Willys Showed Up At the Pumpkin Run

In 1908, bicycle manufacturer John Willys (it's pronounced like Willis) purchased Overland Automotive. He renamed it Willys-Overland in 1912 when it became the second largest automobile manufacturer, second only to Ford, in the country. With this early success, Willys went on a spending spree, buying up various automotive and car related companies. This led to a cycle where he would be on the verge of bankruptcy. He would sell off pieces and then come out with another success which would lead to more spending. When he landed a military contract to make the Willys MB, better known as the Jeep, during World War II, the firm was fairly solvent. After the War they focused on a civilian version of the Jeep, the CJ-2 and didn't resume small car making until the early 1950s. In 1952 Kaiser Motors bought Willys, primarily for the Jeep, the lone Willys product that is still around. Most Willys cars were chopped and turned into hot rods though enough cars and, of course, those Jeeps, survived to show up at car events such as the Pumpkin Run Nationals. Here is a 1939 Sharknose, a pick up and a couple of Jeeps.