In 1940, Dodge was riding high – the automaker was celebrating its 25th anniversary and enjoying a comfortable position near the top of the sales charts. Bursting with pride, Dodge was now marketing its passenger cars under the label “Luxury Liner”, with wider seats and finer upholstery materials than the competition.

The 1940 Luxury Liner was offered in multiple body styles, including the Deluxe Two-Door Sedan (Model D-14) shown here. The wheelbase was lengthened to 119.5 inches that year to accommodate all-new styling with a bolder, wider grille and a fastback…