A glimpse into history, by Jack Story

I have always been interested in cars. All kinds of cars. When I was young, I would entertain myself by trying to identify automobiles as they would pass by when I was with my parents on a family trip. For example, I would say, "'41 Oldsmobile sedan."

This chatter was irritating to Mom and Dad, so I was encouraged to keep this little game to myself, and it wasn't easy.

From 1941 to 1946 the automobile industry in the U.S. was totally involved in the manufacturing of jeeps, tanks, trucks, and other machines for the government, in support of the war effort. This meant that whatever vehicle folks...