1914 Overland Model 79

Claude M. Cox's original Overland car was developed in the early 1900s by the Standard Wheel Company of Terre Haut, Indiana. The Overland Company was formed in 1903 by Mr. Cox and Charles Minshall but it didn't take off until John North Willys arrived in 1907. Mr. Willys was a New York auto dealer and a major Overland customer. He ordered 500 Overlands and paid a deposit of $10,000. After his product was not delivered, he traveled to Indiana only to find Overland on the point of closure. Wanting to recoup his investment, Willys secured additional credit and reorganized the company. By mid-1908 they were in a position to build a new factory. Production increased and by 1909 the company had moved to Toledo, Ohio. Willys eventually became president of the company.

From 1910 to 1914, the company produced only four-cylinder models and they were all right-hand drive. (The company began using left-hand drive in 1915). In 1914, Overland was the second-largest producer of cars in the US, behind only Ford. While the Model T appealed to the masses, the Overland was an upmarket model selling for approximately twice the cost of a T. The Overland was more spacious, more powerful, and larger than the FOrd and its four-cylinder engine had separately cast cylinder jugs. An electric starter was available as a $125 option in 1914.

Overland built a quality automobile that was advanced for its time. The early models had a removable ignition plug that prevents auto theft.

During the 1920s, Willys-Overland produced the Willys Knight, which was powered by the sleeve valve engine designed by Indiana native Charles Knight. During World War II, Willys produced the Jeep. Several modern Jeep models pay homage to their Overland roots with the name of their top models wearing the 'Overland' nameplate.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2017