1946 Dodge Custom Deluxe

One of the first post-World War II vehicles manufactured by Dodge, the D24 Series was introduced in 1946 and remained in production until 1949. Offered in both a DeLuxe and a dressier Custom DeLuxe, the D24 was available as a four-door sedan, two-door coupe, and two-door sedan.

Before automatic transmissions were commonplace, various manufacturers experimented with stepping stones between manual and automatic transmissions. For Dodge, the answer came in the form of the "Fluid Drive" transmission, a semi-automatic design that both prevented stalling and reduced the effort required to operate a vehicle. Unlike a manual transmission where the clutch must be depressed before coming to a stop, a vehicle with Fluid Drive can simply be left in gear at a stop. Clutching is only required to change between gears. This was a huge advantage in heavy traffic, and it gave Dodge a new marketing edge.

This 1946 Dodge Custom DeLuxe is finished in a burgundy and cream two-tone, and features fog lamps and an exterior sun visor. The cabin is finished in red and tan, with both front and rear bench seats. Its chrome-lined Custom DeLuxe dash is equipped with a heater, and AM radio, and a clock. Power comes from a 230ci inline-six cylinder engine and this vehicle has been converted from 6-volt to 12-volt electrical.