1927 Whippet Model 96 Sedan
Few American cars under $1,000 in 1927 offered four-wheel brakes and a three-bearing crankshaft as standard equipment; the Whippet came with both.
Introduced by Willys-Overland in late 1926 to supplement and then replace much of the Overland range, it rode a 100¼-inch wheelbase and was about 200 pounds lighter than the Overland four it replaced, with styling developed in part through the company’s Crossley subsidiary in England.
Power came from a 134.2 CI L-head four producing 30 horsepower, using a pressure-assisted lubrication system. A 40hp six-cylinder variant followed in January 1927 and set a 24-hour American endurance record at Indianapolis (56.52 mph averaged over a full day) for production cars priced under $1,000.
The four-cylinder cabriolet listed at $535 in 1928 (comparable Ford Model T prices were in the same general range depending on body style).
First-year sales reached 110,000 units, pushing Willys-Overland to third in national sales behind Chevrolet and Ford in 1928. The Depression ended the nameplate in early 1931. More than 500,000 were built across its production run; relatively few survive today.
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