Last week one of the topics was the automotive design changes from era to era. One of the threads of discussion in the comment section was the fact that pre WWII designs were almost the same as post WWII designs. This past weekend at that freakin awesome car show this olelongrooffan attended, I was able to see this phenomenon first hand. My fellow Hoons can see this also should you decide to make the jump with me.

The featured automobiles in this blog are the big assed Cadillacs. The above is a 1947 model while the one it is contrasted with is the 1941.

As my fellow Hoons will note, the basic body structure is the same. There are a few changes in the grille, bumpers and trim pieces but generally the same. I spotted the 47 first and later when we spotted the 41, my buddy asked me what year it was and I speculated a 47 also. The lady in the chair in the background corrected me and told us it was a 41. Of course, this olelongrooffan immediately remembered Mr. Emslie’s post and grabbed a few more images of that car to share with my fellow Hoons.

By 1947, the designers had added a few more gauges on that dashboard but the overall layout is the same. I am fairly confident the drivetrain on each of these verts is nearly identical down to three on the tree column shifter.

The wing vents, the side mirrors and the door handles all appear to be identical for both of these vehicles.

Out back the similarities continue. Although the trim level here is slightly changed as is the trunk and license plate layout, there is no doubt these two cars came from the same designers sharpened pencil.

I prefer the simplicity of the 41’s design, especially the Cadillac emblem on the fender skirts. Try to find any chrome emblem on one of today’s offerings from Cadillac.

And what a change a mere 20 years made in the design of these luxo barges.

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