autoevolution
 

1941 Willys Americar Hides Nasty Big-Block Surprise Under the Hood, Runs 10s

Willys is mostly known for the military Jeep MB and the civilian CJ versions that followed, but the Toledo-based company also built a few notable vehicles before WWII. The Americar is one of them.
1941 Willys Americar dragster 6 photos
Photo: Race Your Ride/YouTube
1941 Willys Americar dragster1941 Willys Americar dragster1941 Willys Americar dragster1941 Willys Americar dragster1941 Willys Americar dragster
A modern-looking vehicle upon its introduction, the Americar wasn't particularly popular in the early 1940s. But that changed when the gasser craze hit the U.S. The Americar became so popular with racers and hot-rodders, that 100% stock examples are very hard to find.

Just like the Willys 77 and the Ford Anglia, the Americar was a common sight at gasser events in the 1960s. Now you're more likely to see survivors and restored examples at historic gasser reunions, but a few enthusiasts are still putting together new builds.

Davie Elliott is one of them and he recently brought his newly-built Americar to Byron Dragway for its first quarter-mile passes. The build is as traditional as they get, with fat rear wheels tucked under the massive rear wheels and a beefed-up mill that breathes through a blower at the top and multiple exhaust pipes coming out at the bottom of the front fenders.

The car still retains the iconic teardrop headlamps and it seems that the top hasn't been chopped, which is amazing to an Americar gearhead like me. And this Willys packs a big heart in the form of a 496-cubic-inch (8.1-liter) big-block V8 of the Chevrolet variety.

The mill mates to a Powerglide transmission and a nine-inch rear end, but there's no word on output. However, given that this Willys runs the quarter-mile in less than 11 seconds, we're probably looking at more than 600 horsepower.

Speaking of passes, the Americar lines up against a 1993 Camaro with an LT1 under the hood and wins the duel with a 10.98-second run. The second sprint sees the Willys burn rubber against a 1964 Chevy II Nova toward a 10.49 finish at 123 mph (198 kph).

Granted, it's not the quickest Americar out there, but a bit of tweaking and better launches should see this 1941 Willys go below the nine-second mark. Hopefully, we'll see more of it at the drag strip soon.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Ciprian Florea
Ciprian Florea profile photo

Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories