1928 Willys

Whippet 96 Sedan

4 - Cyl.

Manual

10687476

Clear

Gasoline

1928 WILLYS OVERLAND WHIPPET Here is an National First Prize winning car judged by the Antique Automobile Club of America in 1967. Today, this California car sits in my drive after it was found in a barn last week. It is a 1928 Willys Overland Whippet. This car would be a short term project to bring it back to life as an original car, or turn it into an 'all-steel' Hot Rod. This has always been a San Diego car! The engine is free turning and the brakes, transmission and clutch work. This Whippet was put away years ago in perfect running condition. The car fires up with a prime but I do not believe it is a good idea to start it before inspecting and cleaning the fuel lines, etc. The interior is very fine and the floors are very sound. The heavy thick steel body shows no sign of damage or rust, and the lacquer paint is not bad but shows some age. I am sure that a good buff would help the paint immensely, but it does have some cracking. The original owners manual is included. This car is 84 years old and for her age is great looking. Even has the original crystal bud vase in the back seat. The tires are holding air but are not road worthy. I have extra rims. The spoke wheels are very sound but could use a coat of paint or stain as they were originally. This car is a car with character and great potential, thanks for looking. I owned a 1927 Whippet 30+ years ago and they are a very easy car to drive and quite maintenence free. They are a lot of fun and make everyone smile. I will assist in every way for shipping anywhere. Whippet model 96 history: Production of the first and most popular of the Whippets, the 4 cylinder Model 96, commenced Wednesday 12th May 1926, ready for public introduction in the East & Midwest on Saturday 26th June. The publicity surrounding its launch was a such a success that in the first three weeks of its introduction in the United States, carefully compiled counts and estimates indicated some 14,580,000 people visited dealer showrooms to see the new car. John N. Willys told his dealers that the Whippet title was intended as a generic name for the broad class of vehicles of which this is the forerunner, ie a light, fast, economical and stylish yet inexpensively priced car. The opportunity was at hand, Willys continued, to do in the light car field what Duco did in the lacquer field or what the Eastman Kodak Company did in the camera field. Salesmen were urged to get the motoring public to talk of the new type of light car as a WHIPPET type. Here was a car with 4 wheel brakes, water pump cooling and pressurized lubrication - all strong technical features for the time. Styling was said to be European, a compact yet roomy body, low center of gravity, good looks, performance and economy. Surprisingly enough, especially in the light of all this hype about the Whippet name, it wasn't until January 1927 that the Whippet name was really emphasized on the vehicle itself. Until then it had Overland hub caps and an Overland radiator badge. There were a host of changes during the production run of the Whippet 96 varied below !) These changes can help in dating a vehicle and assist in identifying which parts are the correct ones to fit but the most obvious ones were the external ones listed below; • 1926 cars have "Overland" badging on hub caps and radiator. • 1927 cars have "Whippet" badging and beaded fenders. Closed cars have an extended roof line for visor. • 1928 cars have "Whippet" badging and plain or "full crown" fenders. Closed cars have a cadet or "military" style of visor. Wheelbase was just 100 1/4 inches, only slighly bigger than a Model T Ford, but the 3 1/8 bore x 4 3/8 stroke (2.2 litre) engine produced just over 30 bhp and the resultant performance of this lively little car no doubt influenced Henry Ford to announce his Model A in late 1927.