I'm puzzled by this Dodge

I came across a Craigslist ad for a '48 Dodge 4dr sedan for sale that raised a point about something I never noticed before. The description calls attention to the fact that the rear doors aren't suicide, but rather, rear opening. The seller refers to limited production numbers. Just to refresh my memory, I Googled pictures of '48 Dodges, Plymouths, DeSotos and Chryslers. I did come across one other picture of a similar Dodge sedan, but no pictures of Plymouths DeSotos or Chryslers that didn't have suicide rear doors. Yeah, I know that I quick visit to Google Images is hardly comprehensive research, but I'm puzzled enough to turn to your superior minds for answers. Why would Dodge offer a few rear opening rear doors, especially as Chrysler was moving onto to the next body style as fast as they could? Would it have anything to do with taxis? Here's a link to the ad:

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/4578182142.html

In 1946-48 they made a Custom Town sedan. This is one of them. It had quarter windows in the doors instead of behind the doors. They made a total of 27,800 between 1946 and 1948. To me, 9,200 per year is kinda rare. Chrysler had a version of the same car in 1941, I believe.

Thanks, Keiser. If anyone would know, it would be you! Still, It seems like a bit of tooling and the like for a limited number of not all that distinctive cars.

Personally I feel this body style is very distinctive, standing out from the myriad cars in the crowd that had a quarter window behind the door. A nice semi-formal appearance; to me some of Dodges best looking sedans!

Personally I feel this body style is very distinctive, standing out from the myriad cars in the crowd that had a quarter window behind the door. A nice semi-formal appearance; to me some of Dodges best looking sedans!

From Google:

The 1941 Chrysler version....

It's a simpler and cleaner line, isn't it?

If Chrysler and DeSoto used the same body shell they would have made considerably more than 9200 a year. I'm not sure if Dodge did use the same body but they look the same.

Even 9200 a year would have been good business, considering it shared most of the body with other sedans. They tooled up for convertibles and coupes that also sold in small numbers, relative to the sedans.

This door quarter window was also probably a design feature that would allow the rear door's window to fully roll down. If not for the quarter window, the door's rolling window would only be able to go partially down.

This door quarter window was also probably a design feature that would allow the rear door's window to fully roll down. If not for the quarter window, the door's rolling window would only be able to go partially down.

I've had lots of cars with those tip-open rear quarter windows (forties Chrysler products and step-down Hudsons, mostly). Boy could they move the air through a car. I miss them a lot.

While on the subject of post war DeSotos, when I see a Desoto Suburban of this vintage, I always laugh a little to myself. I can remember as a kid how house painters found them the ideal form of transport for their businesses. The ones I recall seeing on a regular basis had multiple ladders mounted on top, hand prints all over and paint drips all around the trunk and back bumper.