1926 Whippet Model 96

The Whippet automobile was introduced in 1926 and it was, at the time, America's smallest car. It was a popular vehicle with a sticker price under $1,000. Sadly, the company was not able to endure the Great Depression and went out of business.

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.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2008