1948 Davis Divan

The story of the Davis Divan is similar to that of Preston Tucker's Tucker 48. It began as a creative idea in the wake of postwar optimism, but the vortex and perils of ambition ended in tragedy. Mr. Tucker was eventually indicted for stock manipulation, and Glen Gordon 'Gary' Davis, the creator of the Davis automobile, was found guilty of 24 out of 28 counts of fraud. Even though both stories ended in tragedy, their legacies are cherished, and their creations are remembered and admired.

Gary Davis was a used-car salesman from Van Nuys, California, who purchased a three-wheeled, custom-built roadster called 'The Californian.' It had been built by Frank Kurtis for a Southern Californian trust-fund millionaire named Joel Thorne. The unique creation had a single wheel in the front, two at the rear, and was powered by a Ford V8 engine driving the rear axle. Mr. Thorne drove the vehicle for a while, mostly around Los Angeles, before selling it to Mr. Davis.

Mr. Davis fell in love with the idea of a three-wheeled vehicle and championed the concept as being economical. The modern jet age was influencing designs throughout the industry, and this would only continue into the 1950s as the world began reaching for the stars. In regards to the three-wheeled Davis, it was given a streamlined silhouette that mirrored an airplane's fuselage. The wind-cheating design was smooth and clean, devoid of angular projections, and with gracefully sloping lines. Mr. Davis had even retained aircraft engineers, including Peter Westburg, to assist in the project, even promising to double their salaries for their assistance.

The Californian was publicly displaced in Life magazine where Mr. Davis proclaimed he was working on an improved version which he intended to sell for $995 a copy. It was advertised as being safe, stable, economical, and an estimated top speed in the neighborhood of 80 mph. On July 22nd of 1947, the first Davis three-wheeled vehicle was displayed in the Hollywood Citizen-News, and the story was soon picked up by other newspapers nationwide.

With enthusiasm and intrigue for the futuristic, three-wheeled, 'airplane' car, Mr. Davis promised he had the capacity to produce 50 examples per day, with production increasing over time. He made that same promise to would-be dealers, the production would begin at 50 cars per day and within 90 days, that figure would double.

Specification
The Davis three-wheeled vehicle was an agglomeration of bits and pieces found throughout the automotive community. The wheels, brakes, and rear axle were courtesy of Studebaker, and the engine was a four-cylinder unit from Hercules. The transmission was a three-speed Borg-Warner manual, Spicer differential, and the aluminum body panels were made by Zeke King, who was employed at Hughes Aircraft. The steel chassis had a wheelbase size of 109.5 inches and the length was 183.5 inches. The prototype example, dubbed 'Baby,' was built from a tubular steel spaceframe, while the production versions used a channel steel frame and 11 body panels. The early example used the Hercules engine, while most Divans came powered by a 2,600cc four-cylinder Continental engine that delivered just over 60 horsepower.

Promotion
The Davis had several advantages over traditional automobiles and these were touted through promotional films and advertisements. Its tight 13-foot turning radius was hailed as 'Turning on a dime,' its fuel economy was said to be around 50 mph, and its top speed 'nudged 100 miles per hour.' The attributes of its stealthy design went beyond aerodynamics and were claimed to be able to plow through snow. Its three-wheeled design resulted in less tire wear and aided in maneuverability, making it easy to park. Davis claimed that it was capable of making a U-turn at 55 mph.

To help with the promotion process, Mr. Davis hired Jack Adams, a former Los Angeles Herald-Express reporter. When the new Davis, initially called 'Baby,' made its public debut in November of 1947 at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, four American Airlines flight attendants were photographed sitting in the car's spacious front seat. The car had been painted pale green for the photo shoot, but since only one example existed, it was re-painted cream for the Rose Parade appearance and re-painted once again for another appearance in January. This gave the illusion that many examples existed. When it appeared in Portland, Oregon, it had been painted robin's-egg blue.

The ruse went beyond just convincing the public that production of the Davis Baby, now called Divan (a long, low couch devoid of a back), as Mr. Davis convinced would-be dealers that the company was thriving. Three hundred fifty franchises bought into the idea between August 1947 to January 1949, netting 1.2 million, with commitments for an additional one million dollars when deliveries began.

Production
The prototype was built; the public was informed, and dealers were onboard. Production, however, stagnated, and employees had not been paid. The fragile deck of cards quickly toppled as disgruntled dealers complained to the Los Angeles district attorney, and Westburg threatened to sue. By May of 1949, the plant had been closed, the company's books were seized, and Davis's assets (including his Benedict Canyon home in Beverly Hills) were confiscated.

Thirteen examples of the Divan had been completed, including two prototypes, and remarkably, twelve have survived. The first prototype was the Davis D-1, nicknamed 'Baby', and the second was the D-2, nicknamed 'Delta,' and featured a removable hardtop.

The End
After being convicted of fraud and unable to repay his debts, Davis was sentenced to two years at a 'work farm' labor camp in Castaic, California. He later passed away in Palm Springs, California, on August 16, 173, from pulmonary emphysema.

by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2022

The Davis Divan (also dubbed the Californian) debuted in 1948 and though it is commonly believed that 13 models were ever constructed, there lies some suspicion about whether there were more, or possibly even less ever created. Advertised as 'the car of the future', this was certainly an unusual vehicle with aircraft-inspired styling, aluminum body construction, three-wheeled car. At a time directly following World War II, automakers were attempting to catch the eye of the public; Gary Davis unveiled a particularly odd vehicle. Though the effort never reached fruition, Davis did raise enough money from investors to construct 17 of these unique three-wheelers.

Gary Davis started the Davis Motor Car Company in 1946 in Van Nuys, California, immediately following the war. Davis had been selling cars since he came to Southern California in 1938 and when he saw a one-off roadster by Frank Kurtis in 1945, inspiration struck. Throughout the 1950s, Frank Kurtis created Kurtis-Kraft roadsters that dominated the Indy 500. Kurtis built this three-wheel configuration for millionaire playboy Joel Thorne who regularly drove it through the L.A. area, which is where Davis first viewed the unique roadster.

Davis ended up with the vehicle, though the story is unclear how this occurred and by 1945 Davis began promoting the 'Californian' as the prototype for an all-new automobile venture. With very limited backing, Davis put together a small group of bright young engineers with only the promise of twice the normal salary once the company reached prosperity. The Californian was used continuously and quickly fell into disrepair, which prompted Davis to begin on the new concept that would be only 'loosely' based on the original Kurtis creation.

Interest surrounding this concept began to grow, and a former aircraft assembly building was acquired to now house engineers and a future assembly line for the new Davis Motor Car Company. The new prototype was dubbed 'Baby'. 'Baby' was powered by a 47 hp Hercules 4-cylinder engine, still rolled on three wheels, featuring Borg-Warner 3-speed transmission, Spicer rear end, and four-across seating. This prototype was the basis behind all of the claims of production. Enthusiasts couldn't wait for this car to reach production and orders poured in at first of 50 cars a day, eventually leaping to 1000 a day, believing production of the new Davis 'Divan' Sedan to begin in 1948.

Soon after Baby, a second prototype emerged called 'Delta,' followed closely by a third prototype known as 'model 482'. Unfortunately, during the time that the cars were slowly completed for both testing and promotion, the hardworking staff of the Davis Motor Car Company was not being paid. Lawsuits began pouring in from both investors and dealers. Gary Davis was estimated to have raised $1,200,000 with more than 300 franchises ready in place, impatiently waiting for the first shipment of Davis cars.

May 1948, Davis underwent investigation by the L.A. District Attorney's office for fraud while 17 ex-employees filed suit for back wages. The Davis plant was shut down soon after and by November, the D.A. had raided Davis Motor Cars and had seized all company records, and began developing a case.

Right before the plant was closed, Davis, aided by a very limited crew, produced a variation of the 482 design for the military called Model 494. This model was a Jeep-live version of the Divan that featured an open body. Three of these Model 494s were constructed in under a week and two of them were shipped to the Army for testing at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland.

All of the assets of the Davis Motor Car Company were sold for tax claims in May of 1950. Davis was anything if not a survivor, though. 16 franchise holders formed the Delta Motor Car Company in an effort to salvage the Davis, owning only car #5 and some tooling. Delta attempted to have Reliant Engineering Company in Staffordshire, England, manufacture the vehicle, but unfortunately, investor funds ran out before any real progress could be made. English customs officials had Car #5 scrapped for non-payment of duties.

Davis was brought to trial on 28 counts of Grand Theft and ended up being found guilty on 20 counts of fraud (4 counts of not guilty were found, and four counts were dropped). Even though franchisees had signed contracts that stated no guarantees, the court ruled that purchases had been based on Gary Davis's integrity and word, regardless of the wording of the contract.

Though his conviction was appealed, Davis was sent to a low-security prison for two years at Castaic. In 1954 upon his release, Davis went on to find success aiding in the development of the Start-O-Car and Dodge-em bumper car amusement park ride in the late 1950s. After retiring to Palm Springs, CA, he eventually opened a small consulting firm called Engineering Associates, he looked for investors to construct a three-wheeled safety vehicle dubbed the Interceptor. The car incorporated a 360-degree rubber bumper. Gary Davis died in 1973 from emphysema, and the innovative dream of a three-wheeled Davis Divan reaching production, unfortunately, died with him.

By Jessica Donaldson