1945 First Postwar Ford

[ford38v8]

Henry Ford II himself drove the first 1946 Ford off the Rouge assembly line on July 3, 1945. Truman was presented a new Ford two months later. Lincoln and Mercury started production on November 1, 1945. All other U.S. carmakers waited for the official green light from the War Production Board, not starting production till early 1946.
Interesting note: The Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg, Germany had been taken over by the Brits, and began production on December 27, 1945.