A Kind Hearted Coronet
There is something really special about America’s automobile output in the first half of the Fifties. While not so memorable as the second half of the decade, the earlier designs enjoyed a real elegance, rather than being ‘in your face’ and brash. However, when Dodge revealed its new designs for 1949, their looks proved to be a turn-off for the car-buying public. Rather than elegant, critics turned on the Dodge for being too boxy, dated and plain.
“IT SAT IN A BARN FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AND WAS LOOKING QUITE SORRY FOR ITSELF, SO I BOUGHT IT AND PUT IT BACK ON THE ROAD. I JUST CHECKED IT ALL OVER AND EVERYTHING WAS PRETTY GOOD.”
The 1949 Dodges were undeniably smart and good-looking, well-proportioned and understated, but they hit the market at the same time as Ford débuted
