In the early 1950s with the US market starting to boom with the economy improving after the Second World War, many companies wanted to get a car to market as more people were looking to buy something for work or play. In addition, new materials were now being used - the war had provided an influx of new technologies and equipment that were now being tested for the automotive … [Read more...]
Willys
Willys technically doesn’t exist but its heritage does and has an Italian co-owner even though it is American through and through. John Willys founded his company in 1912 as the Willys-Overland Motor Company. He had started out by selling bicycles around New York State and this had lead him to set up a dealership for Overland cars. In 1907 with supply from the factory a … [Read more...]
The Knight Engine
This technical article is about the Knight Engine, an early automotive evolution of the internal combustion engine. Charles Knight, the inventor of the engine, was a printer who published a newspaper for farmers in the US. This was very early in the 20th century and he used a car to get around the community. Being a printer he knew a thing or two about mechanical devices and … [Read more...]