When the car trial above was taking place in the mid-1920s John Willys, the manufacturer, had acquired the F.B. Stearns Company of Cleveland, Ohio, and was continuing production of the Stearns-Knight luxury car, a vehicle later introduced to the Australian market.

In 1901 J. and T. Donnelly were conducting their livery stables from this location, which had some stables that boarded horses and kept their horses and carriages for hire. They also had a registry of horse owners who paid a weekly or monthly remuneration to keep their horses there. By 1906 the name had changed to Donnelly Bros Livery Stables, a name they used up till 1913 and by 1929 it had become Donnelly’s Service Station and then Donnelly’s Motor Garage, with the business closing prior to 1940.

The acceptance of the automobile brought an unprecedented boom in touring around Bathurst and district. Many considered these first models dangerous, and a nuisance, that continued until after World War One when many Australian AIF soldiers became more familiar with them. There were still those who continued with their horses and horse drawn vehicles and machines for many years after.

In the very early 1900s the maximum legal speed limit was considered three mph but with these new ‘motorised carriages’ whose speed could reach ten mph some problems pursued. The three mph speed limit did continue but applied to steam rollers and traction engines. Some car drivers were fined under this early Act as Governments were slow to act. By 1911 one could even purchase ‘car insurance’. Also, by this time, the New South Wales Government was suggesting that cars should pay a tax as they damaged roads. Car owners and automobile clubs quickly suggested that the Government should build better roads.

The Donnellys were agents for Willys Knight and Fiat at the time this photo was taken. They kept a range of spare parts as well as accessories. They sold ‘Mobiloil’ oil and grease products as well as ‘Triumph’ mineral lubricating oil. The Triumph company noted that their oil was made for high efficiency, absolute uniformity, and great economy and was often supplied free in the economy runs to gain the publicity. This oil was popular in the early 1900s and especially in the 1920s and 1930s as more of these motorized conveyances came into use.  In the mid-1930s one actually had to purchased different grade oils, one for winter and one for summer in Bathurst.

The Willys-Overland Motor Company began after John North Willys bought out the Overland Automotive from Standard Wheel Company and later in 1912 renamed it. From this time Willys was the second only to Ford as one of the largest producers of automobiles in the United States of America. In 1913 John Willys purchased a license to build the Knight Engine’s sleeve-valve engine which he used in his Willys-Knight vehicles.

John Willys set about buying out other car manufacturers as well as developing better models, but uneasy money markets began to make all this rather difficult. The big stock-market crash of 1929 and the ensuing economic depression really played havoc with Willys. Stearns-Knight, who was manufacturing the vehicles, was liquidated in 1929 with the final production of the Willys-Knight means of transportation ending in 1933.

Willys, its Canadian subsidiary and remaining plants were reorganised as Willys-Overland Motors in 1936 and went on to develop the Willys MB, better known as the ‘Army’ Jeep. Production began in 1941, however after the Second World War Willys-Overland decided to concentrate on the production of Jeeps alone rather than recommence the fabrication of passenger cars.

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