When was the last time you saw one of these? Yeah, I can’t remember either. The Chrysler Town & Country with its beautiful and unique wood trim gets all the attention, but this 3-Passenger Coupe with its one bench seat and outrageous proportions runs second on the uniqueness list for ’48 Chryslers. Very little information and history is shared about this ’48 Windsor other than “it’s been sitting in a garage for the last 40 years, it’s a desert car showing no rust, the body is in good shape with a minor dent on the rear bumper and a piece of cast trim broken, but otherwise, it’s all there.” Currently located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this big, black ’48 Chrysler Windsor Coupe is for sale here on craigslist for an asking price of $20,000. Another thank you to our Barn Finds buddy T.J. for sending this Rip Van Winkle Chrysler our way.
The seller doesn’t mention anything about its current running condition, so I’m assuming it’s not running and hopefully, the engine turns over. The seller did his best to photograph the Chrysler in a tight garage and many photos have wide-angle distortion, but nonetheless, the car does appear to be solid, rust-free, and all there. The massive bumpers, bumper guards, front grill and all the badging is trademark Chrysler from this era. Usually called a Business Coupe, these cars may look impractical, but during their heyday of the ’30’s and ’40’s, these coupes met the needs of traveling salesmen who didn’t need a back seat, but did need a cavernous trunk for safely storing their wares and samples. I also read where they were used by draftsmen and engineers who needed a massive trunk like you see here for carrying drawing boards and other bulky tools of their trade.
It’s hard to tell from the limited photos and detail, but the dusty, dirty interior looks promising and appears to be all there. The dash is a statement of chrome and class and the steering wheel looks to be in good shape for its age. The coupe doesn’t have a lot of glass, but it looks good as well. It’s hard to determine the condition of the headliner and carpet and how solid the floors are.
Under that long, black hood sits a very dusty L-Head, 250.6-cubic inch inline six cylinder engine that generated 114 horsepower when it left the factory. It’s mated to a three-speed manual transmission with Fluid Drive. Who knows the last time it ran or what it will take to get it running and stopping again after a 40-year snooze. Since these business coupes were a niche body style, it’s hard to know how many were produced in 1948 and how many survive today. (One figure I found online estimates only 1,600 were produced from 1946-1948, so it falls into the “rare” category.) From a price standpoint, I’ve seen these Business Coupes estimated in the $30,000 – $50,000 range for nicely restored examples with recent auctions not cracking the $30k threshold. The $20,000 initial price tag seems high given what it will take (and cost) to get this big black beauty roadworthy and restored. I’m hoping the next caretaker will take care of business and get this business coupe back on the road again.
I got all excited when I saw this until I saw the price. Love those Mopar 3 passenger coupes!
A friend has the 1947 Dodge version. He had parked it pending restoration on another friend’s farmyard. A freak wind, probably a straight-line wind came up and blew over a grain auger. Guess where it landed. It’s been sitting with its crushed roof in the back forty now for decades. I really hope he gets going on the project soon.
Definitely too much for the coupe. I’m interested in the pickup.
I love these. Looks like a sedan converted to a pickup then converted to a coupe.
My first car looked very similar,46 DeSoto business coupe. Had a dent in the fender,I had to use a 5lb hammer to pound it out.
Love the business coupes. Sort of a factory lead sled with that big be-hind.
The size of that trunk would satisfy a ladder salesman.
Just right for an RV conversion Hippy Style
I guess I’m the only one here, but I find most business coupes of this era to be ungainly looking . the huge rear with a tiny cab and front clip just seem to have odd proportions to me . A regular coupe or sedans proportions fit much better. Certainly rare and worthy of a restoration , its just not something I’d want in my garage .
I doubt it. This is the most ungainly design ever….As much as I like anything designed in the forties this is the exception. Just sui generis, I wanted say hideous but that’s over the top.
Off the top of my head I cant remember the hp……probably around 85, but it ll take you all day to get down the street. Add in the fluid drive and…….wake me when you get there.
I appreciate the condition its in maybe a buyer will too. I wish we could find out the sale price I dont care much for what folks ask.
Right there with you on how unsightly these cars were. I’m 71, and even as a kid thought these cars were odd and awkward looking.
I thought they were ugly too. However, now, can you imagine what one of today’s custom builders could do with that car?!!!
Wow! As a musician, this would be awesome to pull up to a gig in with all my gear loaded in the big trunk! In upstate NY where you seldom see cars older than 15-20 years due to the rust factor, it would certainly strike up many conversations. But I’m with the rest of y’all that at that price it’ll work out better as a dream than a reality.
First car was 46 Plymouth business coupe with a HUGE trunk. Paid $55 for it, got $60 when I traded it in on a 56 Chevy. Windows down the glass would rattle and pinch your arm when you crossed a bump. Still raise my elbow when anticipating a bump…..
I bemoan the use of fish eye lens on car pic at each use (different sites, mags, anywhere). Here the opening pic seems to distort some pretty nice lines on the vehicle.
Not quite the rail road station wagon or pick up, these served to great function. I’ve thought a square (almost circular) reinforcing frame 4 – 6 inches above back window & creation of entire back “lift gate” (some fast back muscle cars on that scheme too). It’s a huge volume.
It it was running and driving,it would be a 20K car. As it is the mechanicals being a mystery, I wouldn’t go over 12 grand for a nice project car. But it would be gorgeous when done
These late fourties Mopars always made me curious as to how a small straight six was able to move that much car down the road. A family of 5 could live in that trunk.
If money was not an issue do a Hellcat transplant – put this body on a modern Hellcat and go !
A friend of mine has a Dodge of that era, which to me is quite similar:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWLgOpqg780
Usually being in the slow lane on the freeway, I am often approached by some neat oldies, and “head turning” results. This would certainly cause a second, and even greater, “head turn” as I initially view its strange dimensions. To us who have been around awhile, business coupes are not a real mystery. Youngsters no doubt wonder “what the heck is that?!?”
About 30 years ago I was researching info on the cubic foot dimensions of trunks, in preparation for an article on the last Packard 2-door 3-passenger business sedan [no back seat] built in 1951.
As I recall, the 1946-48 MoPaR 3-passenger coupes lead the way with the largest cubic feet of space in a production car’s trunk.
Many years ago a friend in Virginia owned a beautiful and original 1948 Chrysler New Yorker business coupe. Because it had the longer 8 cylinder front end, it was far better looking, as the hood and trunk areas were similar in length. Always wanted that car, but it was never for sale.
I saw a nice original ’48 business coupe for sale in No. Cal about 2 years ago with very good original paint, more desirable Highlander Plaid interior, good “plastic” interior trim and it ran. Only issue was a leaking wheel cylinder-with an asking price of $8,800 which I thought was on the high side at the time. While I like Forties Mopars, the prices for them are soft now and with our economy tanking and potential buyers getting a little long in the tooth, good luck getting over $5K
I always wanted to collect one of each of these – a late ’30’s, a ’46 – ’48, a mid 50’s and a mid ’60’s.. The last ones had a back seat but had the extra long trunk, and the same absurd proportions.
Were business coupes still around by the mid 50’s, let alone the 60’s?
Never saw any.
By the later 50s, the business coupes,, MOSTLY just Chevys and Fords, were simply base model 2 dr sedans with no back seats. 61 was the last Chevy, 60 the last Ford.
Miss Daisy, you alright? Says Idella after Miss Daisy backed her ’48 Chrysler Sedan into the neighbors yard.
Both the business coupe and Sedan are great looking cars.
The “off” proportions of the business coupe make it interesting.
It would really be nice if people would get realistic on the price from the get go.
These were great cars for taking all your friends to the drive-in. Three in the front, 18 in the trunk (no, not really, but quite a few). We split the cost of the tickets. The theater operators made their money on the snacks.
Price may be very agressive.
It is very hard for the younger generation to remember how the highways were pre Interstate. Life was much slower, and folks tended to enjoy life a lot more. It was a simple time. There were few private telephone lines, and to get one, you paid extra for it. America was recouperating from WWII. I like the l o n g trunk. I wonder if the back of the seat turned down? If so, a tall man could make a bed in there easily. Some may have. I forget the year, but a man in a small town I used to dispatch fire and police, had a late 40’s early ’60’s Chevy business coupe. Poor guy often was arrested for public drunkness. I would imagine he is long dead. I wished back then I could have bought that car
Was no backseat in my 46 Plymouth.
Ugly: They are the sort of car that I thought were ugly when they were new. But now, I kind of like them.