1948 Davis Divan Coupe

Frank Kurtis designed the Davis in 1941 as the custom roadster, 'The Californian.' It was later purchased by Gary Davis and copied as a four-passenger roadster with an aluminum body and Hercules power. Gary Davis was ready for production in 1948. The Davis was going to be the least expensive car in production, with a price tag of just $995.

The chassis under this Davis is from the original 'California.' This Davis Devin is number 10 of the 13 built and is the only one with a flathead Ford V8 engine.

This was Glen Gordon 'Gary' Davis' personal car and built by the Davis Motorcar Company of Van Nuys, California. Its frame and engine were taken from the Californian – a custom-built three-wheel car built by sports and race car builder, Frank Kurtis for Southern California millionaire and racer Joel Davis. Davis bought the Californian and used it as the basis for his Divan, but widened it to accommodate four passengers. After construction of two prototypes in 1947, Davis embarked on an 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. This car was featured on the cover of Parade Magazine.