In 1948, our visions of the cars of the future were more aligned to design instead of engineering. Imagine a shiny new car that looked like an airplane! By the time these prototypes would have been ready for sale, airplanes had moved on. Can you imagine the added cost of a car that came with its own automatic jacks? And if you think having three wheels makes a car more maneuverable, remember the Reliant Robin. Real innovations in automotive technology would make them more efficient, safer, and easier to use.
First to appear is the 1948 Davis Divan, the dream of California entrepreneur Gary Davis. Alas, only 17 vehicles were produced before the Davis Motorcar Company went bust.
The third car in the film is Gordon Buehrig’s far-out 1948 Tasco prototype. The Tasco, which took its exterior and interior styling cues from 1940s aircraft design, is on display these days at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum in Auburn, Indiana.
The identity of the second car in the order continues to evade us, and we can’t come up with a name or a builder.
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