The Willys Americar started off as a cheap compact car to help pull an ailing Willys-Overland Motor Company from the brink. Not having much on the power side as it rolled off the line, the Americar cranked a whopping 66.5 horsepower out of it’s 2.4-liter 4 cylinder engine. Over the years though, these cars gained popularity in the hot rod aftermarket based on their classy good looks and rarity.
RK Motors Charlotte has worked diligently to become “a destination for serious collectors from all over the world,” and has seen their fair share of Willys Americars. This particular one isn’t your typical Americar though. The 355 cubic inch V8 engine is just a notch on the list of non-Americar aspects. Add the Weiand blower to bump the output to 560 horsepower, a 700R4 4-speed automatic with a 2,800 stall converter definitely expand the list further. The icing on the proverbial cake though is the mandrel bent Bad Boys Willys chassis and the high end fiberglass body. “Okay, so it’s not really an Americar,” admits RK Motors, “and naturally, that paint isn’t a traditional single-stage that’s going to dull and wash off in four years. Instead, this Willys is a high quality fiberglass tribute that’s been prepped, dipped in R-M Diamont Yellow and finished to a much higher standard than anything that rolled off a pre-war assembly line.”
Prior to the sale via RK Motors Charlotte, the car had already won multiple Best of Show awards. It may not have the original vintage steel frame and sheetmetal panels, but this car is an amazing tribute to an era gone by. For more info on this amazing car, check out the above video and the RK Motors Charlotte website.