1926 Wills Sainte Claire Model W-6

Wills Sainte Claire Automobiles were built from 1921 to 1926 in Marysville, Michigan. The originator of the brand was a masterful designer/engineer/metallurgist named C. Harold Wills (1878-1940) who was Henry Ford's first partner. Wills was formally trained as a machinist and served as the chief engineer for Ford between 1903 and 1919 when he played a significant role in developing Models A, B, C, F, and T. He was also credited with designing the Ford script/blue oval logo still used today. Henry Ford and Harold Wills made a perfect team - Ford worked with remarkable instincts and Wills provided the technical expertise. It was Wills who developed vanadium steel alloy which allowed Fords to be built with lighter yet stronger materials to help lower the price. Eventually, Harold Wills's penchant for perfection and Henry Ford's obstinance against technological advances led to an amicable parting of the ways. Thanks to his early compensation arrangement with Ford based on a percent of the profits, Harold Wills walked away from the Ford Motor Company in 1919 as a multi-millionaire (and with a final profit-sharing check for over $1.5 million).

With these funds, Wills organized the C.H. Wills Company and built a manufacturing facility in Marysville, Michigan near the Saint Clair River north and east of Detroit. His goal was to build fine, stylish automobiles incorporating new alloys such as molybdenum into the castings which would provide enhanced durability and lower weight. Wills named the car after himself and the nearby river and later added an 'e' to the words, Saint Clair because he thought it added panache. Harold Wills was fond of the Gray Goose and considered it the ultimate traveler so he incorporated one into the logo for his automobiles. The logo itself is remarkable in its artistic interest and is highly regarded even outside automotive circles for its unique design. The first Wills Sainte Claire was completed in 1921 and the line was recognized for its fine design and workmanship. Power for the vehicle was supplied by an overhead cam V8 engine designed by Wills himself which was considered by contemporaries as ten years ahead of its time. Other advanced features seen on Wills Sainte Claires included four-wheel hydraulic brakes, balloon tires, and the first automatic backup lights.

In 1921 and 1922, C.H. Wills & Company produced over 4,000 autos. They might have produced more except Wills was known for shutting down the assembly line whenever he thought of a new way to improve their product. His perfectionism drove colleagues away. By December of 1922, all of the company officers, including John R. Lee who had come from Ford with Wills, had resigned and the corporation shut down. Wills built 14,001 vehicles during its life cycle. There were 1,932 built in 1926 and it is believed that approximately 70 Wills Sainte Claires survive.

In 1923, with the help of a Boston bank, he reorganized and reopened the Wills Sainte Claire Motor Company. In addition to his ever-changing V-8, he now produced an overhead cam inline 6. This was partly due to the heavy cost of producing the V-8 and partly due to complaints from his customers that the V-8 was too complicated for the average home mechanic to work on. From 1923 through 1926 Wills sold over 5,000 cars. However, with his constant tinkering, it was never enough to make a profit. In 1927 the Wills Sainte Claire Motor Company closed its doors.

All Wills Sainte Claire models are included as Full Classic Cars by the Classic Car Club of America. As a testament to the vehicle's durability, L.B. Miller of San Francisco (known as the king of the Lincoln Highway), drove a Wills Saint Claire in a transcontinental trip across the United States in a then-record 83 hours. This feat was accomplished in a vehicle similar to the subject and was prominently featured in the company's advertisements of the day.

After shutting down his car company, Wills took part in designing the prestigious Ruxton front-wheel-drive automobile and later went on to work as a metallurgy consultant for the Chrysler Corporation in the early 1930s. In 1935 Chrysler purchased the factory he had built. He died at the age of 62, on December 30, 1940.

Roadster
Chassis number: T23275

C. Harold Wills began his automotive career with Henry Ford. Serving as the company's chief designer and metallurgist, he pioneered the use of vanadium steel, a key element in the success of the Model T. Wills left Ford in 1919 with a 1.5 million severance package and set out to make his own car. He built his plant on the shores of the St. Clair River in the small town of Marysville. No expense was spared in the design of his new car. Production was slow and methodical as Wills would frequently stop the assembly line to implement improvements. Approximately 12,000 cars were built between 1921 & 1926; about 80 survive.

It is not known who originally owned this Wills Sainte Claire. What is known is that at some point a man by the name of William Long owned the car. It is believed that William sold the Wills to Seith Pancoast in 1941 and it was immediately put in a garage in need of a lot of work. The car remained in this garage until after Seth's death, circa 1972, around which time Russell B. Hunsberger's father began talking with Elsa Pancoast about acquiring the car. It was not until July 6, 1976, that she finally sold the car for $8000. In 1976, two tires were replaced and the bumpers were 'stripped' and 'polished chrome.'

In the fall of 1977, the car was taken to Henry's Antique Car Shop where a complete restoration took place. The shop had the car from October 1977 until January 1978. The total cost of the work was $23,275.02.

The car became the property of Russell Hunsberger (who has compiled the history of the car) about two years prior to his father's death in February 1996. Since then, the car has continued to be driven and shown.

in 1999, the car was sent to the 'W.W. Motor Cars' restoration shop in Broadway, Virginia where it was completely restored from the frame-up in a six-month period. The cost of this restoration was about $62,000. One major hurdle was changing the chrome back to nickel. The post-restoration debut was at Winchester, VA where it earned its first junior. The following year it earned its senior at the Hershey Fall Meet. In 2002 it got its first Grand National at Newbern N.C. During this period the Wills earned five Preservation awards.