Davis Divan Three-Wheeler: The 1940s Unique Concept Car That Lost In History – Design You Trust

Davis Divan Three-Wheeler: The 1940s Unique Concept Car That Lost In History

Post-World War II America was ravenous for new cars and the Davis Divan featured aircraft-inspired styling details that captured imaginations. Sadly, only 13 were built and Davis’ company president, Glenn Gordon “Gary” Davis, spent two years at a “work farm” labor camp in Castaic, California for grand theft.

h/t: vintag.es

The Davis Divan is a three-wheeled convertible built by the Davis Motorcar Company between 1947 and 1949. The brainchild of used-car salesman Glen Gordon “Gary” Davis, it was largely based upon “The Californian”, a custom three-wheeled roadster built by future Indianapolis 500 racing car designer Frank Kurtis for Southern Californian millionaire and racer Joel Thorne.

After building two prototypes in 1947, Davis embarked on an aggressive publicity and promotional campaign for the car, which included numerous magazine appearances, a lavish public unveiling at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, and a promotional trip across the United States.

At the company factory in Van Nuys, employees worked frantically to build Divans, although the model was never put into mass production. Despite raising $1.2 million through the sale of 350 dealerships, the Davis Motorcar Company failed to deliver cars to its prospective dealers or pay its employees promptly, and was ultimately sued by both groups. The company’s assets were liquidated in order to pay back taxes, while Gary Davis himself was eventually convicted of fraud and grand theft and sentenced to two years at a “work farm” labor camp.

Only 13 Divans (including the two prototypes) were ever built, of which 12 have survived. The car featured aircraft-inspired styling details as well as disc brakes, hidden headlights, and built-in jacks.









If you want more awesome content, subscribe to 'Oh, Design You Trust,' our brand new Facebook page! Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

More Inspiring Stories

Meet Romain Courtois, an Artist Who Creates Modern Pixel Art with a Vintage Twist
Amazing Vintage Photos Of Portuguese Women From The Azores Islands In Their Tradition Hooded Capes
The World's Most Expensive Parking Lot is in the Middle of the Ocean
HEXO+: A Flying Camera that Follows and Films You Autonomously
Evocative Photos of Life in Texas in the 1970s
The Biggest Structure Made of MERKUR
Once Upon The War: Introducing The Kharkiv School of Photography
Jenny On The Job: 8 Posters Of An Ideal Woman Emancipated By World War 2
This Solar-Powered Ecocapsule Lets You Live Off-The-Grid Anywhere In The World
Scandinavian Airlines Pulled Out Vintage Images Of Old Menu Cards And In-Flight Meals
The 1986 Oldsmobile Incas Had The Wildest Dashboard You've Never Seen
"Waste Management Confidential": The Superb Vintage Inspired Artworks of Paco Pomet
Artist Designs Classic Cars Inspired By Exotic Wild Animals
Behemoth Bike: German Man Builds Heaviest Bike In The World
These Amazing Pics Show Impressive Beards Of The 19th Century Men You Rarely See Today
Miracle Black & White Photos Of A Desolate And Deserted London From 1977
Urban Explorer Makes Fantastic Photos of The Abandoned Radio Station to Seek For Traces of Extra-Terrestrial Civilizations
Before The Internet: Here's What A Publishing Company's Office Space Looked Like In The Mid-1980s
The US States Brand Identity Clearly Illustrated by Bogdan Katsuba
Impossible Instant Lab: Turn iPhone Images into Real Photos
"We Were Once Alive": 100-Year-Old Portraits from Rural Sweden by John Alinder
Cool Pics Of 20 Great '80s Classic Cars That Time Forgot
Flying Bikes: Firms Create Airborne Prototype
Futuristic Solar-Powered Tree "eTree" In Israel