In 1908, John North Willys purchased the Overland Automotive Division of Standard Wheel Company, and in 1912 it became known as Willys-Overland Motor Company. From 1912 to 1918, Willys was the second largest automobile producer in the United States, following the Ford Motor Company.

The production of the first and best-known 4-cylinder Whippet 96 began on May 12, 1926, and it was ready to be marketed on June 26 of the same year.

The name Whippet comes from the idea of John North Willys, since the car in question was quite agile, fast, and economical, and Whippets are a breed of sighthound dogs, developed for the famous races that were very popular in the 1920s.