In 1937, the small and peculiar Willys 77 was retired in favor of the larger and more stylish Willys 37.
The Willys-Overland Motor Company somehow survived the early years of the Great Depression—just barely, and under the supervision of a federal bankruptcy judge. In 1936 the Toledo company emerged from bankruptcy with a new chairman, advertising and finance man Ward Canaday, and a new name, Willys-Overland Motors, Inc. There was even a few dollars, not many, left over for a new model: the Willys 37.
The new car carried over the basic chassis and 100-inch wheelbase of the previous Willys 77 introduced in 1933. The 134.2 cubic-inch L-head four with 48 hp was a holdover as well, while the Warner three-speed transmission was updated with synchronizers. The all-new exterior was the work of independent designer Amos Northup, who years earlier had briefly served as chief of styling at Willys-Overland and was also responsible for the Willys 77.
The new styling was a departure, not just for Willys-Overland but for the industry. Northup applied for and received a design patent for the clever package, as shown in the patent drawing above. We say clever because the design was not just advanced, with its headlamps integrated into the fenders. The front-opening clamshell hood significantly reduced the component count as there was no grille as such, only louvers stamped in the hood—a needful cost-saving measure for the cash-starved company. And we can clearly see that the Willys 37 foreshadows Northup’s most famous and original design, the Spirit of Motion 1939 Graham, better known as the sharknose.
One of the peculiarities of the Euro-flavored 1933-36 Willys 77 was its narrow 51-inch track width, which made the car uncomfortable to drive on unimproved roads, especially in winter. For the Willys 37, the track width was opened up to a more conventional 55 inches at the front and 58 inches at the rear, which in turn enabled a much wider cabin (above). Three-abreast seating was now at least possible, if a little cozy. At 175 inches long and nearly 70 inches wide, the little Willys had grown up. Sales shot up, too, from not quite 19,000 cars in ’36 to nearly 77,000 in ’37.
Choices in body style were minimal: a handsome coupe and a four-door sedan in standard or deluxe trim, and a pickup. (In the following year a two-door sedan was introduced, a four-door with its rear doors welded and filled.) Prices ranged from $499 to $589, barely undercutting Ford and Chevrolet on up-front cost. So instead, advertising focused on fuel economy and low cost of operation. Users reported up to 40 miles per imperial gallon, Willys claimed.
The Willys 37 package received a styling facelift in 1939, another in 1940, and with a number of detail improvements including an increase in wheelbase to 104 inches, it emerged as the 1941 Americar. Meanwhile, the 134 CID engine, which dated back to the Willys-Overland Whippet, was modernized by chief engineer Delmar G. Roos and uprated to 63 hp in 1939. This is the very same L-head four that powered the Willys Jeep through World War II and civilian Jeeps through 1953, and remained in production at various points around the world through 1965.
