During World War II, automobile manufacturers stopped making cars, turning their factories into generating war materials. Following the war, there was a sellers’ market for new cars. Initially, the first post-war cars closely resembled the pre-war cars, but quickly new styles emerged, setting the stage for the chrome era of the 1950s. Shown below are some of the post-war (1946 to 1950) Ford Company Automobiles (Ford, Lincoln, Mercury) on display at the Montana Auto Museum in Deerlodge, Montana, the Classic Auto Museum—The Flathead V8 Ford Collection, Bigfork, Montana, the LeMay—America’s Car Museum, Tacoma, Washington, and the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum in Hood River, Oregon.
Ford
Shown above is a 1946 Ford Coupe Sedan on display in the Classic Auto Museum.
Shown above is a 1946 Ford ½ Ton Pickup on display in the Classic Auto Museum.
Shown above is a 1946 Ford ½ Ton Pickup Truck on display in the LeMay Museum.
Shown above is a 1947 Ford Super Deluxe Woodie Station Wagon on display in the LeMay Museum. It sold for $1,855 and a total of 3,520 were built.
Shown above is a 1947 Ford Convertible on display in the Classic Auto Museum.
According to the display:
“Cars were selling like hot cakes after the war so there was no need to make changes. The only visible change was the parking lights that were moved to the side of the grill.”
Shown above is a 1948 Ford Coupe Sedan on display in the Classic Auto Museum.
Shown above is a 1949 Ford 2 Door Custom on display in the Classic Auto Museum. This was the year of the big change, perhaps the most notable in Ford’s history.
Shown above is a 1950 Ford Fordor Custom on display at the Montana Auto Museum. It sold for $1,637.
Shown above is a 1950 Ford F-1 Pickup on display in the Classic Auto Museum.
Mercury
Shown above is a 1947 Mercury 2 Door Sedan on display in the Classic Auto Museum—The Flathead V8 Ford Collection in Bigfork, Montana. There were only 34 of these cars built.
Shown above is a 1947 Mercury ½ Ton Pickup on display in the Classic Auto Museum. The Mercury pickup is a product of Ford of Canada.
Lincoln
Shown above is a 1947 Lincoln Mode 76H, 2-Door Convertible Coupe on display in the LeMay Museum. After World War II, production continued with no changes from the 1942 design occurring until 1948.
Shown above is a 1948 Lincoln V-12 Convertible on display at the Montana Auto Museum. It sold for $3,142.