Vehicle Description
One of THE NICEST 4th decade of the 1900s example of a Classy
Convertible. Rare example of one of Dodge's most luxurious Pre-War
offerings Believed to be one of just 2,100 DeLuxe Luxury Liner
Convertibles built for 1940 Powered by a 218-ci, inline,
six-cylinder engine fed with a single-barrel Stromberg carburetor
and mated to a three-speed, column-mounted manual transmission
Features the new-for-1940 Luxury Liner chrome grille topped with an
early iteration of Dodge's iconic "Ram" hood ornament Presented in
maroon over tan upholstery with tan convertible top Equipped with
heater, push-button radio, exterior sideview mirrors, etched wind
wings, and the Luxury Liner's extensive trim package, including
chrome body moldings running front to back and wide "wind stream"
bead moldings along the hood Rides on steel wheels with chrome
hubcaps and beauty rings, wearing wide whitewall tires Includes
period owner's manual There are some great vintage collector
quality Dodge automobiles around and the restored 1940 Dodge
Convertible featured in this article is one of them. Finely
restored Dodge models with plenty of originality command high
prices today. There was no Dodge Convertible produced in 1939 so
the 40 Convertible made a comeback that year. Because of the war
that was to come in a few years, the body shell of the 1940 Dodge
would be carried through toward the end of the 1940's. Chrysler
actually had an assembly plant in Antwerp Belgium that had to close
in 1940 due to the war in Europe. The 1940 Dodge Coupe Design
Design credit for this model goes to coachbuilder Raymond H.
Dietrich. While Dietrich had a good reputation for unique styles
Chrysler kept his designs within conservative guidelines. Raymond
Dietrich founded coachbuilder Dietrich Inc. in 1925 and went on to
design some of the most eye catching auto designs ever put on
paper. Prior to that he partnered with Tom Hibbard to form LeBaron
Carrossiers, a New York City coachbuilder. It's been said that the
name was chosen because it sounded French and prestigious. LeBaron
was acquired by the Detroit company Briggs in 1927. Vintage
collector automobiles with the designed by Dietrich touch include
Packards, Pierce-Arrows, Lincolns and Franklins. All open air
Packards after 1933 were designed by Dietrich. A side note is that
Raymond Dietrich left Chrysler just before the 1940 Dodge models
went into production. As beautiful as this restored 1940 Dodge
Coupe looks, it's overall design is quite conservative. One of his
fine touches was the wide horizontal grille with it's thin
horizontal bars.The car also had sealed-beam headlights and parking
lights in the bezels. +---------------- At the start of the 1940's
the "fastback" look gained popularity. Chrysler was one of the
first automakers to introduce an airflow design which they aptly
named "Airflow" and put it into design from 1934 to 1937. While you
would have thought the Chrysler Airflow design would catch on, it
didn't, but it did influence other designs during the 1940's with
this Dodge Convertible showing some of the elements. The Airflow
design actually reappeared in the mid 1950's with Virgil Exner's
new Forward Look designs. In 1940 Dodge Coupes were built in four
styles. The Business Coupe, the Business Coupe Special, the Special
Club Coupe and the Deluxe model Convertible Coupe. 1940 Dodge
Deluxe Specifications This 1940 Dodge came with a 218 cubic inch
in-line six cylinder engine delivering 87 horsepower. This engine
differs from the straight eight that was offered by most
manufacturers at the time and was more economical. In 1941 this 218
cubic inch engine would be reconfigured to deliver 91 horsepower.
The prewar Chrysler engines had a good reputation for their
durability and they still do. Transmission was a three speed
sliding gear manual. Brakes were four wheel hydraulic drum. Front
suspension was independent coil springs and the rear semi-elliptic
leaf springs. The car's wheelbase was 119.5 i
