1948 Chrysler Town & Country Sedan

When Chrysler first introduced the 1941 Town & Country, it caused quite a sensation in the automotive world. It was a bit lavish with fine exterior and interior woodwork. It was also quite stylish in that it was at home both in the city and in rural settings and was considered one of the most attractive vehicles of the day; it filled its utilitarian roles to a "T", able to carry passengers and their luggage where ever they needed to go. Intended plans for 1942 were to market an expanded line of Town & Country models, but with the onset of World War II those plans were put on hold. However, in the Spring of 1945, with victory in sight and while most other American car makers were only able to produce warmed over 1942 models, Chrysler moved forward on its idea of a new line with the Town & Country series. A total of five distinct body styles had been developed with four of them based on the senior New Yorker chassis, which included a Brougham two-door sedan, Club Coupe, open-top Roadster, and a handsome Convertible. Based on the lower priced Windsor chassis was an attractive four-door sedan which captured much of the utilitarian aspects of the original 1941 models. While prototypes for all five models were produced, only the New Yorker based convertible and Windsor sedan would make it to production. From 1946 to early 1949, the Chrysler lineup had minimal changes and during its three-year run, a total of just 3,994 Town & Country Sedans were produced. All Windsor models were based on a 121.5-inch wheelbase and powered by the proven Spitfire Six with a displacement of 250.6 cubic inches and rated at 114 horsepower. The Gyrol Fluid-Drive "semi-automatic" transmission handled the shifting duties as the motors rode on Chrysler's exclusive Floating Power Engine Suspension system, providing a silky-smooth motoring experience. Each Town & Country sedan featured the finest products from skilled craftsmen trained in the arts of woodworking. Interiors were comfortable enough to accommodate a driver and five passengers with plenty of storage space in the rear luggage compartment, and for those extra bags, each sedan was fitted with a sturdy roof rack that had been designed and engineered for this specific duty. For the driver, all controls on the dashboard were easily accessible with large, simple to read gauges and accessible convenience controls. During the immediate post-war years, inflation hit the auto industry with the 1946 introductory price for the Town & Country sedan jumping from $2,366 to $2,880 by the 1948 model year.