1940s Collector Cars including pictures, descriptions and Prices

In 1940 pre World War II. the US produced 4,680,000 cars.

This is the first time luxury car's started rolling off a production line. A car showed the wealth and status of it owner. Cars like the Delahaye 135 convertible whose top speeds reached 95 mph or 153kph, the Delahaye was the ultimate 1940 luxury car.

The 1941-42 Packard Clipper was another luxury car produced pre war.

The 1941 Nash was the first English car massed produced with unibody construction.

The jeep was first mass produced in the 1940's for the US armed forces.

The Ford motor company produced a number of cars like the v-8 deluxe coupe that went for the price of about 650 dollars. The ford V8 deluxe four door Sedan which went for around 750 dollars, included and were fitted with sealed beam head lights on the deluxe models, and had chrome headlight trim rings, and parking lights.

Before the US entered the war the automobile capital was St Louis MO, later Detroit MI became the leader in the automotive industry.

A new car back in 1940s was about 800 dollars and a gallon of gas was whooping 18 cents.

On average most cars got about 15 to 20 miles per gallon.

In 1941 the Chrysler Company started production of the luxury oriented Town & Country wagon . This car was the precursor to the modern-day mini van. The Town & Country Wagon like the Mini Van featured an optional 9 passenger seating, a rear hatch,and was the first to include genuine wood exterior panels. The Town & Country Wagon was the original "woody". This car made a huge splash with the public especially during the postwar era. The popular convertible version hit the highways in 1949 with a starting price of 3,970 dollars.

On Feb.9,1942 all the automotive production stopped and the entire US industry started making products for the military to help the troops over seas.

The war had an effect on the auto industry and Chrysler halted its production and, the company then diverted its attention to the war effort. Until the war ended in 1945 Chrysler factories & employees made everything from engines for b29 Super fortress to Pershing tanks,and 40mm trailer mounted anti aircraft guns. The projects completed by Chrysler for the military valued more then 3.4 billion dollars between 1940-1949. In 1943 no civilian vehicles were produced, and in 1944 few light civilian trucks were produced. Finally in 1945 the war production board announced that the re conversion of civilian motor vehicles could begin on July 1st.

By 1946 the first radio telephones were used in cars, and the first power operated windows were introduced

For the first time drivers education was being offered at the many high schools.

In 1948 the Plymouth suburban was introduced, and Chrysler adopted the new method of starting the engine with an ignition key. At the end of the 40s a gallon of gas 26 cents. And after the end of World War II the auto industry was soaring as more and more people wanted to own cars.

Turn Signals started to appear on production cars in the 1940's