When hostilities ceased when the Japanese surrendered on the deck of the U.S.S. Missouri, the race was on to return the world to normalcy. One of the items most sorely in need was automobiles. Americans had not been able to purchase a new automobile since early 1942, and folks were ready to resume their lives. One of the first car brands that Americans found in showrooms after the war was Dodge. If you are looking for a distinctive project car at a reasonable price, then you may want to bid on this 1946 Dodge three-window coupe for sale on eBay in El Paso, Texas. While it has been sitting for decades and has some non-standard parts, this three-window coupe is solid and ready for someone to bring it back to its former postwar glory. At an asking price of $4,800, is this distinctive Dodge destined to sit another decade?
Between the end of production in early 1942 and the surrender, Dodge had been quite busy. Many of the trucks used during the war were produced by the Chrysler Corporation under the Dodge name. An estimated 400,000 ambulances, light-duty 4×4 trucks, and even light to medium-duty 6×6 utility trucks were produced. Even more trucks were produced in Canada for distribution to Commonwealth forces. If that wasn’t enough, Dodge also provided vehicles for China and Russia under Lend-Lease.
While the production of military vehicles for the United States would continue after the war, the company rapidly tooled up to produce new automobiles. These vehicles were the same basic warmed-over 1941 design that the company fielded in 1942. To be fair, the company had to get back into production quickly and the war prevented them from having an all-new car ready for production. When these cars arrived in showrooms, they were snapped up quickly. Customers could choose if they wanted a three-window coupe, a six-passenger coupe, several sedan options, or a convertible. Trim levels were either Deluxe or Custom.
On brochures handed out to customers, the slogan read that Dodge was “The Smoothest Car Afloat.” That slogan alluded to the fact that these long-wheelbase cars were meant to ride smoothly and offered such features as Fluid Drive to filter out any jerkiness in the drivetrain. This invention put a torque converter-type device between the engine and the transmission to provide a few of the features of an automatic transmission while still retaining the clutch and conventional three-speed transmission.
It is unclear whether or not this 1946 Dodge three-window coupe came with Fluid Drive. What we do know is that it has been sitting for decades according to the seller. The car still retains its original flathead inline six-cylinder engine that was rated at 102 horsepower. This engine does not currently run, and we are not told if it still rotates. A careful perusal of the pictures reveals a car with a solid body that doesn’t appear to have anything other than surface rust on the outside.
While we don’t know about the floorboards, a picture of the trunk reveals some corrosion damage. It is hard to avoid moisture in low places when the trunk seals dried up so long ago. Still, a talented body man could probably weld in some patches here and there to make the car watertight. The picture above also shows just how cavernous the trunk was on these elongated three-window coupes.
While the car is complete except for the later model Mopar rally wheels and the horrifyingly ugly gold velour-covered power seats ripped off from some godforsaken Oldsmobuick, it will still require a lot of work to get it back on the road. Still, it is a worthy project. It is rare to see these coupes at car shows anymore. It would be nice to see someone invest the money needed to return the car to its postwar glory.
From the front the grill has a very good look but the profile kills it for me
Is there a back seat?
What a looonnnggg trunk.
Is it a business coupe?
No back seat. Yes, it is a business coupe.
The cab would be proportional for a Ute pickup conversion. I saw someone in Iowa, who’d done this to a later Dodge Business Coupe on the H.A.M.B. a few years back. The long wheelbase of the big Dodge makes the bed fit correctly. It was really slick!
Take the deck lid and rear fenders (temporarily) and drop a Dodge Utiline Pickup Box (without fenders) into the trunk. Assume there will be cutting and trimming to make it fit and look right, bolt the business coupe fenders on and move the spare and tire mount to behind your seat.
Have someone paint it up and rhino line the back and you have a one off Aussie style Ute.
Hop up the Flatty with parts from Stovebolt 6 and a T-5 and drive it until the wheels fall off.
Don’t know how they fit but my dad brought his new bride along with his ma n pa – back from California in 1948 thru the snow storm in the pan handle back to Dallas.
Sounds like the in-laws rode in that humongous trunk! Yep, probably removed the partition behind the seat and opened up the trunk to the cabin so they could talk and pass sandwiches and sodas back and forth
enroute. This old gent remembers long distance road trips during the late 1940’s. Your folks experienced an all American road trip before the era of freeways and service plazas!
“It is unclear whether or not this 1946 Dodge three-window coupe came with Fluid Drive.”
It appears to be a Fluid Drive car as “Fluid Drive” is stamped into the center of the rear bumper. Originally that Fluid Drive logo would have been filled in with red paint but it is long gone. I know this because my aunt had a ’48 Dodge Club Coupe back in the day with that same bumper logo. It was a conventional 3-speed with the fluid coupling. At the same time my folks had a ’48 Chrysler Windsor Traveler with Fluid Drive and the semi-auto transmission so I knew the difference at a very young age.
There was 2dr light blue 49 Coronet parked in the back lot I worked at.I believe it back seat and the rear side windows.Never drove it, just start it once a week.I still have the never used big chrome nobbed cigarette lighter from it.This 46 business coupe looks like a good solid project.How many survived?
Quite the opposite of timothy, I love the profile of these cars. They look like a 1930s science fiction drawing of the future. Tempting.
Coming, or going, that is……one ugly car. Proportions are so off on it. These “businessmens coupes” were usually good, but not this one.
While being a gas pump jockey at the town’s Gulf station, the mechanic drove the same Dodge business coupe. While far away, I would mine having this.FOG
My first car was 46 Plymouth business coupe. Paid $55 cash for it in about 1965. Got $60 when I traded it in on a 56 Chevy. Good old days!
Two words: Cummins swap. I saw it done on a fifties era DeSoto and it was mind boggling.
The body looks pretty solid , I think it’s an excellent candidate for a resto-mod type re-do. In one of the pictures of the engine bay it looks like this car may have a G.M. alternator. I think it’d be a slick piece with a warmed over Fuel Injected 360 with all the necessary new technology for comfort, speed and reliability. A ten mile deep Black paint job with a matching Black Leather interior. It’d be a looker for sure & not too common of a sight at Cars & Coffee.
I had a 1946 Mercury business coupe in 1955.Got my license and experienced that awesome feeling of freedom you get with your own wheels and a license.Then I proceeded to customise her
from J.C.Whitney’s.I thought about it 24 hours a day.Love!!I’m in tears.Wish I had her now.
Oh yeah, brining back memories of drolling over the JC Whitney catalog in the mid-60’s when you could buy a car for a couple hundred bucks, fix it up, sell it and do it again. During high school years did that to 6 different cars! So much more enjoyable than surfing the web and buying a computer chip to modify your car — miss those simple but productive days.
These are uncommon cars. Chrysler had their version and only 700 were made 1946-48. They even made one in the New Yorker trim level.
If you like the profile of one seat business coupes, these are the bomb. They and Studebaker had the most exaggerated profiles. I personally love them. This one looks a good candidate and they look even better with some dressier wheels. Kind of like the attraction of long, black old Cadillacs. They also had a little bit of Italian look to them with the harmonica grills.
I was 8 years old when my dad began showing me how to drive a 3 speed manual on the column. It was a 48 Dodge 4 door sedan. When I was 15 I took drivers education through my High School, they had a 1960 Dodge Lancer with three on the tree, the instructor demonstrated the H pattern then told me to put the car in first gear and start out, boy was he surprised when I made a perfect start without jumping the car. I said us country boys learn from a young age how to drive. My dads old Dodge was dark green, it seemed like there were a lot of those cars around in those days. In my opinion the 4 doors had better looking lines than the 2 door or business coupes.
God Bless America
My parents purchased a new 1948 Dodge 4 door sedan Model D-24, s/n D24-436735 from Baehr Bros. Dodge in New Castle, PA on April 24, 1948.The color was Stone Beige. The car had all available factory options of the day. After 6 years of high mileage use, the engine and drive train remained bullet proof. My parents traded that high mileage Dodge in 1954 for a new Chrysler Windsor Deluxe Sedan (black with Highlander wool & Red leather upholstery). While my parents needed the room of a sedan, I always preferred the looks of the ’48 Dodge Club Coupe. I envied a high school buddy in the late 1950’s who had a 1948 Chrysler Windsor Club Coupe with an even longer hood!
Business coupes were rare when new. The seller’s business coupe is rarer still and a V.G. candidate for restoration.
IMO, the 1946 through 1948 Chrysler, DeSoto, Dodge and Plymouth 5 window Club Coupes were the best looking, mass produced domestic designs of the 1940’s.
I’ve seen these many times, even remember them from my youth. But this one finally clicked with me that the long rear end would make it a perfect candidate for a pickup/ute conversion. Wouldn’t lose much value by hacking away at it.
My dad told me a story of some 46’s coming with wood bumpers due to chrome shortage. Buyer got the bumpers later.
For some reason the business coupe styling seems to be an either you love it or hate it proposition. Personally I love this style. The rear bumper does have the fluid drive script but to me it looks like the bumper has been pieced together. An interior photo of the pedals reveal a standard transmission clutch pad. Fluid drive clutch pads were square and said safety clutch on them. Too bad the original seat is gone. I would lean towards a stock appearance inside. The body on this one looks solid but there is a lot of work here. You will end up putting more money into it than you paid for it. Probably the best bet is to go restomod on this.
Will probably get me booted, but kinda reminds me of the Kim Kardshian look, just sayin.
Pretty sure only the cars with the semi-auto transmission had the “safety clutch” pedal. Dodge didn’t have a semi-auto in ’46-’48 so would just have a regular clutch pedal in its Fluid Drive cars. Online photos back this up.
That has to be the the most odd looking 3 window coupe ever made.
Check out the Studebaker business coupes, especially the 1950-51. Even more exaggerated lines.
A friend has this exact same car. He’s had it for over 35 years and stored it outside at another friend’s farm. Unfortunately, a rare straight-line wind toppled a grain auger onto the car’s roof. He’s a body man and says no problem fixing it when he retires next year. I’m sure he’ll want to rod it with a GM SBC drive train. But I think he should at least keep it Chrysler. I have an excellent running ’73 Dodge motorhome with a 51K mile 360 & automatic. Another choice would be the 440 from my ’77 Dodge motorhome. Or will he do his ’67 Chevy II Nova first? Time will tell.
Everyday BF emails new finds and I love it! I forward the email to 8 friends with my picks of the vehicles I’d like to own, usually 4 or 5 in the order of my salivating over. I appreciate BF occasionally featuring local vehicles I’ve sent in. While I’m in the old motorcycle parts business, I believe I like old cars more. Thanks SO MUCH for the fine writing skills of the BF crew!
1946 Dodge Gasser 500CI HEMI! Sky the front, wing on the straight axle, tub&drop the rear Dana 60, 36 inch tall slicks, T Brake a Turbo 400 and cage and frame the car.
12/71 GMC Blower and Nitro
Let the good times Roll!
wish it had business mans coupe in title. These were great!
I all ways imagine a sorta circular (round the inner body work, starting @ top of rear window) steel reinforcement band. A the window are hinges that allow the whole back (all the way dwn to back bumper) to lift. A lift gait there. I C it in fastbacks like that l o n g (fairlane) fast back. Either models (all the big 3) 40 yrs apart could B a hatch.