1948 Davis Divan Coupe

The parallels between Gary Davis, Preston Tucker, and Elon Musk are really quite remarkable. All three are dreamers, though only one, has a happy ending. Davis, like Tucker, raised capital through a stock offering and leased an old aircraft plant at the Van Nuys, California airport to build his dream car. Again, like Tucker, investors were not pleased with the pace of progress and the operations were shut down after only 13 Divans and 3 Military Vehicles were built. Gary Davis was convicted (unlike Tucker who was exonerated) and served a two-year sentence. Rather amazingly, 15 of the 16 vehicles produced are known to exist.

Glen Gordon 'Gary' Davis was a master car salesman and marketer in Southern California. Immediately after World War II, he saw a three-wheeled special that the legendary Frank Kurtis built for his current employer, Joel Thorne. This car, dubbed the Californian, had an innovative suspension and a bullet-shaped aluminum body.

Accounts vary on how Davis came to acquire the Californian from Thorne. Once he did, he used it as a basis to start his own auto manufacturing company to produce a futuristic, safety car. He set up shop in an empty military factory in Van Nuys, California, but like most start-ups, were underfunded and closed after only seventeen examples were built. Production lasted from 1947 through 1949.

After the construction of two prototypes in 1947, Davis embarked on aggressive publicity and promotional campaign for the car, which included numerous magazine appearances, a lavish public unveiling at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, and a promotional trip across the United States.

Despite raising $1,200,000 through the sale of 350 dealerships, Davis failed to deliver cars to its prospective dealers or pay its employees promptly and was ultimately sued by both groups. Assets were liquidated in order to settle back taxes, while Davis was eventually convicted of fraud and grand theft and sentenced to two years at a 'work farm' labor camp. Only 16 Divans were ever built, and 15 remain in existence. Novel features include aircraft-inspired styling details, disc brakes, hidden headlights, and built-in jacks.

This Davis is the only known example with a six-cylinder engine.