A rare one?

[PeterW]

I was going to put this in the competition thread under W but Dave beat me to it.

I took the picture about 17 or 18 years ago at a classic car meeting, but the owner wasn’t around to talk with. I discovered what it was and its date from a notice in the window. I’d never seen one before, and haven’t seen one since. I believe it is quite a rare model.


The notice in the window said it was a 1938 Willys Kingston sedan.

I don’t care much for the rounded snout, but in some styling features it was ahead of its time, pre-dating - or maybe influencing - the styling of many UK cars in the 1950s

Features like the way the headlamps are faired into the front wings (fenders), the general shape of the body behind the windscreen (windshield), the front-hinged doors and the chassis layout with "a wheel at each corner" instead of long front and rear overhangs which upset the weight distribution and handling of some later cars.

The car is right-had drive, but I don't know if it was made for export or if it was changed later.

Has anyone the other side of the pond come across one, or have any more information?

PeterW

[nikonbob]

Peter

I don't recall seeing one but this site clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/wokr/gallery/gallery4.htm has some interesting photos including an ad from Holland. Seems the Willys cars were popular for hot rodding/customizing over here.

Bob

[Deleted]

I remember one of my sisters had a boyfriend who had a Willys sedan (I think it was a 1940 model) All I really remember was it was black with sort of a yellow-cream colored trim. The Willys Kingston really does look like it was ahead of its time (other than the right-hand drive, of course)

[PeterW]

Many thanks for the link, Bob.

Some of the Model 37 and Model 38 cars look almost identical to the one in my photo.

I notice that they were quite popular in Australia, where the bodies were built by Holden.

All these cars were right hand drive. When I commented on the car in my photo being right hand drive, a possible connection with Australia escaped me. Maybe the car I saw was imported to the UK from Australia.

With regard to the body styling influencing later UK body styles, compare the 1938 Willys Kingston with this 1960 model Morris Minor.


1938 Willys Kingston, 100 inch wheelbase


1960 Morris Minor 86 inch wheelbase

PeterW

[daveh]

It would have been interesting to see how car development had gone if WWII had not wiped out most of the 1940s. I wonder if, with the production of the Jeep, Willys took its eye off car production. The answer will be out there somewhere.

Nice photo of a well polished car, Peter.

[Randy]

Most of the 1930s up to 1942 Willys ended up as Gassers or Drag Coupes here in the states Peter.

[PeterW]

Many thanks for posting those pictures, Randy. I believe Willys was based in Ohio, in Toledo. Is that anywhere near you?

Dave,
I understand that Willys came out of bancruptcy from the depression just before it started building the 1937 Kingston sedan, even so I don't think the company was doing too well until it was successful in its bid to become one of the makers of Jeeps for the US army, and later civilian vehicles based loosely on the Jeep.

I understand it kept producing passenger vehicles until the mid 1950s, but not in very large numbers.

I'm unsure about the company's later history but I seem to remember Kaiser and Chrysler became involved.

PeterW

[Randy]

Toledo is on the western point of Ohio, I'm on the eastern point next to Lake Erie and the Pennsylvania border. Willys merged with Overland, then Kaiser in the late '50s, Kaiser became part of American Motors/Rambler, and then AMC was purchased by Chrysler in the late 80s.