The Five Most Beautiful cars of the 1940s

[Jive-Bomber]

Same game, different decade folks. Now this one is a little more select since Detroit focused it's efforts on War Production between 1942-1945, and offering little more than "hold over styling" changes to cars in 1946 and 1947. Essentially, you've on...

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[bchrismer]

I will always contend that you can't go wrong with the '40 Ford! I'm only slightly biased.

[spinner]

My top 5 pick would be 1940 ford deluxe coupe.1940 mercury coupe. 1949 mercury,1949 ford coupe and 1950 buick

[theHIGHLANDER]

Top 5 for me:
1940-41 Lincoln Continental

1941-42 Packard Darrin (builds were taken over by Hess & Eisenhart)

1946-47 Packard Clippers (the Custom Supers especially, inside and out)

1941 Buick Roadmaster (the 47-8-9 rank right up there too)

1940-41 Mopars (the Plymouth for 41, the Dodge Luxury Liner for 40, several of the Chryslers...)

Runner up nominees:

"Step Down" Hudsons

41 Studebakers

Several Nash designs/models

41 Cadillac model 62

47 Cadillac Model 62 conv and sedanette

A 48-9 Buick Roadmaster decklid is a direct bolt on to a 47 Cad conv. The added "hump" in the lid lends itself nicely to the profile and heads the rest into true kustom territory. Add tunneled headlights, shave some chrome, remove the taillights...

[Thor1]

Jive-Bomber,

I am going to have to respectfully take exception to your list. While you are right on the money with your pick of the 1948 Cadillac Sedanette, any list of the most beautiful cars of the 1940's that doesn't also include the 1949 Buick Sedanette is fundamentally flawed...period. Art on wheels.

Thor

[BOP-Nut]

Good list.

I'll add a '49 Olds Futuramic 98 coupe:





'46 Buick Sedanet:



And a '49:



(This picture is huge) http://image.rodandcustommagazine.co...nette+.JPG.jpg

[Winged Avenger II]

'41 Pontiac

[hombres ruin]

For me the 49 ford coupe and the 40 ford deluxe coupe

[ric]

'40 Ford Coupe has got to be on the list.
But I just reread your list from the thirties and the '39 Ford Coupe is included. So i understand the logic of excluding it, as it really is a design from the thirties.

[Ramblur]

Sorry Jive-Bomber,but I think you missed the boat on your calls(Or possibly it should be "The Six Most Beautiful Cars of the 1940's"). I am, of course, certainly biased and being a Hudson owner somewhat used to being overlooked.Still its hard to look at a 48 Hudson and 49 Merc and not think that said
designers were looking over each others shoulders... I've grown used to the"Thats a beautiful Mercury" comments and have picked up the annoying
habit of singling out Mercury owners for my own "Thats a beautiful Hudson" payback.Hudson took a huge gamble in the beginning of this longer,lower,wider era with their uni-body 'MonoBilt' design but it bit them in the ass when
it came to trying to update a platform that they were pretty much stuck
with in the 50's.I respectfully submit, one of the Six Most Beautiful Cars of the 1940's,
the 'Stepdown' Hudson...

[DJLATIN]

'48 fleetline is what I have always wanted and would put in my top 8.

[Sweepspear]

Originally Posted by theHIGHLANDER

Top 5 for me:
1940-41 Lincoln Continental

I was going to add this also. In my eyes the '40 -'41 Continental Cabriolet is one of the finest designs of any car ever.

I'm a little biased though since my late Father restored a '40 many years ago.

[38zephyr]

I love the 30's Ford's and I love the 40's GM cars : 41 Cad conv., 42 Fleetline aero , 47 Cadillac sedanette and fastback (61/62) , 48 and 49 Cad's also . All KILLER'S just dead stock , mild lowering is about all they need in my book . Slanted B pillars = B is for BEAUTIFUL . Love 49 Merc's also .

[Scotch Buzzard King]

It was Henry Ford II, not Edsel Ford, who lead the design for the 1949 Ford and Mercury. Edsel died in 1943 from stomach cancer.

[vintageauto]

Originally Posted by 38zephyr

I love the 30's Ford's and I love the 40's GM cars : 41 Cad conv., 42 Fleetline aero , 47 Cadillac sedanette , 48 and 49 sedanette's also . All KILLER'S just dead stock , mild lowering is about all they need in my book . Slanted B pillars = B is for BEAUTIFUL . Love 49 Merc's also .

I agree with 38 on the Sedanettes and Fleetlines....But the 40 Ford Coupe tops my list along with 49 Ford Coupes...Are there more.....Hell yea!

[Big A]

I respectfully submit, one of the Six Most Beautiful Cars of the 1940's,
the 'Stepdown' Hudson

As much as I like Hudsons (and Mercs) and I'm biased towards shoebox Fords, I don't think you can call their designs "beautiful". Iconic, milestones etc., sure, but not beautiful when compared to the others on this page.

[justanotherguy]

Well, I see the unquestionably beautiful '40 Ford as a '39 with a facelift, and I prefer the '39. So keeping it in the '40s, I'm going to jump in and also endorse the '41 Merc.... one of my favorites. But going out on a limb, I think Studebaker pulled out all the stops with the '47 Starlite Coupe. Putting that huge wrap-around back window into production was one heck of a marketing risk... I might be in the minority here, but I think it's a beautiful design statement that gives a nod to the fighting aircraft of the era.

[49ratfink]

the 1949 Chevrolet is the most beautiful car from the era. they even say so in thier advertising.

[vividlyvintage]

Though it is a 1938.. the y job.. but these are also beautiful. All from the 40's.















I am not sure what hear this one is but it is awesome too!



thanks,
Douglas Johnson
"Skrach"
www.VividlyVintage.com

[1946chevytruck]

the 41-46 chevy/gmc truck