1947 Dodge DeLuxe

I'm calling this a 1947, but pinning an exact date on it is hard. Dodge was slow in getting new models in the showroom in the immediate postwar years and the '46-'49 Dodges were only slightly cosmetically refreshed versions of the prewar D22-series Dodges, and didn't differ externally from year to year. There was really no need to, since pent-up civilian demand made it a seller's market.

The lower trim level was the DeLuxe, like this Air Cruiser Red 4-door sedan, and the higher-zoot variant was the Custom. From the outside the only easily distinguishable difference was that the Custom had chrome trim around the windows.

Under the hood was Dodge's staid 102 horsepower 230 cubic inch inline six flathead motor. Buyers could get either a 3-speed manual gearbox standard, or upgrade to a Chrysler "Fluid Drive", which inserted a viscous coupling between the standard clutch and the crank, where the flywheel would normally reside. The driver still had to use the clutch to select gears manually, but there was no need to use it when stopping and starting, which simplified urban driving. 

This one was photographed with a Nikon Coolpix S6500 in July of 2014.