Hello Friends and Family,
Link to this year's index by clicking here.
Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction, Part 4 |
Continuing our tour of the auction cars, we next find a 1937 Dodge Custom 2-Door Sedan. It is listed as a "complete custom restoration of a very rare rust-free and solid" vehicle and "all sheet metal is original". The engine, however, is what caught my eye — a 354 CID Hemi which was completely rebuilt in 2009 with a few upgrades. |
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Also note the blue crystal in the middle of the lens. I recall being told that this was introduced during WWII to made vehicles less visible at night from the air — in case of an enemy attack. However, a brief Google search suggests it was primarily for styling — people just liked the look. |
Unfortunately, the company faced severe financial troubles during the transition and was forced into bankruptcy. Ford Motor Company purchased the assets and continued to operate it as a separate company until 1940 when it became a division of Ford. |
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The vehicle below is a 1939 Plymouth P8 Business Coupe that was completely restored from the ground up 12 years ago. The Plymouth brand of automobiles was introduced on July 7, 1928. It was Chrysler Corporation's first entry in the low-priced field, which at the time was already dominated by Chevrolet and Ford. Plymouths were actually priced slightly higher than their competition, but offered standard features such as internal expanding hydraulic brakes that the competition did not provide. I happened to find the copy from a 1939 Plymouth sales brochure —
Marketing hasn't change a bit in all these years, has it? To be continued... |
Life is good.
Aloha,
B. David
P. S., All photos and text © B. David Cathell Photography, Inc. — www.bdavidcathell.com