Reviewers called the 1952 Willys Aero's acceleration 'very good' for a good reason: it had the best power-to-weight ratio of any American production car that year.
Lead trim: Aero 226 cu in Super Hurricane L-head I6
Willys Aero1952–1955
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Willys Aero yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactReviewers called the 1952 Willys Aero's acceleration 'very good' for a good reason: it had the best power-to-weight ratio of any American production car that year.
The Willys Aero (designer Philip Wright; "the father of the Aero was Clyde Paton", a former Packard engineer) was a compact built in Toledo, Ohio and Maywood, California from 1952 to 1955 as a 2-door hardtop, 2-door sedan and 4-door sedan on a 108 in wheelbase (183 in long, 60 in high): the Eagle and Lark were built from 1952 to 1954, a Wing only in 1952, a Falcon in 1953 and a taxicab in very limited production, the Ace through all US production, and 1955 added the Ace (soon Custom) sedans and the two-door hardtop Bermuda. US production ended in 1955 when Henry J. Kaiser gave up the Kaiser and Willys Aero lines to concentrate on Jeeps; 91,377 Aeros were built in Toledo. Engines: the F4-134 Hurricane four (used only in the export Aero Lark), the L6-161 Lightning six (the 1952 Aero-Lark), the F6-161 Hurricane six (1952 Eagle, Wing and Ace) and, after the Kaiser firm bought Willys, the L6-226 Super Hurricane; buyers praised the fuel economy and, unsurprisingly, the acceleration for the best power-to-weight ratio of US production cars.
Collectors Spotted in the Willys Aero Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Willys Aero yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
4 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aero 226 cu in Super Hurricane L-head I6 | 1954–1955 | 3.7 L Inline-6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Aero Eagle/Wing/Ace 161 cu in Hurricane F-head I6 | 1952–1955 | 2.6 L Inline-6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Aero Lark 134 cu in Hurricane F-head I4 (export) | 1952–1954 | 2.2 L Inline-4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Aero Lark 161 cu in Lightning L-head I6 (1952) | 1952–1952 | 2.6 L Inline-6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
In Brazil, the Willys-badged Aero was actually sold at Ford dealerships — and Ford quietly replaced it with the Maverick when it went out of production.
Reviewers called the 1952 Willys Aero's acceleration 'very good' for a good reason: it had the best power-to-weight ratio of any American production car that year.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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