1927 Whippet Model 96

Sold for $23,100 at 2015 RM Sotheby's Hershey Auction.
The whippet was aptly named. When introduced in 1926, it was America's smallest car. It was also swift. At Indianapolis Speedway, a six-cylinder model established a new class stock car record; completing a 24-hour endurance run averaging 52.56 miles per hour. The car became a popular seller among vehicles priced under $1,000. The Wall Street crash and depression ended Whippet production.

Source - AACA Museum

Sold for $2,750 at 2007 Vintage Motor Cars at Hershey.
The Whippet marque was introduced in July of 1926 as a 1927 model and was Overland's successor. In comparison to the equivalent four-cylinder Overland, the Whippet was 200 pounds lighter and rested on a wheelbase that was a quarter inch longer. The engine was more advanced, smaller, and produced the same amount of power. It featured advantages such as full-pressure oiling and pump-circulated cooling. It was a very durable and sturdy engine that would eventually be used in Jeep vehicles more than a decade later.

The Whippet vehicles quickly became very successful, popular, and high-selling vehicles. In 1928 a six-cylinder engine was added to the line up increasing the vehicle's versatility and catering to a wider demographic of buyers. In 1928 they were the third-best-selling marque and lost out to Essex by a small margin in 1929.

This 1927 Whippet Model 96 Coupe was offered for sale at the Vintage Motor Cars sale at Hershey, PA presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $4,000 - $8,000 and offered without reserve. The lot was sold for a high bid of $2,750.

This car is in pretty poor condition, and shows many signs of a long life. There are dents, dings, scratches, and rust. The body and chassis are generally straight; the black paint has dulled over the years and peeled in many places. The glass is intact and good. The interior fabric shows considerable wear and tares. Many of the window cranks are broken; the others are just missing. The exterior nickel trim is tarnished and thin.

A very curious and peculiar feature of this car is the overland badge rather than a Whippet emblem. The odometer indicates 38,992 miles and it was last inspected in 1949 in Pennsylvania.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2007

Sold for $23,100 at 2015 RM Sotheby's Hershey Auction.
The Whippet was produced by Willys-Overland and served as a budget automobile with a small footprint, offering a competitive price and performance to similar cars of the era. Sadly, the Whippet last just five years, and the company closed its door due to the Great Depression in 1931. During its five-year production lifespan, it produced over 600,000 examples.

This Model 96 Sedan was added to the AACA Museum shortly after its opening in 2004. It was donated by a gentleman in Florida and was said to be an AACA Grand National First Prize winner. While in the museum's custody, the Whippet was used in the filming of an episode of HBO's hit series Boardwalk Empire, alongside a few of the other vehicles from the museum.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2015