American Car Spotters Guide - 1949

1949 American Car Models

The 1949 US models of all major manufacturers were the first true post-war models. Practically all of them had been introduced during 1948, a few even earlier, to supersede the 1946/47 models which had been, in fact, facelifted versions of the cars produced in 1941/1942. Public acceptance of these new cars was reflected in their sales figures which, totalling 5,119,466, were more than 1·2 million higher than for 1948. Export of complete cars was down to just over 140,000 units, but assembly of US cars with incorporation of locally-made parts and materials took place in a number of overseas countries.

US production of trucks and buses amounted to 1,134,185 units. The American Trucking Association reported that about 60% of the total freight transport in the US was now carried by trucks. The US automotive industry in its totality turned out over 6 million vehicles, thereby breaking its own 20-year old annual production record. Buick introduced a hard-top body style, soon to be followed by other auto makers. This type of pillar-less sedan, usually in two-door form, became very popular throughout the world.

Buick fender-lines also flowed into each other but in less extreme fashion than Cadillac’s, the metal sculpturing of the front fenders dropping in a low arc to blend into the front curves of the rear fenders. The other G.M. divisions still retained their pre-war appearance, until envelope bodies were adopted across the board in 1949. A major breakthrough had occurred during 1948 in new styling advances, once again pioneered by an independent manufacturer. Hudson introduced its 'Step-Down Design'. The occupants were cradled between the frame rails and the '48 Hudson was the first of the new breed of wider, lower-built American cars, needless to say, also with an envelope-type body and no separate fenders.

Ford-Mercury-Lincoln were next, in 1949, to field new-concept envelope bodies, and Nash - not then merged with Hudson also introduced that type of coachwork design together with a fully-curved windshield with no centre separation. Both front and rear wheels were enclosed, and Nash gave the new line a distinctive new name: Airflyte. Instruments were enclosed within a Uniscope cluster around the wheel. Chrysler Corporation also provided envelope bodies for their '49 Plymouths, Dodges, DeSotos and Chryslers, and although rather bulbous and massive, they were, as usual, soundly engineered. Packard's version was conservative but smooth, with gracefully flowing fenders and well proportioned overall dimensions. Old elegance in modern trim, as befitted the image of the marque. It was to be the swan song of Packard elegance, however. Crosley's buzzing little mini-cars, with their tiny O.H.C. four-cylinder engines, also possessed envelope bodies.

Clearly the new styling trend was there to stay and the universal acceptance of the envelope body was perhaps the most significant achievement of the decade. Most European manufacturers still clung to separate body and fenders at that time and the American marques were a step ahead. As far as other styling elements were concerned, curved windshields, tail fins, the more extensive employment of heavy chrome trim and the move towards lower bodies had all been made evident. The real pioneers of the decade had been Kaiser-Frazer, Studebaker and Hudson; newcomers and smaller independents.

Two-Car Families

The rise in two-car families was noted in the U.S.A. in a 1949 car survey, with 1,400,000 families then owning two or more passenger cars. Urban areas had 5 per cent, of families in this category; rural areas, 4.3 per cent. The total of American families owning one or more cars was 68 per cent, or 28,700,000. Between them, they owned 30,100,000 out of the 33,300,000 passenger cars then in use in the country. Forty-six per cent, of them bought their cars new, and the survey indicated that 12.9 million persons intended to buy new cars by the end of 1950. Another 2! million planned to buy used cars, and 5,000,000 were undecided.

Also see: 1949 Automobile Ads Published in the USA