suspension is designed for the rough roads of the time
but still feels smooth today. Brakes are rear-wheel only, so plan
your stops accordingly, and it stands proud on those 20-inch
woodspoke wheels (that's right, we liked big flashy rims even back
then) and proper 4.75/5.00-20 whitewall tires.
We hope the fans of these cars will continue to keep the torch
burning, because there's just so much fun to be had in this
Willys-Overland's simplicity. Call today!
