Wills Sainte Claire
Encyclopedia
Wills Sainte Claire was an automobile
brand manufactured by the C. H. Wills and Company, in Marysville, Michigan
, from 1921-1927. Childe Harold Wills, the company founder, was a perfectionist and his automobile company focused on very high quality cars. Wills' mother was a fan of Lord Byron
's poetry and Wills never used his first name.
Wills had been with Henry Ford
, where metallurgy was his specialty. Wills introduced vanadium steel for the production of the Ford Model T
; it was the first the large scale application of the alloy
. Wills was also a designer and is credited with designing the script "Ford Blue Oval" emblem that the company uses to this day.
Wills left Ford on his own terms and with a sizeable severance package of more than 1.5 million dollars, which he used to establish his own car company he originally named "Wills Saint Clair" – Wills for himself and "Saint Clair" for the Saint Clair River
near which his new factory was located. Wills later added the extra es, thinking that it elevated the cachet of the product.
The first Wills Sainte Claire rolled off the assembly line in 1921. Production was delayed due to metallurgy issues surrounding the use of molybdenum
in castings, which Wills insisted be used in the production of the car in order to ensure its durability. Despite the durability of the cars, once production got underway most of Wills' executive staff abandoned him by 1922 because Wills was known to shut the whole assembly line down if a new and innovative method occurred to him. After going into receivership that year, the company was refinanced by a group of bankers from Boston and reincorporated as Wills Sainte Claire Incorporated in 1923.
Automotive designer Amos Northup
worked at Wills Sainte Claire until 1924.
Wills cars rode on either 121 in (3,073 mm) or 127 in (3,226 mm) wheelbases and featured either V8 or inline-6 cylinder overhead cam engines. Unable to sustain volume sufficient to make a profit, Wills closed the factory in 1927. Wills was later involved in the development of the front-wheel drive
Ruxton automobile. The factory was later acquired by Chrysler.
All Wills Sainte Claire automobiles are classified as "Classic Cars" by the Classic Car Club of America
. Outside of automotive circles, Wills Sainte Claire is best known for its Canada goose
logo. Wills chose it because he felt the Canada goose was the ultimate traveler of the world.
In 2002, volunteers opened the Wills Sainte Claire Museum at 2408 Wills Street in Marysville. It is open the second Sunday of every month. Of the approximately 80 Wills cars believed to exist (out of 12,000 or so originally manufactured), eight of them are located here. The museum can be reached at (810) 364-5050.
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
brand manufactured by the C. H. Wills and Company, in Marysville, Michigan
Marysville, Michigan
Marysville is a city in St. Clair County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,684 at the 2000 census.-Geography:* According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.* It is considered to be part of the Thumb of...
, from 1921-1927. Childe Harold Wills, the company founder, was a perfectionist and his automobile company focused on very high quality cars. Wills' mother was a fan of Lord Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, later George Gordon Noel, 6th Baron Byron, FRS , commonly known simply as Lord Byron, was a British poet and a leading figure in the Romantic movement...
's poetry and Wills never used his first name.
Wills had been with Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
, where metallurgy was his specialty. Wills introduced vanadium steel for the production of the Ford Model T
Ford Model T
The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Henry Ford's Ford Motor Company from September 1908 to May 1927...
; it was the first the large scale application of the alloy
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
. Wills was also a designer and is credited with designing the script "Ford Blue Oval" emblem that the company uses to this day.
Wills left Ford on his own terms and with a sizeable severance package of more than 1.5 million dollars, which he used to establish his own car company he originally named "Wills Saint Clair" – Wills for himself and "Saint Clair" for the Saint Clair River
St. Clair River
The St. Clair River is a river in central North America which drains Lake Huron into Lake St Clair, forming part of the international boundary between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Michigan...
near which his new factory was located. Wills later added the extra es, thinking that it elevated the cachet of the product.
The first Wills Sainte Claire rolled off the assembly line in 1921. Production was delayed due to metallurgy issues surrounding the use of molybdenum
Molybdenum
Molybdenum , is a Group 6 chemical element with the symbol Mo and atomic number 42. The name is from Neo-Latin Molybdaenum, from Ancient Greek , meaning lead, itself proposed as a loanword from Anatolian Luvian and Lydian languages, since its ores were confused with lead ores...
in castings, which Wills insisted be used in the production of the car in order to ensure its durability. Despite the durability of the cars, once production got underway most of Wills' executive staff abandoned him by 1922 because Wills was known to shut the whole assembly line down if a new and innovative method occurred to him. After going into receivership that year, the company was refinanced by a group of bankers from Boston and reincorporated as Wills Sainte Claire Incorporated in 1923.
Automotive designer Amos Northup
Amos Northup
Amos Northup American automotive designerNorthup was employed by cabinet maker C. J. Wadsworth in Painesville, Ohio early in his career. Then he worked as a designer for automaker Wills Sainte Claire under Childe Wills...
worked at Wills Sainte Claire until 1924.
Wills cars rode on either 121 in (3,073 mm) or 127 in (3,226 mm) wheelbases and featured either V8 or inline-6 cylinder overhead cam engines. Unable to sustain volume sufficient to make a profit, Wills closed the factory in 1927. Wills was later involved in the development of the front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
Ruxton automobile. The factory was later acquired by Chrysler.
All Wills Sainte Claire automobiles are classified as "Classic Cars" by the Classic Car Club of America
Classic Car Club of America
The Classic Car Club of America is an organization founded in 1952 to celebrate the grand automobiles of the prewar period. At the time, the vehicles covered by the Club were considered too modern to be of any interest by such organizations as the Antique Automobile Club of America and despite...
. Outside of automotive circles, Wills Sainte Claire is best known for its Canada goose
Canada Goose
The Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body....
logo. Wills chose it because he felt the Canada goose was the ultimate traveler of the world.
In 2002, volunteers opened the Wills Sainte Claire Museum at 2408 Wills Street in Marysville. It is open the second Sunday of every month. Of the approximately 80 Wills cars believed to exist (out of 12,000 or so originally manufactured), eight of them are located here. The museum can be reached at (810) 364-5050.
External links
- Wills Ste. Claire Auto Museum, pictures included.
- Richard A. Wright, "Joyrides: Marysville museum celebrates history of the Wills Ste. Claire", Detroit News January 5, 2004, retrieved 7/23/09
- 1926 Wills Sainte Claire Six picture.
- Canadian Driver article.
- Wayne State article.