In 1958, years before the custom van movement or the introduction of the minivan, famed industrial designer Brooks Stevens created the Willys Commuter concept. Here’s more on this fascinating vehicle.
Introduced in 1956, the Willys Forward Control pickup series offered a wealth of possibilities for upfitting and modifications, thanks to its cab-forward layout and simple, rugged chassis. Independent designer Brooks Stevens, a frequent Willys collaborator, envisioned a compact passenger bus, an executive transport if you will, based on the Willys FC platform, which he named the Commuter. While the Commuter never became a production vehicle, obviously, it’s still a fascinating story.
This early version of the Commuter while still in the drawing-board phase sports an airy, open greenhouse with a hardtop-like appearance, a design element that didn’t make it to the working prototypes. Full wheel covers, whitewalls, and a two-tone paint treatment contribute to the civilian passenger-car look. As a cost-saving measure, the six-door body employed interchangeable doors front and rear, while the center door pressings were also interchangeable left and right.
Through the magic of forced perspective, this charming scale model of the Commuter concept looks almost realistic. Note the steps built into the front and rear bumpers, presumably to reach the tall glass for cleaning.
Stevens selected the coachbuilding firm of Reutter Karosserie in Stuttgart, Germany, noted body supplier to Porsche, to construct the Commuter prototypes on production Willys FC-150 chassis and forward cab sections. Reportedly, three vehicles were built, and detail differences in the available photographs appear to support that number. For example, this Commuter shows some significant differences with the vehicle in the top photo, including in the bumpers and side trim.
Built on the FC-150 chassis with 81-inch wheelbase, the Commuter was of familiar compact van proportions—roughly similar to the Ford Econoline and Corvair Greenbriar introduced a few years later in 1961. Note the distinctive Stevens flavor in the tail lamps and elaborate bright metal side trim. While Willys Motors did produce a few hundred panel-type variants of the FC series for the U.S. military (M678 and M679), their bodies share nothing in common with the Stevens prototypes, it appears.
This Commuter sports a different tail lamp configuration than the vehicle above and an articulated tailgate hinged at the top, providing clear access to the flat cargo floor.
This view through the open center door shows the simple and stylish upholstery in red and gray and a close-out panel behind the front seats with a chrome passenger rail. Another Commuter prototype with an alternate seating configuration featured a rear-facing second seat.
What eventually became of the three presumed Willys Commuter prototypes is not known, not to us anway. However, a short feature in the December 1978 issue of Special Interest Autos (SIA #48) reported that one of the Commuters was in use at the home of former Willys Motors president Edgar Kaiser on Orkas Island, Washington, north of Seattle.
Brooks Stevens was an amazing guy ( although, he is considered the father of planned obsolescence) He truly thought outside the box. You know, a while back, Hemmings did a story on Alice Preston. She was the head mechanic for Excalibur, and is still very active in the preservation of the cars. Perhaps she would know. She was for many years, Brooks Stevens right hand gal. The van may be at the defunct museum in Mequon, Wis. I was never there (DANG) but heard many of his creations were there.
Certainly showed “forward” thinking…
(This, Mr. Iacocca, is “cab forward” design)
All seriousness aside, I am a fan of Mr. Stevens, Mr. Iacocca (who had a Ford minivan in the works before he joined Chrysler), and Jeeps.
Thanks again for tickling our automotive taste buds.
I recall the Willys trucks (a couple of friends had one) and this is a good example of where it could have gone. The independents didn’t die because of lack of good ideas.
I’ve seen photos of this van on Facebook but never knew what it was. Thanks for the story.
Thank for a another great feature highlighting the genius of Brooks Stevens. One of these vans was used at the museum in the early days but no one knows where it ended up. I’ve been searching for one for years and all of my leads have resulted in dead ends. A couple other enthusiasts and I are in a friendly competition to find an existing van so I’m enlisting the vast and knowledgable readership of the Garage to help.
We could do a Brooks Stevens piece every week and never run out of material.
While working at Old Cars Weekly in the 1970’s we were priveledge to visit Mr. Stevens and his sons at the design center on a regular basis. He did show me one of these prototypes which I presume is the one that ended up in his museum. It was in the lower level when I saw it. I was totally in love with it. I can’t imagine anything bad happened to it. I wonder where it is today.
81″ wheelbase? That is very short and it does not look that short. Though it is far from long either!
I do love the tyres, all very agricultural.
While I hate these passenger vans the thinking is ahead of its time.
Were these 4WD? I know that some Jeep based cars were only 2wd, such as the mail cars etc.
“He was a fine industrial designer, but he had quirky ideas about cars,” said David E. Davis Jr., editor of Automobile magazine. “He said he was a friend of sports cars, but I said if you have a friend like that, you don’t need enemies.” From a New York Times article and it certainly has a point looking at the van.
Quirky but certainly fun 🙂 It is not often that you see something different. When you think of classic vans first that comes to mind is the VW camper van. Now we know there is / was more. Too bad it didn’t go into production.
Vasi
Corsia Logistics