JPG #113 Solved : 1955 Aero Willys "Sun Valley" Prototype by Derham

[João]

For one point, please identify the car!

[João]

Experts!

[Carnut]

Aero Willys Bermuda?

[João]

Not a Bermuda...but it's an Aero Willys,the American one.

[Carnut]

OK, it's the Aero Willys Sun Valley and whilst it looks just like a convertible Bermuda it was in fact converted from a '53 model in 1955 by Derham Body Works for Willys as a prototype for possible production.

[João]

Spot on 

[fyreline]

Interesting.  So was this a "Sun Valley" in the 1950's Ford/Mercury manner, with a plexiglass panel in the roof, or just another name for a regular convertible?  Either way it's a neat piece of work - I always thought the Willys Aero was a tidy design, a convertble would have been a nice addition to the line. Unfortunately, the car's price was always against it and a convertible would have been even more so.  Too bad.

[Carnut]

I assumed it was just coincidence that Mercury chose the same name.  They were at liberty to do that since the Willys never made production and was no more anyway.

I agree it would have made a nice car; it was a neat tidy design and not too unwieldy as so many American cars were becoming at that time.  But I think that's what went against it: bigger and better was what the American public seemed to want and this was just too small to impress the neighbours.  Plus Willys didn't have a V8, only straight-6's, and V8s were becoming absolutely de rigeur.

It was perhaps the right car at the wrong time.