Wills Sainte Claire
Car : Wills Sainte Claire
Year : 1922
Engine : 8 cylinders V
Bore and stroke :82.55×101.6 mm
Cylinder capacity : 4350 cc
Gears : 3 forward
Brake horse power : 67
Maximum speed : 80 mph
Wheelbase : 10 ft 1 ins (3.07 m)
Suspension : front and back : semi-elliptic leaf- springs
There are two aspects of the Wills Sainte Claire Company which make it one of the most interesting and original ‘characters’ in the story of the American car industry. The first is the founder of the company and designer of the car, Chlide Harold Wills, who was the chief designer of the famous Ford Model T, and who collaborated with Ford up until 1919, when he set up on his own, using his own mechanical expertise. The second is the name of the firm which apart from recording the name of the founder, is taken from Lake Saint Clair near which the firm was based.

The Wills Sainte Claire was original above all in its engine (8 cylinders V), which was clearly inspired by the Hispano-Suiza, with overhead camshaft for each bank of cylinders, and cast-iron rather than metal alloy engine block, as in the Spanish-French engine. The car appeared rather later than scheduled, due to the meticulous attention to detail. It was priced at $3,000. In 1922 4,300 vehicles were made, but sales figures dropped rapidly in following years, due to the difficulties of ensuring an efficient maintenance service. In 1924 a single plate clutch and hydraulic brakes were added. A more simple 6-cylinder model was unsuccessful and the company ceased production in 1927.