On Aug 6, 8:37 am, Otto Skorzeny > wrote:
> Hi Dave,
>
> The higher resolution helps a lot. I'm more sure that the white sedan
> in the photo with 12-D is in fact a 1941 Ford. The lack of chrome on
> the fenders and the turn signal on top of the front fender identifies
> it as a prewar Ford rather than a post war model. The bodies were
> almost identical with minor differences in trim.
>
> Although I can't positively identifiy the black sedan in the other
> photo, I can say that there are know post war cars that I can see. The
> shape of the headlights on the black one indicate that it is no later
> than a 1939 or 1940 model. Sealed beam headlights appeared in 1941and
> were standard on most if not all vehicles. Those on this car do not
> appear to be round sealed beams but rather slanted ovals found on Ford
> products.
>
> GM used round lights on stalks up to 1941 when they switched to built
> in sealed beams.
>
> After WWII Americans began buying new cars at unprecedented rates. Car
> makers could not build enough to meet the demand. By 1949, when these
> pictures were supposed to have been taken, manufacturers had begun
> catching up with demand and entirely new models were being introduced
> instead of warmed over pre-war designs.
>
> The complete lack of any post war models or any cars that even vaguely
> look like 1946-1949 cars leads me to believe that this photo was taken
> before or during the war.
>
> The 1941 Ford sets a "no earlier than" date (late 1940). Since no cars
> were produced during WWII, this picture could have been taken as late
> as 1945 or 1946.
>
> I hope this helps you. Others may be better able to identify various
> cars but the two that can be most clearly seen are definitely pre-war.
>
> Forrest

Sealed-beams shiowed up on the 1940 Ford, which was very close looking
to the 1939. The 1941 through '48 looked pretty much the same.