1913 Overland Model 69

Although the Overland had been around since 1903, the brand really didn't take off until John North Willys arrived in 1907. Claude M Cox's original Overland car was developed in the early 1900s by the Standard Wheel Company, of Terre Haut, Indiana.

John North Willys, a New York auto dealer, and a major Overland customer had ordered 500 Overlands and paid a deposit of $10,000. When his product was not delivered he traveled to Indiana, only to find Overland on the point of closure. Willys secured credit, reorganized the company, and by mid-1908 was in a position to build a new factory. Production began to grow and by 1909 the company had moved to Toledo, Ohio. Willys eventually became president of the company.

Only four-cylinder models were produced from 1910 to 1914. All cars were right-hand drive. (The company did not change to left-hand drive until 1915).

Sold for $27,500 at 2014 RM Auctions - Hershey.
Overland built a quality automobile that was advanced for its time. The early models had a removable ignition plug that prevent auto theft. Though they had a great product - like so many other automakers - they were in danger of collapsing by 1907. A dealer from Elmira, New York named John North Willys, had a $10,000 deposit on an order for 500 cars. To keep from losing the sales he had generated, he stepped in and assumed management of the struggling company. The company was reorganized as the Willys-Overland Company and the years that followed were filled with both near bankruptcy and multi-million-dollar production. Production would continue until the 1930s.

This Overland Model 69 wears an older restoration and is finished in a shade of blue, with white pin-striping and black fenders. The interior is finished in black diamond-pleated leather with a black canvas top. In 2001, it was donated to the AACA Museum.

This 5-passenger Touring car rests on a 110-inch wheelbase platform and is powered by a 226.2 cubic-inch inline four-cylinder engine offering nearly 26 horsepower. There is a selective sliding-gear three-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel drum brakes.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2014