At one time, Willys-Overland Motor Company was the second largest automobile producer behind Ford.  Headed by John Willys, the company found itself in hard times during the Depression of 1920-1921.  What saved it was hiring a new executive on his way to the top, drastic cost-cutting,  and cars like these 1923 Willys-Overland Model 91 touring cars for sale on Facebook Marketplace in Uxbridge, Massachusetts.  One of these stately touring cars is mostly restored.  The other was purchased to see how to put the one under restoration back together!  Unfortunately, the seller has decided to send these Model T competitors down the road for $6,500 each or $10,000 for the pair.  Would you be interested in a pair of twenties cars for a bargain price?  Thanks to Zappenduster for the recommendation of these two Willys-Overlands!

The early years of the automobile industry are a convoluted mess of multiple companies, shady stock offerings and purchases, and characters that would have fit in very well during the Wild West.  There was no order to it save that created by a few key figures who went on to build the automotive empires we deal with today.  Take for example John Willys.  Willys saw his first car in 1899 and wisely deduced that the new invention would soon be a major form of transportation.  First, he opened a car lot to sell and better understand the automobile and its market.  From there he began a series of purchases that rapidly built up his automotive empire.  By 1915 his company was the second largest automobile manufacturer in the nation behind Ford.  The company set up shop in Toledo, Ohio by building a seven-story headquarters with the company’s plants and suppliers nearby.  It was estimated that by 1920, Willys was financially responsible (directly or indirectly) with a third of Toledo’s workforce.

It was during the Depression of 1920-1921 that John Willys’ house of cards began to fall.  The company was leveraged to the hilt thanks to all of the borrowing that had been done in the previous decade.  It also didn’t help matters that the labor force in Toledo staged a violent and financially damaging strike in 1919 that lasted six months.  To add fuel to the fire, Willys intended to produce a six-cylinder car and was deep in debt for a factory purchase in New Jersey where he intended to produce the car.  An intervention by the banking interests that held leverage over Willys hired Walter P. Chrysler.  Chrysler was a vice president at General Motors and was promised the amazing (for the time) sum of one million dollars per year to clean up the mess.  Chrysler summarily canceled the Willys Six, auctioned off company property to pay off debts, tried and failed to take over the company, and left to head Maxwell-Chalmers with the best engineers that Willys had.  Those engineers, Fred Zeder, Owen Skelton, and Carl Breer, continued to work on the plans for a six-cylinder car that ended up being the foundation for the Chrysler Corporation.  Many felt that this was essentially the six-cylinder car that John Willys had hoped to bring to market.

During all this turmoil, Willys was still producing automobiles at a rapid pace.  The Model 91 touring cars you see here represent a new model for the troubled automaker when they debuted in 1923.  Customers were provided a choice of four different body styles with each one sitting on the same 100-inch wheelbase chassis.  That chassis was different than those of competitors.  Willys used a peculiar differential design that contained semi-floating axles while others used much more rudimentary designs.  Powered by a 154 cubic inch inline four that put out a competitive 27 horsepower, the Model 91 used a conventional three-speed manual transmission and had a base cost of $530.

The two 1923 Willys-Overlands seen here are being offered either separately or in a more economical package deal.  The black car is from the state of Georgia and has received extensive restoration work.  Everything is said to be rebuilt mechanically as well.  It just needs to be put back together and it comes with “lots of NOS (new old stock) parts.”  The red car is one that the seller purchased to have a pattern when it came time to put the black car back together.  It is even claimed that the red car ran when it was parked.  Both cars are said to have been stored inside and will come with titles.

For $10,000 you can have a pair of Willys-Overland touring cars that are close to the point where they can be driven.  It would be nice to have a list and some pictures of the NOS parts that will come along with the black car.  However, a comparable pair of Model T Fords would likely sell for more despite being smaller and a bit more primitive.  You can tell from the pictures that the Willys was a slightly better car for the money.  Now, over a century later, the Willys is a more interesting car as well.  There are plenty of Fords still out there, but when was the last time you saw a Willys-Overland?  The rarity of these cars, their good condition, and the back story of what was going on with the company while they were being developed all add up to a lot of positives for a relatively reasonable asking price.  Hopefully, they will find a good home soon.  Even better if they stay together.

Have you ever seen, driven, or owned a Willys-Overland?  Do you think $10,000 is a fair price for both cars?  Please share your experiences and thoughts in the comments.