[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Well, Chris, you may be right, and apologies if I got it wrong. I gather, going back in history to say 1912, when John North Willys established a British subsidiary, it was pronounced "Willis" although I know that our American friends say "Willies" as in "Willies Jeep". I have studied the Willys-Overland history in the UK and then the US and Canadian back to about 1904 with Charles Y Knight's sleeve-valve engine, which Mr W acquired rights to by buying up the Edwards Motor Company of New York. We made Willys-Overlands cars here in the UK which you may not know.

I can understand that on this side of the Pond "Willies" sounds too much like the standard slang for a phallus, and so there was a deliberate avoidance of a literal translation. I know Willys cars were sold in Australia: did they have any problem with "willies"? Willys-Overland in Toledo went into Federal bankruptcy in 1933 and UK importation ended. However in 1937, Willys returned to the U.K. market, with the 4-cylinder 15.63 H.P. 4-cylinder Streamline model. London Distributors were Shrimpton’s Motors Limited of London. In 1939, the Toledo company having traded its way out of bankruptcy set up a U.S.-run office of the Willys Export Company at Arlington Works, Arlington Industrial Estate, Twickenham, Middlesex, and post-War sold the civilian Jeep models in Britain. The last pre-war 1939 Models were “Willys-Overlands”.

This reminds me that in the early Twentieth Century, there was a fierce argument in Britain as to whether those rubber round things on vehicles were to be called "tyres" or "tires", as the Americans spelled them. I note from Canadian DND correspondence that it was spelled "tyres" generally pre-war, but "tire" crept in from about 1936 and this was influenced by dealings with US Tire companies who had subsidiaries in Canada. This makes me query when in Canada the pronounciation"willies" was first used or whether it has always been the case? I will look further in due course. Willys-Overland Limited was formed by JN Willys and then moved into the former Russell car Plant in Toronto during 1915. They then built cars there from 1915-1933. Did they use the English pronounciation? Was there the same connotation in Canada as in the British Isles? I shall be interested to know.

Once again, apologies for misdirecting but we say here generally "Opal" whereas it is I gather correctly "O-pell". I have been discussing today with a chap whether Reo Trucks [after Ransom Eli Olds] will forever be known as R-E-O Trucks after REO Speedwagon. Also "Hailey's Comet" because of Bill Hailey annd his Comets rather than the correct "Hall-ee". as in Town Hall.