I sure don’t want folks to get the idea I’m a big car hater, although I admit I’ve never owned one. But that’s not to say I haven’t lusted after many, especially certain ones from the 50s and 60s. So let’s take each post-war decade at a time for a QOTD, and decide which big car is the one you’d most like to have.
I do like me a bit of pep, so the 1940s car for me would have to be an Olds 88, with the brand new Rocket OHV V8 in the smaller A Body, essentially a 1949 Chevrolet with a few inches longer front end (119″ wb), and the 135 hp 303 cubic inch Rocket under the hood. And although I’m a fan of manual transmissions, I’ll take mine with the four-speed Hydramatic, as I suspect it was little or no slower than the manual, it was quite efficient, and it just seems part of the package, a glimpse of the future of American cars: V8s and automatics.
Turns out the one I found on the web is the same as the one in this ad. I’ll make a date with this honey.
The new Olds engine was instantly embraced by the go-fast crowd, which means that the parts to perk it up were available in short order, like this tri-carb induction system and the Offy valve covers. With an Isky cam and higher compression, this Rocket would be making 200+ hp in short order, thanks to its fairly well-breathing heads. Put on some wider wheels and 7.60×15 tires, and this is what I’d be rocking in in 1949.
And good luck catching me. This is what you’d be looking at as I rocketed by you.
And now you’ve got 24 hours to figure out how to catch me in the 1950s.
Update: you’re taking a time machine back to the ’40s, and this is your daily driver.
Cannot argue with Paul’s choice so an 88 with those modifications for me too. From a European PoV though give me something like the Talbot-Lago below…
I´ll take this 1949 Borgward Hansa 1500.
What else?…
The choice in Austerity England is a bit thin; I’m tempted by the idea of a big Humber, but I suspect it might be quicker to walk. I’ll take a Ford V8 Pilot, which is quite big enough for British roads, has tolerable performance and boasts (I seem to recall) the biggest slab of Bakelite ever made in the UK across its dashboard.
The 1949 Ford
I find a lot of the 1940’s cars to be a bit odd looking with the super long front ends. The 49 Ford is (to me) the first modern car and like the 1961 Lincoln Continental 12 years later started a trend that all car makers went to (with the 1949 Ford, it was streamlining with integrated fenders and it’s slab sided profile. With the 1961 Conti, it was with the boxy style with NO fins that all makers went to)
It was certainly a groundbreaking shape. The only problem with the 49 Ford is that it was the 57 Plymouth of the 40s (in terms of its 2/3-baked development and its quality).
This was my original first choice, but remembered the QC issues. But what fun you could have by swapping in one of those Olds Rocket V8s!
I knew a guy in my hometown who did that to a ’51. It even had the Offy valve covers and the three carb setup like the pics in the OP. It was quick in a straight line, but God help you if you needed to turn or stop…
There’s a definite shift in styling trends from immediate pre-war to post war. The immediate pre-war cars look like they’re from the 1930’s (and most of them are) but any of the post war new cars look far different from their predecessors. This trend continued through the 1950’s and only slowed down in the 1960’s.
With contemporary cars’ styling intended to last 5-10 years, even a 15 year-old car doesn’t look terribly out of place today. Imagine comparing a 1935 model year Ford to the 1950 model year Ford. Or the 1950 Ford to the 1965 Ford. But after about that time, the styling changes start to slow down.
1940 Chevrolet Special Deluxe Coupe.
My grandfather restored one and it was my grandmother’s favourite car. I have lots of memories of riding in it.
When my grandfather died in the mid 90’s, my uncle went against the wishes of the rest of the family and sold it. I was in line for it, so I haven’t spoken to him since.
There is no other selection for me.
Here is the car with my grandparents in the 1970s.
I have a soft spot for relentlessly practical vehicles, so I’d want a 1949 Kaiser Traveller quasi-hatchback. Its Continental-based straight six was a proven design that put out well over 100 horsepower, it should be reasonable economical especially when equipped with the popular overdrive option, and the giant rear opening would be just the thing for hauling stuff around. However, concerns about parts availability would probably push me into a 1948 Nash 600 sedan with its folding rear seat back, economical but not gutless OHV straight six, and tidy 199.5″ length. The 1949 Nash Airflyte’s front fender skirts look like a corrosion magnet and a detriment to low-speed maneuverability.
Oh, I’ve gotten much too practical in my adult years! I would go with the 1949 Chevrolet 2 door Fleetline Deluxe, three speed manual, in a dark color-green would be nice. First of the real postwar Chevys, proven mechanicals, excellent build quality, and inspiration for the Bentley Continental. Excellent interior space, and if you need to haul more stuff you just use the pickup. We are driving in the 1940s, after all, so access to service and parts is important, and that would not be an issue for the ’49 Chevy. And a sustained 50 MPH would be plenty fast for that time, unless you lived out West. What can I say, I like the fastback.
For me, the early 50s GM fastbacks….Caddy, Olds and Buick especially.
1941 Packard 160 Convertible Deluxe, 356-cid straight eight, put out 160 hp (10 more than Cadillac’s V-8) and could push the two-ton convertible past 100 mph. After the war, once the car buying craze was over, the prewar ‘old styled’ cars sat on the back rows of used car lots, and could be had for a song. My father, who was in his early 50s at the time, used to tell us of the big car ‘dogs’ that he bought and sold in the late 40s / early 50s. He kept a custom bodied Pierce Arrow 4 door Phaeton that he bought for $100 in 1948, didn’t sell it til the mid 70s. It was restored, and took a 1st in class at Hershey, then, on the way home, the tow vehicle and trailer were in a crash, it was almost totaled, and restored again. In any case, he would recount walking the back rows of the used car lots, and seeing Duesenbergs, Cords, Big Lincolns, Cadillacs, etc, priced for 100 to 200 dollars. No one wanted those big sleds. He missed a 30s Rolls Royce for $150 by a half hour.
I’d probably go for a ’49 Olds 88 too. Nice size and good performance. I also am a big fan of the ’49 Ford, and was surprised it was hardly mentioned, but as JPC pointed out it wasn’t a paragon for quality. But then again neither of these cars are truly big cars in my eyes. Even the larger 88 is just a little over 200″ long. If I wanted to drive a truly big car from the 40’s, my choice would be a ’49 Cadillac Coupe Deville.
However, if you told me to go out and buy a 40s tomorrow, a friend of mine has a beautiful black ’41 Chevrolet Coupe for sale now, restored back to original spec in immaculate condition. Since I know the car and owner, I’d buy that one in a heartbeat.
My friend’s ’41 Chevy looks just like this, but it’s a business coupe.
1947 Packard Custom Clipper Club Sedan with Overdrive. My well off cousin had one new only about a year later in turquoise blue..
I keep wanting a european car from the ‘40’s, either an alfa 6c or a ‘49 Cisitalia 202, – but many here will cry foul that the selection was not “big” enough…..the closest I get to big is a ‘49 Jag MK V.
But I will settle for a 4 door 1940 Graham Sharknose….or the Tucker mentioned previously.