Jam-Parked: 1941

While visualizing the process of extracting these cars at quitting time, it occurred to me that external running boards had an advantage in that the doors are setback into the body. If modern cars were parked this closely, cheek to jowl, their doors couldn't be opened.

I don't see anything older than 1939 here. Must be the parking lot of the rich.

And all I can do is panic at the thought of being in the middle of the parking lot trying to get out. If you guessed that I am claustrophobic, you would win the prize. After I could breathe again (slight exaggeration) I had fun looking at the cars. Good photo, Dave!!

Excuse me, that's my '41 Olds on be bottom left. Can you let me out please? I have to go now.

This would be an interesting challenge for car spotters. I cannot get as many as I should, '48 Ford Tudor next to a '40 Mercury coupe at the top right for starters. I think that pair of two-toned cars to their left are both '40 Buicks. Also a nice late '40s Pontiac Sedanet (today we would call it a fastback) on the left.

Also interesting, any grouping of 30 cars of this era today would include a preponderance of convertibles, not a soft top in the bunch here!

[This photo was made in 1941, so we don't see late-'40s anything. - Dave]

Without a doubt this parking lot is operated by attendants whose job it is to utilize every square inch of available real estate.

Not a SUV in the bunch!

All these wonderful cars aside, thanks for slipping the Shorpy badge into the empty parking slot. Well done. Vachon really like these high angle shots. It would be interesting to see these gems in colour and to see how many can be identified.

It is in color, isn't it?

Not a curved piece of glass in the bunch, nor a single one-piece windshield. A transition point. All windshields are split, two angled pieces of flat laminated glass. Sexy curves still restricted to the sheet metal.

[Several of these cars have curved backlights. - Dave]