1940 Chrysler Thunderbolt
Provided by Hemmings

The business of building "idea/show" or "concept" cars was in its infancy when this stunning two-seater was created, with the idea of showcasing potential future styling and innovations dating back to Harley Earl and his 1938 Buick Y-Job. Given the success the Y-Job met with in presenting future design to the public, it did not take long for the other automobile manufacturers to recognize the need to follow Earl's and GM's lead. For 1940, Chrysler designed and built several Newport parade phaetons, the first non-production vehicle ever to pace the Indianapolis 500 (1941). These six phaetons featured all-aluminum bodies, fabricated by Le Baron that smoothly enveloped the 143-inch Crown Imperial chassis in a manner far different from Chrysler's production vehicles of the time. Though the Thunderbolt show cars didn't get quite the prominent public display as the Newport did when chosen to lead the pack around Indianapolis, they were every bit as evocative as the Newport and featured their own distinct style. The Thunderbolt's striking design came from the fertile mind of Alex Tremulis, then with the Briggs Manufacturing Company. It started as a 1939 proposal by Tremulis to Briggs-Le Baron's head, Ralph Roberts, and following a meeting with K.T. Keller and Chrysler division president Dave Wallace, the pair was given the go-ahead to create two different cars based on Tremulis' sketches. Tremulis handled the Thunderbolt while Roberts took care of the Newport. So taken was Chrysler with the final designs, that it asked that the cars be built within a three-month time frame!

Among the problems encountered was the curved windshield design that both cars used, a feature that did not exist in automobiles at the time, nor did the glass companies have anything of the like ready for production. Nearly reverting to a contemporary split V-style windshield, the glass companies got the curved windshield right in time, after much trial and error. This hallmark feature of the Chrysler show cars would not be seen in regular production until the early 1950s.

Built on the smaller 128.5-inch Traveler/New Yorker/Saratoga chassis, the Thunderbolt used the optional 323.5-cu.in. Crown Imperial engine, which produced 143 hp @ 3,400 rpm. Many advanced features of both the Newport and Thunderbolt were shared-electrically activated, push-button door switches; Lucite edge-illuminated gauges; and the advanced styling of the Le Baron all-aluminum body construction. Unlike the Thunderbolt's constant curve, the Newport featured downward-sloping fender lines that carried past the rear doors until it reached a kick-up at the rear wheel. Both cars had electrically operated concealed headlights, but the Newport's front bumper and grille treatment was far more conventional than the Thunderbolt's. The one-piece hardtop was also functional, at the push of a button recessing into a space behind the bench seat. Other electrically operated components included the trunk lid and side windows. Interiors were fully trimmed in leather, while different paint and color choices gave each one a unique appearance.

Le Baron constructed six Thunderbolts for Chrysler; they were used for dealership showroom displays and were eventually sold off to private buyers. Of the six built, perhaps only two or possibly three survive.