9781422278161

CONVERT I BLES

and after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, bringing the United States into the war. The 1942 Cadillac Dual Cowl Phaeton was one of the most unusual cars ever built. The dual cowls of its name referred to windshields. The back seat had its own windshield, mounted behind the front seat. The car had many features which were not, as of yet, available to the public, including automatic trans­ mission and power windows. Another 1942 model was the DeSoto Convertible, made by the Chrysler Corporation. It could be had with an optional four-speed semi-automatic transmission.

The 1940 Packard Darrin Victoria was designed by H “Dutch” Darrin, a Parisian car-builder who frequently did side jobs for car compa­ nies in Detroit. This old- money car used the standard Packard grille, bumpers, and lights, with an elongated and lowered hood. It had a 127-inch wheelbase and used engines ranging in size from 282 to 356 cubic inches of displacement. Prices ranged from $3,819 to $4,593.

The 1936 Cord 810 Convertible Phaeton—produced at Auburn’s second factory in Connersville, Indiana—made quite a splash at its debut at the National Automobile Show at the Grand Central Palace in New York City in November of 1935. Some still call it the greatest car ever made.

Ah, classic architecture! The 1937 BMW Cabriolet was made by the Bay- erische-Motoren-Werke of Munich, Germany, and helped lay the foundation

for the famous BMW sports cars to come.

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