The ALL NEW 1949 DODGE at a DEALER NEAR YOU!

It was a couple of years after World War II and all American automobile companies, especially the Big Three, were doing their best to meet demand of a starved public.  The 1949 Dodge models were the first new postwar bodies used on the Dodge chassis.  Due to factory production problems, these new models didn't arrive at dealerships until February 1949, which was several weeks later competing cars from FoMoCo and General Motors.  And for the record, all 1949 cars from Chrysler Corp. were delayed.  

Dodge advertised their new car as "Higher inside...lower outside...wider inside...narrower outside...larger inside...shorter outside".  And as weird as that description for their cars was, it caught on with the buying public.  

The fenders now became an integral part of the new design.  The grille resembled the one used on the previous years car, but it was now wider and lower.  Circular parking lights replaced the square design of the 1946-1948 models and were placed beneath the headlights.  

New model designations were chosen to replace the "Deluxe" and "Custom" of past years.  A new line, was the Wayfarer.  It was comprised of three models: Roadster, Coupe, and 2-door Sedan.  The Coupe was the least expensive at $1,629.  The middle series consisted of only one model, the Meadowbrook, which was a 4-door Sedan minus al the all the deluxe trim of the top-of-the-line Coronet model.  The Coronet series offered five models with the 4-door Sedan being the most popular for the year.