1959 Willys Maverick

The 1959 Willys Special Maverick Station Wagon weighed in at 3,900 pounds. It sold for $2,944 f.o.b.  Windsor.

Independent automaker Willys-Overland could reach right back to 1903 as the beginning of its heritage. When the fledgling Indianapolis firm ran into trouble, John North Willys bought the Overland concern to keep it afloat. In a bid to speed up production and fill back orders, the company began manufacturing vehicles under a circus tent. The higher-priced Willys line was soon introduced as a companion car for Overland and it found success with consumers, too. 

With a decade of success under its belt, the company cast its eye on expanding into the Canadian and British Empire markets. Willys-Overland set up shop in Hamilton, Ontario in 1914 and began producing cars.  A year later, Willys-Overland bought two-thirds of the luxurious Russell concern from CCM and moved to Toronto. Automobiles were built in 1916 and 1917 but the Great War brought military contracts. Auto production ceased in 1918 in order to built aircraft engines. Civilian products returned in February 1919 with the introduction of a light car. 

Throughout the 1920s the company’s products were popular with consumers and in 1926 the previously imported top-of-the-line Willys-Knight was domestically produced. The same year Willys-Overland Canada began to fabricate its own bodies, no longer contracting them from Canadian Top & Body in Tilbury, Ontario. 

The Dirty Thirties took its toll on all the automakers and executives closed the doors of the Toronto plant in 1933. Vehicles were imported from the US after that. In 1934 the head office was moved from Toronto to Windsor and took up residence on Giles Street, next door to Hupp. John North Willys died in 1936 and the firm was reorganized. There was talk of reopening a Canadian plant but it never happened.  When war broke out in Europe in 1939 any talk of domestic Willys-Overland production was mothballed.

The parent company picked up a contract to build the Jeep during World War Two. The rugged little vehicle earned its keep on battlefronts around the world. Willys-Overland executives were keen to find civilian applications for the war hero in a peacetime world.

Industrial designer Brooks Stevens had the same idea and created several automobiles based on the Jeep chassis and drivetrain. He sold his ideas as a story to a magazine. The folks at W-O were impressed and asked him to come to their Toledo headquarters. Stevens left Toledo with a contract.

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Cashing in on the Jeep’s image was the key to success. The station wagon did that perfectly. Because none of the big body makers would stamp parts for Willys-Overland, draw was kept to six inches and punched out by a company that made refrigerators. The indentations in the side panels strengthened the envelope. It was practical to the point of being utilitarian but it held seven passengers and could carry 96 cubic feet of cargo. 

When the product appeared on the market in 1946 it was the first all-steel station wagon in automotive history. It sold well and a Panel Delivery joined the lineup a year later. In 1948 a more upscale Station Sedan was added. So was a six-cylinder engine. For 1949 a four-wheel drive version was introduced. The front end was restyled for the 1950 selling season.

The postwar market created fierce competition among the automakers. The independents scrambled for market share as Ford went after archrival Chevrolet, guns a-blazing. To stay alive, the small companies began to amalgamate in hopes of survival. Willys-Overland was first; it merged with Kaiser-Frazer in April 1953. 

The operation in Windsor, Ontario had been solely oriented to service and sales. Willys of Canada Limited moved into new headquarters in 1953. A small department outfitted already completed Jeeps, shipped in from Ohio, with accessories and modifications needed to do special jobs such as fire and rescue work. In 1955 domestic assembly of 4x4 Jeeps began.

The Willys Station Wagon was still imported, however. For 1959 a special Maverick model bowed, making its first appearance on May 7, unveiled to millions of viewers watching the popular Maverick television show that Kaiser-Willys just happened to sponsor. Truly posh by Jeep standards, the Maverick sported two-tone paint, wore lots of chrome, was shod with white wall tires, blessed with interior carpeting—albeit black--and a one-piece windshield. Its list price was $2,944 f.o.b. Windsor.

Advertising bragged that the Maverick was “Canada’s lowest priced, full size station wagon” and that it was worth a look because it combined  “the ruggedness, dependability and quality of the Jeep with the smoothness and good riding qualities of the passenger car.”  Not willing to miss any possible market, the Maverick was touted as the ideal family and business station wagon.

Doctors, teachers, veterinarians were all urged to consider the Willys, especially those who lived and worked in rural areas. Farmers and ranchers were pleased with its high clearance fenders.  Folks wanting to rough it out in the country could carry up to a half ton of camping gear, guns, fishing tackle and oh—the wagon could sleep two and save putting up a tent!

Still the basic package since its 1946 introduction, the Willys was powered with a 75-horsepower Hurricane F-head four-cylinder engine, though a 105-horsepower Super Hurricane L-head six was available at extra cost. 

By the time the Station Wagon was retired in 1962, it been in production for sixteen years and done Willys proud. Its successor would also come from Brooks Stevens and usher in a whole new kind of driving experience.

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 Copyright James C. Mays 2005 All rights reserved.

1955 Chrysler

The 1955 Chrysler New Yorker and Windsor models shared massive “twin-tower” taillights that could be seen for a country kilometre.

Few automobile companies have ever fielded products that were as dramatically different as the entire 1955 Chrysler Corporation’s line. From the lowliest Plymouth to the most majestic Chrysler Custom Imperial, these cars were downright breathtaking. No longer could the Chrysler’s vehicles be thought of as conservative or dowdy in styling. Touted as “The Forward Look” in the States, the term was downplayed considerably here at home. Regardless of the jingles and names, Canadians flocked to dealerships to see all of the glittering jewels in the Chrysler crown on November 22nd, 1955. There were three Chrysler beauties to ogle: the Windsor, the New Yorker and the Custom Imperial.

The low bucks Chrysler Windsor series boasted this tasteful convertible in 1955. It weighed in at a hefty 3,915 pounds and listed for $3,672. Like an ugly windchill factored into the temperature, taxes, dealer preparation charges and delivery were all tacked onto the base price.

After a 40-day layoff at the end of the 1954 model year run that included ten days of holiday time and plant setup, production of the 1955s got under way in Windsor, Ontario on October 11, 1954. A total of 5,175 Chryslers were built during the model year run that ended on August 10. All but the convertibles and station wagons were built in Canada. Prices ranged from $2,150.50 to $2,582.00.


The Chrysler Custom Imperial was not listed as a separate make in Canada as it was in the US. The ultra posh luxury liner was portrayed in the Canadian Chrysler line folder right after the Windsors and New Yorkers. Built in the Jefferson Avenue plant in Detroit, the imported flagship cost a cool $5,123 for the four-door sedan and $5,495 for the Newport two-door hardtop coupe.

The distinctively elegant face of the 1955 Chrysler Custom Imperial impressed all.

The most distinguished Chrysler of all was readily identifiable from its lesser kin. It boasted a large eggcrate grille, parking lights and turn signals wrapped in chrome and partially tunneled into the front bumper. Then there were the love ‘em or hate ‘em gunsight taillights mounted high atop the rear fenders. Chrysler bragged that they were “unique and daringly different.” Fred Hudson, the rookie stylist who dreamt them up, told this author in an interview that he still hates them to this day.

The 1955 Chrysler Imperial Newport hardtop coupe cost $5,495 and weighed in at 4,490 pounds.

Promising that it was “as carefully crafted as a fine watch, as beautifully designed as an expensive gown, the Imperial is a car apart.” The mood of its interiors is one of “richness, comfort and relaxation. The leather, the highly textured fabrics and discrete chrome trim certainly gave it a well-deserved air of refinement. Imperial’s classic proportions and exquisite appointments promised to “proclaim your discriminating taste.”

 In all its glory, the 1955 version of Chrysler’s famed hemi was likened to the custom-built engines in the world’s fastest racing cars.

Standard for the Chrysler Custom Imperial was the 331-cubic inch, 250-horsepower FirePower V-8 engine with its hemispherical combustion chamber. The mill was mated to the two-speed PowerFlite automatic transmission. Power brakes and power steering were included in the base price. Extra cost equipment included the heater, Airtemp air conditioning, electric window lifts, four-way power seats, a signal-seeking radio and white sidewall tires.

 The 1955 Chrysler New Yorker Deluxe Estate Wagon tipped the scales at 4,430 pounds and listed for $4,709.94 for the two-seat version.

Downstream from the Imperial was moored a quartet of Chrysler New Yorker DeLuxe models, comprised of a distinguished and superbly streamlined four-door sedan, a hardtop coupe, an estate wagon and a convertible. The New Yorkers shared the same engine and transmission as the Custom Imperial.

The face of the 1955 Chrysler New Yorker. The Newport hardtop coupe sold for $3,772.

 New Yorkers differed from Imperial by featuring a smaller, split eggcrate grille underscored with a massive chrome bar that held turn signals and parking lights in chrome end pods. New Yorkers carried 33-centimetre (one-foot) tall “twin-tower” taillights that rose upward from the fenders’ crests. The fin-like assemblies were meant to “emphasize the feeling of motion in the car’s design.”

The New Yorker’s interior could be upholstered in a choice of sturdy woolens, patterned nylons or new milled broadcloths, each accented with pliant leathers or vinyls. No matter what fresh and vibrant combination was selected, they all promised to deliver “a symphony of colour, texture and sparkle.”

 Close-up of the 1955 Chrysler instrument panel. Note the gearshift lever’s unusual position.

 To accompany the tasteful new wraparound windshield that gave the driver a commanding view of the road and opened broader vistas for safer driving, stylists added a deeply- recessed, leather crowned instrument panel that curved around into the door panels.

The face of the 1955 Chrysler Windsor. The least expensive Chrysler was the four-door sedan, listing for $2,907.50.

 For folks ready to move up from mid-priced DeSoto to join the prestigious Chrysler family, there was the modestly appointed Windsor DeLuxe. In this entry-priced series one found a four-door sedan, the convertible, the Newport two-door hardtop and the estate wagon. Windsor owners were promised a truly big car, broad and solid, strikingly graceful—all designed to make travelling an adventure.

 Interiors of the modestly appointed 1955 Chrysler Windsors were finished in “miracle” fabrics.

Windsor shared a grille with the New Yorker but the heavy chrome bar beneath the grille was deleted in favour of a simple chrome lip. Round parking lights and turn signals were housed in the fender, directly blow the headlights. Its interior was appointed with “miracle” fabrics. Beneath the hood was the 301-cubic inch Spitfire engine.


Extra cost items for the Windsor included heavy duty springs and shock absorbers,, electric window lifts, Full-Time Coaxial Power Steering, power brakes, Solex glass, the four-way electric seat adjuster, an exterior moulding package, the cowl vent heater, a cigar lighter for the rear compartment of the four-door sedan, four- or six-ply white sidewall tubeless tires, oversized tires, six-ply blackwall tubeless tires or tires with tubes.

The union and Chrysler reopened negotiations on December 1, 1954 after a Concilliation Board recommended that workers not receive a pay hike. The union had asked for a raise, retroactive to June 17. On the 15th, the union countered with a demand for a $50 Christmas bonus.

In mid-1955, a $41 million, 800,000-square foot factory expansion at the Windsor plant was completed. Now, a half mile long, the facility was capable of producing 600 automobiles a day. Final touches on the new $21 million V-8 engine plant were being made and would be put into production for the 1956 models.

Late in the selling season, the Chrysler 300C was unveiled. The fastest production car on earth, it was mightily impressive on road and track.

Chrysler did very well for its 1955 model year. Production rose sharply to 5,175 units compared to only 3,685 units built in 1954. Still, it had a ways to go to catch up to the competition. Workers at GM in Oshawa built 23,762 Buicks and in Oakville, workers at Ford built 8,567 Mercury passenger cars. Definitely up to the challenge, 1956 would be even better for Chrysler Canada and a banner year for the Chrysler Division in particular.

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Copyright James C. Mays 2005
All rights reserved

1976 Chrysler

When the 1976 selling season opened, there was surprisingly little that was new on the floor for the Chrysler dealer. The slow-selling Imperial name had garnered only 677 sales last year. Consumers clearly preferred Lincoln, Cadillac and Mercedes to Imperial. Sales of the corporate flagship had languished for some time. In fact, in the past decade Imperial had only once risen above the 1,000 mark in sales.

The grand name was retired from the market though the ultra-luxurious two- and four-door hardtops were continued as the Chrysler New Yorker Brougham. Distinguished from lesser kin with an understated split waterfall grille and hidden headlights, the Brougham was a classy vehicle.

There wasn’t a lot to say about a land yacht that had used the same body style for three years but wordsmiths gave it a heroic effort, anyway. “Superbly styled to turn heads and steal hearts. Appointed to bring you every Chrysler convenience at the touch of a finger. Engineered with extra care for trouble-free pleasure year after year. And powered to eat up mile after mile of Canadian highway effortlessly, quietly and enjoyably.”

Claiming that the New Yorker Brougham was “the talk of the town,” the car was certainly sumptuous with its standard crushed velour upholstery or optional genuine, rich Corinthian leather seats. The “thickly woven shag carpeting covers layer on layer of sound insulation padding.” A car this refined did not carry mere passengers—human occupants were elevated to the level of “guests” who would enjoy standard rear-seat reading lamps. Lavaliere straps and built-in foam pillows were nice touches.

A swanky, extra-cost St. Regis package could be had to gild the New Yorker Brougham lily. The optional items in the ensemble included a pair of dressy opera windows and a padded canopy vinyl roof finished in a simulated boar’s skin grain. The St. Regis package was offered in eight standard colours plus a unique silver for the vinyl roof. The Chrysler name was magic. Sales totaled 5,518 units for calendar year 1976 up by 1,784 units over the previous year when the car was an Imperial.

Under the hood of the biggest New Yorker was the massive 440-cubic inch V-8 engine, happily married to Chrysler’s tried-and-true TorqueFlite automatic transmission.

Moored next to the biggest of the Chrysler luxury liners was the Newport Custom. It was advertised with words such as “solid” and “secure.” This was the Chrysler with classic elegance and it was given “a definite touch of flair.” It promised a “ride that’s quiet, smooth and customed for comfort.  You ride surrounded by the security of Unibody construction, the sturdy confidence of Torsion Bar front suspension. And inside, comfort with a capital SEE.”

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The Highlander plaid cloth-and-vinyl interior was standard or one could order the all-vinyl version with 50/50 folding seats and centre armrest. The seat reclined--like AMC’s Matador--on the four-door models. “Deep pile carpeting and rich, tasteful fabrics provide the perfect setting whether you’re travelling just downtown or from sea to sea.”

Least expensive was the Newport, though it claimed to be “all Chrysler, through and through. It was “engineered in every detail to deliver on every promise. It promised to be an impressive car that “lives up to your idea of a Chrysler. Only its price tag may surprise you.”  Advanced electronic systems assure dependability in the extreme cold of a Quebec winter or the blistering heat of an Alberta summer.”

The base cloth-and-vinyl interior with fixed bench seat and a centre armrest was attractive. Even in the lowest-price Chrysler, full volume foam seats were attached directly to the seat frame, eliminating spring elements. The Castilian cloth-and-vinyl upholstery was mod and colourful. “Luxury interiors, convenience features, and roomy interiors of the two-door hardtop, four-door hardtop, or four-door sedan let you relax and enjoy the ride.” Sales of Newport were 19,719 units for the 1975 calendar year. That dropped to 17,963 units for 1976.

Then there was the opulant Chrysler Town & Country. The refined station wagon turned heads whenever it pulled into view. It claimed to be an “efficient worker by day and “sleek glamour star by night.” Not only was it elegantly styled and appointed for comfort, it boasted a cavernous 100.8 cubic feet of cargo space. Rugged all-vinyl upholstery and loop pile carpet spoke of comfort, yet there was enough room to lay a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood flat in the cargo area.

Being Chrysler, there were oodles of options for the asking. Just to name a few, there were the Auto Temp II Air Conditioner, tinted glass, automatic height control, Auto-Speed Control, an ordinary electric or electronic digital clock, cornering lights, an electric deck-lid release, an electric rear window defroster, a sure-grip differential, an engine block heater, a fuel pacer, a locking gas cap, luggage racks and assist handles, power door locks, power six-way seats, power windows, sunroof, power radio antenna, many different radio and stereo system, Tilt-&-Tel steering wheel. One could add all kinds of dress up and decor items from wheel skirts to custom road wheels and door-edge protectors.

Colours for the big Chryslers ranged the rainbow: Silver Cloud Metallic, Platinum Metallic, Powder Blue, Astral Blue Metallic, Starlight Blue Metallic, Vintage Red Metallic, Bittersweet Metallic, Jade Green Metallic, Deep Sherwood Metallic, Sahara Beige, Saddle Tan, Moondust Metallic, Dark Chestnut Metallic, Golden Fawn, Inca gold Metallic, Spanish Gold Metallic, Spinnaker White and Formal Black.

The most valuable jewel in the Chrysler crown was the new, downsized Cordoba, introduced last year. Built in Windsor, Ontario, the personal luxury car was an extremely strong performer in 1976 with 19,378 units delivered domestically during the calendar year. That was even better than the 18,587 units sold in 1975. The Cordoba story is a good one for another day.

With sales of popular smaller cars like Plymouth Volare, Dodge Aspen and the Chrysler Cordoba, Chrysler Canada, Limited was doing very well in the market place. The Windsor, Ontario-based manufacturer overtook Ford as the nation’s second largest automaker.

Still the increase in Canada wasn’t enough to keep Chrysler's American parent out of trouble. As Chrysler Corporation skidded toward bankruptcy, the Canadian subsidiary decided to secure its corporate tomorrow by going to Ottawa for loan guarantees of more than $200 million.

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Copyright James C. Mays 2006 All rights reserved.

1942 Ford

Introduction of the 1942 automobiles in the Dominion was almost an afterthought in light of the fact that Canada had been at war for three long years. News of the global conflict was broadcast daily over the CBC and most of it was grim. The Germans marched relentlessly into the Soviet Union. Kiev fell and Wermacht circled Moscow to launch one of the most horrific sieges in history.  With frightening regularity, U-boats continued to torpedo and sink convoys filled with urgently needed supplies, bound for Britain and the USSR.  Once in a while there was encouraging news, too. Allied air raids over Hamburg, Stuttgart and other German cities were beginning to cripple the Nazi supply lines. The first of the American-built Liberty ships were released to Britain.

War or not, the traditional national unveiling of the latest crop of automobiles took place in October 1941, in the Automotive Building on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. The CNE had been requisitioned in 1940 by the government to serve as a major recruitment and training centre.  In order for the annual automotive unveiling event to take place, the army moved most of the soldiers from the 192-acre fairground.

Huppmobile and Graham had ceased auto manufacture permanently. Their absence was noted. Hudson was imported for the second year in a row, the Tilbury, Ontario plant now given over completely to war work. Present and accounted for, the automakers displayed their contributions to the war effort. The Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited featured one of the largest exhibits. Ford showcased the weapons of war that 10,000 workers were churning out around the clock in its vast Windsor, Ontario complex.

Car manufacture never ceased at Ford Canada, but they were built on a very limited basis; eleven percent of the factory in Windsor was set aside for auto assembly. Rationing had begun in 1941. Completed automobiles for eventual civilian use went directly into a national pool where they were doled out. Only citizens who could show proof that a new car was vital to home front or Empire needs could requisition one. Filling out the paperwork was most daunting.

The lucky consumer who was actually qualified for a new Ford got quite a stylish ride. The envelope, new in 1941, had been streamlined and tested in Ford’s Weather Tunnel by engineers. This year, a massive grille was affixed to the 1942 models. The instrument panel was revised, now it boasted a new clock-like speedometer. Oval taillights were prominent on the car’s backside.

Among the very few permitted to buy new Fords, records show that five vehicles were exported to Newfoundland under the Empire Emergency Civilian Defense Programme. The YMCA in St. John’s was permitted to purchase three Panel Delivery pickups and a Station Wagon. The Knights of Columbus in St. John’s were granted permission to acquire a Ford Super Station Wagon.

War severely reduced the availability of many consumer items. Ford colour choices were limited to five:  Moselle Maroon, Yosemite Green, Fathom Blue, Newcastle Grey and Black. All paint was of an enduring baked enamel finish and the fenders were specially treated to be rust resistant.

Advertising was hyped as high as Mt. Logan in an attempt to stress Ford’s economy. The tried and true 90-horsepower V-8 engine had been around for a good decade. It promised outstanding and unusual gas mileage and low oil consumption. “This year Canadian motorists will dig deeper into the facts about motor car performance. When thrift is vital to every individual, as well as to the nation and the Empire, motor car buyers have a right to demand proven facts and figures out operating costs.”

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Only three of the automobiles depicted in the 1942 sales brochure featured Fords dressed up with whitewall tires. A black box notice in the pamphlet advised, “White sidewall tires, illustrated in this folder as extra equipment, are no longer available due to war-time restrictions.” Surprisingly, among the standard equipment items listed was a spare tire, something GM Canada cars had done without since 1940.

In addition to the three Ford De Luxe models, a wartime Special series was introduced. Touted as having “Features that stand out in a car that stands up!” the virtually stripped Fordor, Tudor and Coupe made up a lower-priced line of offerings. Created for victory, the trio carried virtually no chrome garnish and did without many other niceties motorists were used to. Despite the modest appointments, the cars promised to deliver the same room and riding comfort as its more expensive cousins.

A wide range of extra-cost equipment was available through dealers. Two of the most popular options were the Adjust-O-Matic radio with the Foot Control and Touch-Bar Tuning and the ever-so-necessary Improved Hot-Water Heater-Defroster.

Ford’s assembly plant in Toronto closed in February of 1942. It would never reopen. Parliament ordered the cessation of civilian automobile manufacture take place on March 31. At minutes to midnight, the last Ford product rolled out the doors in Windsor-a four-door 1942 Mercury. Emblazoned on its doors in tall letters was a defiant notice to Hitler and Tojo that this was, “The last car for the duration.”

The war impacted people on the home front in a thousand very real ways in 1942.  Parliament ordered conscription of all able-bodied men between the ages of 19 and 35. Coffee, tea and butter were added to the rationed good list. The Imperial Japanese Army’s invasion of Alaska prompted emergency construction of the Al-Can Highway. A Japanese submarine shelled the coast of Vancouver Island. German Prisoner of War camps opened in Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick. Nazi spies landed on the Gaspe coast of Quebec by submarine were ferreted out by a suspicious hotel owner and promptly arrested by the RCMP. A German U-boat sank two freighters in the St. Lawrence River. Another U-boat sank the Newfoundland ferry. Bound for North Sydney, Nova Scotia, the “Caribou” went down with a loss of 137 lives, including 31 crew members.

Millions of folks would do without cars and much, much more until Victory came in August 1945. With few complaints, they would tighten the belt and make do with what they had. They would sacrifice for King and Country, for the right to fly the Red Ensign and the Union Jack over a land free of Nazi tyranny and Japanese Imperial rule.

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Visit my old car website at http://www.theoilspoteh.ca
Copyright James C. Mays 2004 All rights reserved.