best american car 1938-41

[alsancle 5,385]

Styling-wise...1940/1 Lincoln Continental, hands down (IMO). Nothing else comes close...

However, mechanically, maybe not so much. For familiarity's sake, I'll take a 1941 Buick Limited as best overall vehicle.

Have you ever seen a Packard Darrin parked next to a Continental? I'll be generous and say it's a push. However, the first time the two cars go up a hill side by side you'll find one has a bit more power.

[alsancle 5,385]

Btw, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the 40/41 Hollywood. Fastest American production car 0-60. Styling is kinda nice too.

[billybird 11]

My vote would be for the 1940 Ford Deluxe. It is hard to beat from a styling point of view and the low priced V8 power didn't hurt either. It was also the first Ford to use a 3-speed column mounted shifter.

This is like trying to decide whether Ali or Marciano was the greatest heavyweight of all time. We'll never resolve it, but the discussion is sure fun.

Also {for Ford} the first year for windshield wipers on the cowl and sealed beam headlights.

[Aaron65 243]

Have you ever seen a Packard Darrin parked next to a Continental? I'll be generous and say it's a push. However, the first time the two cars go up a hill side by side you'll find one has a bit more power.

Yes, I've seen that cool Darrin sedan too...my opinion still stands...and the Continental could lose a drag race to a Model T and it wouldn't make any difference to me...

[Dynaflash8 994]

A lot of people seemed to get off track. The originator of the tread stressed regular family type cars, which Pierce Arrow, Duesenberg or a Packard Darrin were not. These are the cars that carried America through WWII and the dozen years following. I agree with the man who said Buick and Chevrolet would get the far and away nod if they hadn't had babbitt bearings. When you say "best" you're talking about durability without difficulty. It would seem to me that the 1938 and 1940 Buicks fit that bill, as does the 1940 Chevrolet. As a 16 year old in 1955 I remember the cars then, that were providing the best continuing service. There were also a lot of 1939 Buicks, 1941 Fords, 1941 Dodge and Chryslers still doing well then also. In Arlington, VA a few 1941 Buicks, 1941 Packards, 1941 Mercurys, 1941 Chevrolets, very few pre-1941 Fords, Plymouths, Cadillacs, Hudsons, Lincolns, pre-1940 Chevrolets and fewer still Nashs and Grahams.

Edited May 20, 2011 by Dynaflash8 (see edit history)

[alsancle 5,385]

A lot of people seemed to get off track. The originator of the tread stressed regular family type cars, which Pierce Arrow, Duesenberg or a Packard Darrin were not. These are the cars that carried America through WWII and the dozen years following. I agree with the man who said Buick and Chevrolet would get the far and away nod if they hadn't had babbitt bearings. When you say "best" you're talking about durability without difficulty. It would seem to me that the 1938 and 1940 Buicks fit that bill, as does the 1940 Chevrolet. As a 16 year old in 1955 I remember the cars then, that were providing the best continuing service. There were also a lot of 1939 Buicks, 1941 Fords, 1941 Dodge and Chryslers still doing well then also. In Arlington, VA a few 1941 Buicks, 1941 Packards, 1941 Mercurys, 1941 Chevrolets, very few pre-1941 Fords, Plymouths, Cadillacs, Hudsons, Lincolns, pre-1940 Chevrolets and fewer still Nashs and Grahams.

I didn't see where he said "regular" but if he did Packard was certainly a car you could see on the streets. The word "best" is so subjective that the thread is going to go all over the place anyways.

[Mahoning63 45]

Photo alteration of a car that might have scored high on the list. Could still be made today. Has Custom's 138" wheelbase with Conti styling. A Lincoln 414 V12 shoe-horned in and independent front suspension would have been nice too.