Willys Knight Model 20

Willys Knight Model 20 Overview: Generations, Specs, and Which One to Buy

A guide to the Willys Knight Model 20 sedan (1920–1923): its single generation, the 48 hp 3.1 MT version, and what to know when choosing one.

The Willys Knight Model 20 is a sedan produced from 1920 to 1923, offered with 48 hp across its range. It suits collectors and enthusiasts of early 1920s American motoring who want a closed-body Willys with a manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive, rather than buyers looking for a broad choice of configurations — the lineup is deliberately narrow.

Willys Knight Model 20 generations

1 generation (1920–1923)

The first and only generation of the Willys Knight Model 20 was built from 1920 to 1923 exclusively as a sedan. Every version of this generation delivers 48 hp, pairs a Manual transmission with rear-wheel drive (RWD), and the generation counts a single modification in total. That modification is the Willys Knight Model 20 3.1 MT, powered by a 3046 cc engine producing 48 hp. Because the power range runs from 48 hp to 48 hp, there is no performance spread within the generation: any Model 20 sedan you find from these years carries the same 48 hp output and the same Manual/RWD layout.

Which Willys Knight Model 20 to buy

• 3.1 MT (1 generation): the mass-market version of the lineup, with a 3046 cc engine producing 48 hp, a Manual gearbox, and RWD — and as the only modification offered from 1920 to 1923, it is the definitive Model 20.

Buying used means buying a car that is over a century old, so the years 1920–1923 matter less than the condition of the individual example — all of them share the same 48 hp, 3046 cc mechanical specification. The single-modification lineup works in the buyer's favor: there are no configuration traps, and any Willys Knight Model 20 sedan you inspect should match the same Manual, rear-wheel-drive layout, which simplifies verifying that a car is complete and correct.

Summary

The Willys Knight Model 20 occupies a simple, well-defined spot: a 1920–1923 sedan with one generation, one modification, and one specification. The Willys Knight Model 20 3.1 MT (1 generation) combines a 3046 cc engine, 48 hp, a Manual transmission, and RWD. Buyers do not choose between versions here — they choose between examples, and the uniform 48 hp specification makes comparing those examples straightforward.