America’s smallest car upon its introduction in 1926, the Whippet was truly one of the most compelling vehicles of its day. Produced by Willys-Overland, the marque was to supersede the Overland as a budget automobile with a small footprint, and it was competitive in both price and performance to other cars available at the same time.

The company cemented its name and reputation at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where a six-cylinder model was put to the test over a 24-hour endurance run. The car averaged 52.56 mph and established a new record for stock automobiles priced under $1,000. Even more impressive was that the Whippet could be had for a far smaller price than that: $545 for a four-cylinder cabriolet and $615–$745 for the six-cylinder models! Sadly, the Whippet would only last five years, and the company closed its doors due to the Great Depression in 1931.

Added to the AACA Museum shortly after its opening in 2004, the car was donated by a gentleman in Florida and was said to be an AACA Grand National First Prize winner. While in the museum’s custody, this Whippet was used in the filming of an episode of HBO’s hit series Boardwalk Empire, alongside a few of the other vehicles from the museum. It is important to note that although the Whippet starts and drives, it has spent most of its time on static display and therefore may require some degree of re-commissioning before being placed into routine service.

Despite having produced over 600,000 examples over the course of five years of production, Whippets are seldom seen today. With Hollywood provenance and offered to benefit the AACA Museum, this Whippet is not to be missed.