21 PART III—THE BIRTH OF POSTWAR SHOW CARS 1940s Postwar Show Cars The show car explosion in the 1950s had its roots in the waning years of the 1930s when the Phantom Corsair and the Buick Y-Job first appeared. The 1937 Phantom Corsair, designed by Rust Heinz, was first displayed to the local press in Pasadena California in July 1937. It was then publicly exhibited at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on February 15, 1938. The car was later featured in Esquire magazine and immortalized in the film "The Young at Heart". It was also shown at the New York World's Fair and featured in a segment of the Popular Science magazine film series. Often referred to as the industry’s first concept car, General Motor’s Buick Y-Job was first shown to the public in 1938. Later, it appeared in a parade in Flint Michigan and then at the 1940 New York Auto Show. Soon after in 1941, Chrysler displayed their Thunderbolt and Newport show cars. Revolutionary in design, both were sleek, streamlined automobiles. But when the war started in December 1941, it’s often thought that concept and show cars came to a halt until they reappeared on the scene in 1951 with the GM Le Sabre and the Buick XP-300. Or did they? Above Left: 1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt / Above Right: 1941 Chrysler Newport
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjA0NTk=