It's just possible that there could be people in street rodding today-those without a knowledge of hot rod history, that is-who think blown, Hemi-head Mopars came as standard equipment in the '33-42 Willys. This scenario sounds almost believable enough to buy into if we absolutely, positively, didn't know better-as most such cars we see today in street rod guise or at the nostalgia drags are so equipped. And if it weren't for John North's Willys' small, lightweight, short-wheelbased, and economical people's car being just exactly what drag racers were looking for in the late '50s, the little Willys would have become just another interesting footnote in the annals of automotive history.
Although there has already been a lot written about these quarter-mile warriors, kind of a WWF for the sport of drag racing, this isn't the same old story. However, to be true to why the Willys became the most famous marquee ever associated with the Supercharged Gas Coupe class, there must, of necessity, be some historical reference. What we present to you then, in brief summary, is documentation of the Willys in gasser livery from those glorious days of thunder on the old 1320 (the number of feet in a quarter-mile to those not into the competitive end of rodding). We hope this essay will not only entertain and enlighten but should leave no doubt in your mind as to why this particular breed of automobile has not only acquired a cult-like following and has also become one of today's hottest choices when building a non-Ford street rod.
The short version of Willys history as a hot rod is as follows: Everything can be attributed to drag racers in stock-bodied classes and their unending search for lighter cars that would suit their needs. As you probably already know, the year 1957 was just about it for what is now considered classic, or nostalgic, rodding and customizing, and so it was for quarter-mile racing fraternity, as well-even though experiments with supercharged engines by hot rodders (some successful, some disastrous, at least for the owner of a scattered motor's point of view) had been going on since the '30s. It all came to a boil in 1957, as huffed motors in coupes and sedans were finally starting to set records (as purpose-built dragsters, or "rail jobs," had been seriously doing at least since the previous year). Glen Ward and Carl Taylor added a blower to their A/G '34 Ford and turned 118.11 mph, while Gene Adams, running a blown '50 Olds in B/G, turned 112.77 mph (talk about a heavy car). Other makes and years in this mostly street-driven mix were Eddie and Junior Thompson's '41 Studebaker running a supercharged Chevy in B/G, and "Ohio George" Montgomery wheeling a blown Cad-powered '34 Ford. "Ohio George" campaigning a '34 Ford? Yep, but this was all about to change. Glen Ward and Carl Taylor swapped their 402-cid blown Caddy into a lighter '35 Willys and recorded 123.28 mpg in 12 seconds flat. (Note: This car was later sold to C.J. "Pappy" Hart in 1958, and both he and his wife, Peggy, drove it at Santa Ana-Peggy to a speed of 127.62mph.) Suddenly, previously competitive cars, like Doug Cook's '37 Chevy coupe and Howard Johansen's '55 Bel Air, were becoming obsolete because of their weight. Practically overnight the topical question became, "Say, does anybody know of a really straight '33-42 Willys coupe for sale?"
By 1960 the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) created a separate Supercharged Gas Coupe class-the race was now on across the land's sanctioned drag strips, and there was no looking back-the lid was off! The hope was that enough Willys coupes (and for a lesser part, sedans and pickups) had survived abuse and WWII scrap drives to fill the dreams of hundreds of racers-fortunately it appears this was so. Of course, fiberglass parts were soon to follow, with everything from tilt noses to doors, decklids, and rear fenders, making the little stormers even lighter yet.