Let's play "I bet you didn't know!"

"Breakfast Burrito: The True Resident Burrito" (breakfast-burrito) 01/03/2014 at 18:04 • Filed to: None

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AKA: What I learn after spending too much time on Wikipedia

I bet you didn't know Willys Overland produced a 1200 lb, rear-engined sports car.

Y'all remember Willys right? A company whose legacy stretches from these...

to these...

Well apparently there was more to the company than going in a straight line, and it came in the form of the Willys Interlagos pictured at the top.

Now, before y'all go up in arms and start claiming that whats pictured is really a Renault Alpine A108, allow me to direct your attention to the front quarter panel. You see that "W" logo? That's for Willys. If you saw the front of the car it'd spell out Interlagos much like this.

So how did Willys get away with stealing the beloved French Alpine? In 1953, shortly before Kaiser was about to take over the company, Willys established a fairly powerful manufacturing and sales operation with the production of their compact Willys Aero. This move canceled plans for Chrysler-Willys to produce the 1956 Plymouth Savoy in Brazil. Because Kaiser and Renault were also partners at the time and since their Aero production gained Willys a 30% Brazilian market share, Willys was also in charge of producing the Renault Dauphine, another compact for the Brazilian market. The Brazilian Willys Aero looked like this...

And the Renault Dolphin looked like this...

Side note: Dauphine is used as "Dolphin" in French much the same as Wales is like whales in "Princess of Wales" in English. So, if you were not already thoroughly confused, there you go.

A few years later, in 1957, Renault came out with a new Alpine to replace the hilarious looking A106. Even though the new 108 looked way better, the French were probably too busy smoking to notice. Production was so low that Renault continued to sell more of the old A106s through 1960.

Well, if the French lacked the sense of style enough to prefer a clown shoe to a sleek sports car, Renault would try its hand with its recently successful Brazilian endeavor. Conveniently, the A108 was pretty much a homologated sporting version of the Dauphine much like the original Alpine A106 was similar to the Renault 4CV. This meant that most mechanical components were already shared with the Dauphine, and by some strange Wikipedia logic, it means that the A108 should have been called the A109.

Anyways, with so many shared components, it would be an easy job for Renault to expand their Brazilian product line. Like before, Renault told Kaiser that if he made Willys produce the new Alpine, she wouldn't complain when Kaiser wanted to watch Monday night football. Kaiser agreed, but felt bad about his abusive relationship with Willys and asked if Willys could have this one last car before they brutally murdered her. Renault reluctantly agreed, and in 1962, Willys started to blissfully produce the A108 as the Willys Interlagos; named for the famous Brazilian Grand Prix course.

The Interlagos was a big hit in Brazil and gave rise to many Brazilian racers including Emerson Fittipaldi. Willys loved her new job and got so excited she began designing a more powerful sports car known as the Capeta (Devil) in addition to planning a FWD successor to the Dolphin. Sadly, Willys never had time to accomplish her dreams and after being a mostly Brazilian company in 1966, she met her inevitable death.

The moral of the story is that if you sleep around too much, you will get in bed with the wrong people and get taken advantage of. As for Renault, she confused the story further by branding the Dolphins as Fords after Willys died.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Breakfast Burrito: The True Resident Burrito 01/03/2014 at 18:09

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Yeah I posted pictures one a couple of weeks ago.

AMC/Renauledge > Breakfast Burrito: The True Resident Burrito 01/03/2014 at 18:16

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I knew all these things.

And I want an Itamaraty. Those things are so cool. Brooks Stevens was the MAN!

BATC42 > Breakfast Burrito: The True Resident Burrito 01/03/2014 at 18:24

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During my internship at Renaul-Alpine factory I met some of the oldest workers there. Some have spent their lives in this factory, working on the very first Alpines up to the new Clio RS. They were so proud of being part of Alpine history, having created cars from scratch with their hands. I met one guy who used to build the body of the cars.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > Breakfast Burrito: The True Resident Burrito 01/03/2014 at 18:37

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My God, the Aero is gorgeous!

I like this game.