Business Coupe

[BobDeSoto]

Tell me about Business Coupes.

What part was the Business part?

Did a salesman travel around selling cars?

or selling Fuller brushes?

or vacuums?

[martybose]

Business Coupes had a much larger trunk because the forward bulkhead was moved farther forward by eliminating the rear seat altogether.

 

Marty

[Dan Hiebert]

No frills, lots of storage, easy access to wares, least expensive models.  Sometimes called a businessman's coupe.  Every maker had their version with commensurate sales pitches why theirs was better.  Generally only the front seat, back seat omitted for storage.  Easy access to wares from the driver's or passenger's door, such as a two door sedan without a back seat, and access to the trunk behind the front seat.  Another was copious trunk space from configuring the passenger cabin to accommodate only one bench seat, some early post war MoPar business coupes are examples of that version; huge trunk, itty-bitty three window cabin/roof, but they also made a five window cabin without the back seat version. 

[Booger]

seldom an ashtray lighter or radio, but theyre damn cute. This one here is a members I believe

[Loren]

Yes the grey one is my 49 P17.

lots to love about them and lots to improve.

They were the lightest cheapest car MoPar made. I’ve owned a 49 Special Deluxe Club Coupe and I can tell you it was a much nicer car. Things like an air cleaner that was silent, a horn ring, much better seat, nicer door panels, a passenger door lock, 2 horns, chrome around the windows, a front sway bar, a radio grill and more. The customer for a 3 passenger business coupe bought for the price. Where as the Special Deluxe cost more but you really got your money’s worth. I think.

That said, you can always add the good stuff to one, then have the style and nice parts. In a nutshell the Deluxe models aren’t very and Special Deluxe ones really are.

[keithb7]

Did car people just sort of add the word “business” over the last 60 years?  Were they called a business coupe back in 1938? 

I hear stories of travelling salesman selling, out of cars like this. The rear  cab wall being removed, and then they could easily sleep in the trunk.  Is this folklore? I’m tempted to try it honestly. Go on a 2 nite road trip. Sleep in my ‘38 coupe. Try and find old roadside cafés to wash up and have breakfast.  Could be fun!

 

Edited November 25 by keithb7

[greg g]

Fuller brushes, Stanley Home products, Electrolux, Rainbow, and Kirby Vacuum cleaners, encyclopedias,  bailer twine, milking machine parts. Life Insurance.  Hormel Meats had a fleet of them painted up like their canned ham containers and a few done in Spam livery.  NY City PD used them as radio patrol cars and in Traffic and Parking Enforcment units.  Saw a pic of one with a slide out mini machine shop.  Mine was owned by a fellow that sold farm implements, tractorsand tools.  He had a garage full of die-cast models of his catalog/ brochure items.  Some manufacturers labeled them as Doctors Coupes, most notably Buick and Packard.  My service manual specifically refers to that body  as business coupes differentialy seperate from the club coupe with the back seat.  In 1940 and or 1941 there was an option for fold out occasional seats which faced to the side.  I forget the term for those.  The business coupe was the body that was built as the p15 convertibles. On the p15s the trunk lid was specific to the coupe and convertible.

20230116_141520.heic

Edited November 25 by greg g

[Young Ed]

Well you inspired me to dig out some original brochures. It appears in 37 they called the basic lineup all business models. 

 

 

 

By P15 models the official name appears to just be a 3pass coupe however from my data book it's pretty clear they still knew their target customer 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 25 by Young Ed
Lost a pic

[Plymouthy Adams]

well, selling cars is their BUSINESS

[greg g]

Three passenger rating is pretty optimistic especially these days.  With me and my wife comfortably ensconced, there is barely room for our 25 pound dog between us. Folks must have been narrower in 1946.

 

Thanks for attaching those pages.  Quite interesting how in depth the descriptions were.  Folks today are interested in USB ports cupholders,and how far the remote start can be from the car and still work.

[Plymouthy Adams]

nah, folks were afraid to sit close to someone back in the day....with bucket seats in my 48 business couple....there is no option for closeness.....(by purpose)  lol

[LazyK]

51 Plymouth sales brochure refers to them as 3 passenger coupe

[keithb7]

I see myself trying to spread out inside the trunk to sleep. Rear cab wall removed. Then clambering to get back out.  The split (rear cushion splits only) bench seat, tilts forward only slightly. So you can access the spare tire behind the seat.  There’s no way to get out the truck hatch from inside the trunk. I’m over 6 ft. Could be an interesting manoeuvre to get out of there via a cab door. Perhaps I’ll send my wife in there first.  See if she can get out.  She’s much smaller than me. 
 

 

 

Edited November 25 by keithb7

[Plymouthy Adams]

the 41 Dodge and (big sisters) BC has 5'8" of room front to back..sleep diagonally, may folks can use these as campers.....lol keep in mind, the front bulkhead has space for the spare tire and separate locking compartment for documents.  

[Sniper]

I am too dang old to sleep in a car these days.  Regardless, lol.

[Bob Riding]

And my version- 1940 Dodge. Fun car to drive.

[andyd]

GregG mentioned the Plymouth 40/41 Coupes with the rear seats.......AFAIK 1940 had small side folding rear seats whereas 1941 had 2 small rear folding seats with a sindle wide rear seat back that lifted up to allow the small seat bases to be folded up against the rear cabin wall.......my 1941 Coupe was actually listed as an ASC...Auxillary Seat Coupe ...see attached pic.........from 1942 the longer roofed Club Coupe with a proper fixed rear seat was introduced in the Plymouth line and the 1940/41 short roof Plymouth body continued till 1948 as the "Business Coupe".............andyd 

[BobDeSoto]

Did DeSoto ever build any Business Coupes?

[greg g]

Talk about artistic license, look at the 37 illustrations.  Compared to the actual cars, they look chopped channeld and lowered.  Well they were trying to sell cars.

[Bob Riding]

My '40 Dodge had no back seat- just a space with a curtain behind the front seats.

[Dan Hiebert]

19 hours ago, keithb7 said:

 Perhaps I’ll send my wife in there first.  See if she can get out.  

 

I dare ya!  Provide video proof and prepare a nice epitaph beforehand! 

[LazyK]

3 hours ago, Dan Hiebert said:

I dare ya!  Provide video proof and prepare a nice epitaph beforehand! 

Reminds me of a saying

"Lock you wife and your dog in the trunk, go back in 30 minutes, see which is most happy to see you."

[vintage6t]

Here's a picture of the folding jump seats from my 41 Convertible.

[andyd]

Vintage6t......how does that rear seat work?..........as I mentioned re the 1941 Coupe I had the seat back lifted up and each small seat base folded up towards the rear wall then the seat back was brought down giving a larger area for luggage......is the convertible the same?.........andyd

[vintage6t]

7 hours ago, andyd said:

Vintage6t......how does that rear seat work?..........as I mentioned re the 1941 Coupe I had the seat back lifted up and each small seat base folded up towards the rear wall then the seat back was brought down giving a larger area for luggage......is the convertible the same?.........andyd

I sold the car a few months ago but as far as I know the seat back is stationary b/c the roof folds behind it. It also helps to hide the power top cylinders. If it does flip down, I never knew that.

 

The seat bases are hinged and flip up, as you mentioned.