Leslie Kendall, Chief Historian of the Petersen Automotive Museum goes into the history of the 1948 Davis Divan; a car built by an entrepreneur in Southern California.
After World War II, dozens of entrepreneurs formed companies to manufacture automobiles to meet the pent-up demand for new cars. Gary Davis built and promoted a particularly unusual car with aircraft-inspired styling, disappearing headlights, four-abreast seating, aluminum body construction, and the simplicity of three wheels. It was touted as the car of the future. Due to postwar material shortages and a lack of capital, Davis could not realize his dream of mass-producing his car and only about 17 vehicles were built in a hangar at the Van Nuys Airport. Davis raised enough money from investors to build 17 of the three-wheelers before the effort collapsed. Impatient investors and would-be dealers and buyers who had put deposits on cars they never received brought legal action against Gary Davis. Though convicted of fraud, Davis steadfastly maintained his innocence for the remainder of his life.