Summary

First automobile ever built with an automatic transmission. Harley Earl specified and designed. 'Show Job' fender tag for 1939 New York World's Fair and Auto Show.

Details

Body #4 as shown on the original Fisher Body number plate on the upper right (passenger) side of the vehicle's cowl. This vehicle has been featured in regional publications of the Antique Automobile Club of America and the June 2014 magazine of the National Antique Oldsmobile club. It has been recognized as a historically significant vehicle by the Antique Automobile Club of America with an HPOF award for preservation of its original features. This vehicle is the only known survivor of the General Motors show cars used to display the first fully automatic transmission available on a factory production vehicle, the General Motors 'Hydra-Matic'. The original metal tag hand-stamped 'Show Job' comes with this vehicle and was attached to the body on the Olds Works factory assembly line in September of 1939 so that the vehicle received 'Special Production Order' handling. This vehicle was assembled and specially prepared under the supervision of Harley Earl, who specified the least expensive Series 60 for affordability and a convertible so that when it was displayed with the top down at the 1939 World's Fair and the Auto Show in New York one could see that their was no clutch pedal as well as the Hydra-Matic gear indicator on the steering column. The only factory call-out denoting this first ever factory option for a fully automatic transmission was the chrome 'Hydra-Matic' emblem on the radio speaker grille. Upon completion of the show circuit during the 1940 model year, the car was then given to Paramount Motion Pictures for use by actress Dorothy Lamour and repainted black at their request. Photos from the magazine articles show Lamour seated atop the back seat of the vehicle with the top down waving to fans at film promotions and WWII war bond drives, from which she received the name 'the Bond Bombshell.' The historical significance of this vehicle cannot be over estimated as it made automobile ownership and usage available to many more people than pre-1940 vehicles, and presented here is the very first vehicle known to be equipped with a factory produced fully automatic transmission.