1929 Whippet Model 96A

When the Whippet was introduced in the fall of 1926, it claimed the title of being America's smallest car, with a wheelbase that measures just over 100 inches. Power was from a 134 cubic-inch engine which offered 30 horsepower. A short time later, a 40-horsepower Six on a 109.25-inch platform was made available. In this guise, one example was driven at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for 24 hours where it averaged just over 56 miles per hour, setting a new American record for stock cars priced below $1,000. In fact, the Whippet pricing was virtually the same as the Ford, and the six-cylinder model was proclaimed to be the 'world's lowest-priced six.'

The Whippet was the product of the Willys-Overland Company of Toledo, Ohio, and superseded the Overland. It was a stylish automobile with an attractive price tag and numerous features. It had four-wheel mechanical brakes, a seven-bearing crankshaft, full pressure lubrication to all bearings (except for the pistons), and Nelson Bohnalite invar strut pistons.

During the first year of production, over 110,000 examples were built. This helped alight the Willys-Overland Company into third place in the industry, behind Chevrolet and Ford in 1928.

Despite its successes, the demise of the company occurred in 1931 in the wake of the Great Depression.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2020