Description
Classic American cult estate car with the famous "Go Devil" four‑cylinder flathead inline engine, 60 hp, three‑speed manual gearbox, rear‑wheel drive, whitewall tyres, etc.
The Willys-Overland Station Wagon is widely regarded as the world’s first SUV. It was also, after the pre‑war woody wagons, the first American estate car with a full steel body. Many technical components were taken from the famously robust and simple Willys military Jeeps.
Few know that the legendary design comes from none other than Brooks Stevens, who was responsible for designing, among other things, the Harley‑Davidson Hydra Glide, the Cadillac Valkyrie concept car, the extravagant Gaylord Gladiator, the Studebaker GT Hawk, and the eye‑catching Excalibur!
Likewise, few know that this Jeep success model was built in the USA until 1964, in Argentina until 1970 and in Brazil even until 1977! The car can therefore legitimately be described as a milestone in the history of automobile manufacture!
The vehicle offered here comes from the estate of oil pioneer Richard Keith van Sickle, who struck oil near Neusiedl an der Zaya in 1938. For political reasons he was forced to leave the country in 1939 and could only return to his oil fields in the Weinviertel in 1946. In 1947 he acquired this Station Wagon. Van Sickle’s company, incidentally, gradually passed into the possession of ÖMV from 1989 onward over the following decades.
The present car is in a partially restored condition. The body has been refurbished and fully repainted outside and inside. The interior has been reupholstered. The chrome parts have also been replated by a foreign specialist using original chemicals. All body grommets are new or already fitted. The new window panes are already installed, including the sash windows in the two doors. The instrument cluster has been completely overhauled and calibrated by an instrument maker. Over the years the car received a Volvo engine with a Volvo gearbox, both of which have already been removed. An original Willys gearbox, as well as an original "Go Devil" engine with all ancillary parts such as distributor, fuel pump, intake pipe, carburettor, exhaust manifold, clutch bell housing and clutch have been obtained. These parts accompany the vehicle. Also included are the following new parts: shock absorbers, wheel cylinders, brake shoes, rear lights left and right, as well as various other parts.
The car has Austrian original papers! Since we have sold our workshop, we are passing this car on to a skilled craftsman who wishes to complete the project, well below our cost price.
