Chilly Willy Articles

Return Road - Bert Staus' Chilly Willy
RPM Classifieds - Volume 3, Issue 2, March 2002 - By Tim Sykes

 Most fans of early drag racing recall the gasser era of the 1960's as among their favourite memories. It is not hard to remember the excitement brought on by those wild, unpredictable coupes wheelstanding with every shift as they charged side by side down the quarter mile. Cars and teams from California and Ohio became legends of the sport, such as Stone, Woods and Cook; John Mazmanian, K.S. Pittman and George Montgomery. One of Canada's best-remembered gassers was the '40 Willys coupe of Kitchener, Ontario's Bert Straus.

Bert Straus with Chilly Willy in 1969

Straus had been involved with custom cars since the 1950's as a member of the Motor Lords car club. He owned a Fina service station on the corner of King and Wellington Streets in Kitchener. It is at this tiny two-bay garage that he worked on the car that would make him famous. Straus located a steel bodied '40 Willys coupe in Guelph, Ontario in 1968. He rebuilt the frame for the coupe and started piecing the racecar together. Straus purchased a one-piece tilting front end from Rick's speed shop in Kitchener. With a junkyard small block Chevy motor under the hood, the car appeared that first year in a coat of beige and lime green primer. the now familiar name and logo was designed and painted by Ken Kay, an old friend of Straus' and one of Canada's best custom car painters. The 1968 race season was neither glamorous nor lucrative for Bert Straus and his little drag coupe, but did provide much needed experience. The 1969 drag race season took a dramatic turn for Straus. One of the most important elements to this pivotal year was the purchase of a race proven engine. When Carl roland had a Chrysler Hemi built for his "Percy Also" Fiat altered, Straus bought the injected small block Chevy motor that was pulled out of the car. The new powerful motor, better and more reliable parts, a killer driving ability and a dogged determination to win proved to be a successful combination for Straus. Consistent elapsed times and speed parlayed into an impressive string of wins. Straus had become a dominant player in a very competitive class. Straus and his Willys took on many of the sport's biggest names when Chilly Willy raced at the N.H.R.A. Nationals. By 1971, Straus had the car winning its class at Indy. But the gassers were slowly being phased out of competition. Drag racing took a dramatic turn in the early 1970's with rule changes that eliminated many of the 1960's era racecars and opened up the sport to new and different race classes. As the gasser era passed into history, along with altered roadsters and slingshot dragsters, race fans saw the emergence of a more professional approach, with the advent of fuel Funny Cars, mid-engine dragsters, and Pro-Stock categories dominating the sport.

After a successful 1971 season, Bert Straus made the decision to sell his Willys and build newer and more competitive cars, firstly with a small block Chevy powered AMC Gremlin, then to a Pro Stock Pontiac Astre. Despite the fact that these other cars were faster, better built and more competitive, his heart still held a special spot for his beloved Willys coupe, a car he could never quite forget.

Bert Straus with Chilly Willy in 1969



RPM Classifieds Cover - Volume 3, Issue 2, March 2002

Return Road - Bert Straus Chilly Willy - RPM Classifieds - Volume 3, Issue 2, March 2002