Vintage Cars for Sale, Antique 1920 Overland Willys for Sale

June 29, 2010 in Vintage and Antique Cars by Knudsen

Vintage 1920 Overland for Sale
Priced to sell at $15,000 OBO

Year make/model:
1920 Overland Model Four Touring Car, Willys-Overland Company, Toledo, Ohio, Willys-Overland Sales Co.

License Plate: California Horseless Carriage 1113
VIN: 31289
Miles: unknown
Years of Ownership: Private Collection for 25 years

This is an original 1920 Overland Four Touring Car manufactured by Willys-Overland Motor Company, Toledo, Ohio

This is an original 1920 Overland Model 4 Touring Car. So much fun to drive!

This is an original 1920 Overland Model 4 Touring Car. So much fun to drive!

Condition
The car is not in show condition, I would describe it as being in good condition (great condition for a 90 year old car). It is a fun drivable car. It has an electric starter, but I find it more fun to hand crank the engine to start it. It does draw attention.



Manufactured by Willys-Overland Motor Company in 1920. This is a fine Vintage Car!

Manufactured by Willys-Overland Motor Company in 1920. This is a fine Vintage Car!

Ownership History
My first car was a 1931 Ford Model A Victoria (commonly known as a Vicky). I bought the car when I was fourteen. The car was all original except the Kelsey Hayes spoke wheels and was in very good to great condition; but my goal was to build a hot rod. During the next few years my father and I designed and built a complete chassis for the car with four wheel independent suspension and powered by a supercharged aluminum Olds engine. This show car was featured in Hot Rod magazine in June of 1965.

A few years later I began feeling guilty for destroying a piece of automotive history. Just after Christmas 1984 on my way home from work, I saw a beautiful antique car parked in a gas station with a for sale sign. I had always loved the 1920’s Touring Cars. The car was in fine condition and had been restored in about 1975. I bought the car on the spot and have enjoyed it ever since.

From 1912 to 1918 only Ford produced more Model T cars than Willys-Overland. Willys-Overland sold over 126,000 Overland Four cars in 1920.

From 1912 to 1918 only Ford produced more Model T cars than Willys-Overland. Willys-Overland sold over 126,000 Overland Four cars in 1920.

My son had just turned four and we had the greatest times taking the car to the local nature center every Saturday. This was our father-son time. We enjoyed many parades with his friends.

The absolute best memory happened one summer day. I had stopped for gas and as I was filling her up, I noticed an older gentleman driving by. He pulled into the gas station, parked next to me and got out of his car. He came over and asked me if the car was a 1920 Overland. I confirmed it was and he turned to his wife and brought her over to the car. He was so excited. He then told his wife that this was the same year and model car that they had taken on their honeymoon (so many years ago). They were back in the moment. I will never forget the love in their eyes!

Willys-Overland Brief History
The first Overland was designed by Claude E. Cox, who, with financial backing from David M. Parry, started the Overland Automobile Company in 1906. The Overland Co. had its origins in Indianapolis. But no sooner did they get started than they ran into financial trouble as the result of an economic downturn in 1907 that nearly bankrupted the company. The unlikely savior of the company was J.N. Willys.

Successfully competing with both Ford and Chevrolet, this Overland Four Touring Car seated 5 persons and was finished in “hard baked enamel”. It weighed 1,900 pounds and sold at a low price of $595.

By 1917 buyers had a choice of Overland vehicles badged as either Willys or Willys-Knight, depending on budget and engine choice. The more expensive Knight came with a sleeve-valve engine and was the choice of Mr. Willys himself. But the less expensive, poppet-valved Willys, was the company’s bread and butter vehicle, especially during the war years.

1908 John North Willys buys the Overland Automotive Division of Standard Wheel Company.
1912 John North Willys renames the Willys Overland Division to Willys-Overland Motor Company.
1936 Coming out of bankruptcy following the Great Depression, the company is reorganized as Willys-Overland Motors, Inc.
1940 Working from a Bantam Car Company design, Willys contracts to build military Jeeps for the war and produces about 360,000 vehicles by 1945.

The 1920 Willys-Overland Touring Car was the predecessor to the Willys Overland jeep and Willys Overland jeepster.

Original magazine advertisement from 1925

Original magazine advertisement from 1925


Overland Car photograph of a group of Overland Car Salesman 1925. This vintage photograph depicts 15 Overland Car salesmen in front of an Overland car that is in front of the Overland car show room. The sign above states that the car is only $595 and it has a starter and lights, Duco Finish, Demountable Rims and is a 5 Passenger Sedan.

John N. Willys bought the Overland Automotive Division of the Standard Wheel Company in 1908 and renamed it the Willys-Overland Motor Company in 1912. From 1912 to 1918 only Ford produced more cars than Willys-Overland. In 1917 Willys made Willys-Overland a division of the Willys Corporation and added the Duesenberg Motors Corporation as a division in 1919. In 1936 the Willys-Overland Motor Company was renamed Willys-Overland Motors.

In the middle 1920s the Overland Company decided to bring out a new machine in direct competition with aging Ford Model T; this was the Whippet, one of the least powerful, but most remembered, cars of the 1920s. The Manitoba Antique Auto Museum displays one of the very first Whippets, a 1926 Whippet 96 tourer with Serial Number 161!

Data provided by Carfolio
Specifications: 1920 Overland Four Touring technical specifications
Classic Car Era: pre war era
Manufacturer: The Willys-Overland Company, Toledo, Ohio
Number Sold: 126,000
Body Style: Touring (convertible)
Number of doors 4
Wheelbase 100 in
Track front 56 in, rear 56 in
Wheels: original wooden spoke wheels
Curb weight 1900 lb
Bore × stroke 3.37 in × 4 in
Cylinders Sraight-4 (4 cylinder motor)
Displacement 143.04 cu in
Valves Type: Side valves, 2 valves per cylinder, 8 valves in total
Fuel system: 1 Tillotson carburetor
Maximum power : 19.6 bhp
Tires: front 30 x 3½, rear 30 x 3½
Transmission: 3 speed manual
Top gear ratio – 1.00, Final drive ratio – 4.50
Brakes: front & rear

Original 1915 magazine advertisement

Original 1915 magazine advertisement

With 19 horsepower, the 1920 Willys-Overland Touring Car can’t be considered a hot rod or muscle car. My best speed has been 35 miles per hour!

The Overland Model 83 for 1916 was introduced by early June 1915, far in advance of a normal introductory announcement, thanks to the West Coast exposition.

Over hill, over dale, over rough and rutted trail, over gully and the sands, and deep grass on prairie lands. These places held one thing common: they were conquered by the Overland, a product of the Willys-Overland Co. of Toledo, Ohio.
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Sample: 1920's car advertisements

Sample: 1920's car advertisements

1919 Willys Overland 4 Touring Sedan original vintage advertisement. Illustrated in black & white. Original MSRP for the Touring 4 was $1,195.


Classic and Antique Car Resources:
AutoTrader Classics, Hemmings, Fossil Cars, Antique Car, Old Car Online, Great Old Cars, Volo Cars


No dealers please!

Priced to sell at $15,000

Contact Information:
Bjorn Knudsen
Cell Phone: 909 241-3687
Email: knudsen.b@gmail.com

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Willys Overland, Antique car, Parade car, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, Touring car, Antique convertible, Ford, Model T, Model “T”, Vintage car, Cars with wooden wheels, Brass era cars, original, very good condition, restored, restoration, California, horseless carriage, roadster, coupe, jalopy.

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