Classic Cars of the 1940s

1949 Hudson Commodore Eight sedan by Derham front-three-quarter view
The 1948-1949 Hudson Commodore Eight was among the first great postwar cars. See more pictures of classic cars.

Classic cars of the 1940s took a backseat to the business of fighting World War II.

However, linking to the cars below makes clear that before and after mobilizing to preserve democracy, American automakers did indeed produce some of the most important cars of the 20th Century.

Learn more about the 1942-1948 Buick Roadmaster, the 1946-1948 Chrysler Crown Imperial, the 1949 Ford Custom V-8, and other great classic cars of the 1940s.

For more on these and other classic cars of the 1940s, see:

1940-1941 Lincoln Continental 1940-1941 Packard Super Eight One Sixty Convertibles 1940-1942 Chrysler New Yorker Highlander 1940-1942 Chrysler New yorker Navajo
1940-1942 Chrysler Windsor Highlander 1940-1942 Packard Custom Super Eight 180 1940-1942 Packard One Twenty & Clipper One Twenty Convertibles 1941-1942 Chrysler Windsor Town & Country
1941-1942 Dodge Custom Convertible 1941-1942 Mercury 1941-42 Willys Americar 1942-1948 Buick Roadmaster
1942-48 Pontiac Streamliner 1945-1948 Jaguar Mark IV 1946 Mercury Sportsman 1946 Studebaker Skyway Champion
1946-1947 Hudson Commodore Eight 1946-1947 Hudson Super Six 1946-1947 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser 98 1946-1948 Chrysler Crown Imperial
1946-1948 Nash Ambassador Suburban 1946-1949 Dodge Custom Convertible 1946-1980 DeSoto Custom Suburban 1946-59 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith
1947 Frazer Standard 1947-1948 Crosley Convertible & Wagon 1947-1948 Frazer Manhattan 1947-1948 Kaiser Custom
1947-49 Studebaker Commander Coupe & Convertible 1948-1949 Cadillac Series Sixty-One Sedanet 1948-1949 Cadillac Series Sixty-Two Convertible/Sedanet 1948-1949 Hudson Commodore Eight
1948-1949 Hudson Commodore Six 1948-1949 Hudson Super Eight 1948-1949 Hudson Super Six 1948-1951 Jaguar Mark V
1948-1956 Frazer Nash 1948-1985 Land-Rover Series I,II,III 1948-57 Sunbeam Talbot 90 1948-57 Sunbeam-Talbot 80
1949 Cadillac Series Sixty-Two Coupe de Ville 1949 Ford Custom V-8 (exc. Sedans) 1949 Oldsmobile Futuramic 98 Holiday 1949 Pontiac Chieftain DeLuxe
1949 Pontiac Streamliner Wood Body Wagon 1949-1950 Frazer Manhattan 1949-1950 Kaiser DeLuxe 1949-1950 Kaiser Special Traveler
1949-1950 Oldsmobile Futuramic 88 1949-1950 Packard Super DeLuxe Eight
1949-1952 Crosley Convertible & Wagon 1949-1954 Chrysler Imperial
1949-1958 Lagonda 2.6/3.0 Litre 1949-53 Triumph Mayflower 1949-55 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn

Want more information about classic cars? See: