158ci Knight Sleeve-Valve Inline 6-Cylinder Engine
Single Tilloston Carburetor
46bhp at 3,000rpm
3-Speed Manual Transmission
4-Wheel Semi-Elliptic Leaf Spring Suspension
4-Wheel Internal Expanding Mechanical Drum Brakes

*Rare Falcon-Knight
*Unique speedster coachwork
*Intriguing early ownership history

THE FALCON-KNIGHT MODEL 10

John North Willys, prolific seller and builder of automobiles in the Twenties, recognized the value of a good idea, and was not reluctant to try it out.

Starting out selling Overland automobiles in Elmira, New York, Willys soon took over the Overland company and revived it. He kept picking up troubled marques including Marion, Pope Toledo, New Process Gear and even the first Duesenberg company. He hired Walter P. Chrysler away from General Motors. Willys' 1913 acquisition of Edwards Motor Co. brought him the license to build Charles Yale Knight's sleeve valve engines, famed for their quiet, valve-less operation.

Willys then used Knight engines prolifically, first in the Willys-Knight and then establishing a new marque, Falcon in Elyria, Ohio in 1927, to build a less elaborate Knight-engined line, the Falcon-Knight. Power came from a 158 cubic inch inline six advertised with 46 brake horsepower, three-speed manual transmission, live axle suspension with semi elliptical leaf springs and four-wheel three-shoe mechanical brakes.

Production continued for only two years but during that time 11,041 Falcon-Knights were built.

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

This 1927 Willys-Knight Model 10 has a one-off two seat speedster body believed to have been commissioned by James Harvey Howe III, grandson of the inventor of Tums. He donated it to the St. Louis Museum of Transportation in the 1970 and was later part of the John O'Quinn collection before being acquired by the Evergreen Collection.

The body is as elemental as a good speedster should be, light in weight and burdened with only essential features like electric head and tail lights, a stylish monocle windshield, cylindrical bolster fuel tank behind the pair of bucket seats, rear-mounted spare, red artillery wheels and blackwall 4.75-5.00x20 tires. The color is a jaunty yellow with black mudguards, running boards and upholstery on a bright red frame and running gear.

It recently has had important work to keep it in good operating condition including new intake and exhaust manifold and water chamber gaskets, a cylinder block and radiator cleanout and some new period-correct fabric covered headlight wiring.

The collection reports it runs well, quietly and once warmed up to reduce engine clearances displays only minimal smoke despite the sleeve valve's common conception.

A Falcon-Knight is a rare automobile under any circumstances; this may very well be the only one blessed with lightweight speedster coachwork that maximizes its performance and sporting appearance.