1947 Dodge Deluxe Series

Nearly every automobile manufacturer that returned to production followed World War II did so with a mildly updated version of their pre-War product. This was true for Dodge and other Chrysler cars. All-new post-war products would not arrive until 1949.

The immediate post-war Dodge product included the Deluxe and Custom series, with the Deluxe offered as a two- and four-door sedan, and a coupe. The Custom was offered as a 6- and 7-passenger sedan, a town sedan, club coupe, and convertible. Both rested on a 119.5-inch wheelbase platform except for the seven-passenger sedan which used a 137.5-inch platform. The 7-passenger sedan measured 222.5-inches in length and the others measured 204.5-inches. Power was from an L-head inline-6 cylinder engine with a 230 cubic-inch displacement, four main bearings, solid valve lifters, a Stromberg single-barrel carburetor, and delivering 102 horsepower. The three-speed manual transmission was standard with the Fluid-Drive optional.

The Deluxe was the entry-level model and the Custom was the better equipped and more expensive version, with dual electric windshield wipers, a chrome bead around the outside window, a slightly nicer interior, and air foam front seat cushions.

Although post-war styling was similar to the 1942 models, they wore a new checkerboard pattern grille and the parking lights were mounted lower on the fenders, directly above the bumper and below the circular single headlight. The bodies were curvaceous with spring windshields and a bodyside molding that ran from the rear of the vehicle to nearly the front of the hood. Partial mid-body molding ran from the headlights to just behind the front fender well and continued from the front of the rear fender well to the rear bumper. A lower body molding ran from the back of the front fender well to the front of the rear fender well.

The 1947 Dodge Deluxe Series gained a Ram ornament on the hood and 15-inch wheels became standard mid-year. The four-door sedan was priced at $1,460, the two-door sedan at $1,420, and the coupe at $1,345.

by Daniel Vaughan | May 2021