By Robert Tate, Award-Winning Automotive Historian and Researcher
Images Courtesy of the Stellantis Chrysler Archives
Published 7.23.2025
The 1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt concept (Stellantis Chrysler Archives)
The 1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt concept was designed and built by LeBaron Studios, part of the Briggs Manufacturing Company. Automotive historians have said that the model was derived from an original design idea by Alex Tremulis, who was working for Briggs at the time. Another person involved in the Thunderbolt’s development was engineer Fred Zeder, vice chairman of Chrysler Corporation in 1941.
A 1941 Chrysler concept styling rendering (Stellantis Chrysler Archives)
The Thunderbolt name came from British Captain George Eyston’s land speed record holding vehicle, which reached a speed of 357.5 mph in 1938. It was designed as a two-seater sports car with a newly-designed retractable metal convertible hardtop.
The Thunderbolt was built on a C-26 chassis, and a total of six units were built for auto shows. They were referred to as “idea-show” cars. Consumers of the era really enjoyed the styling because the car was different and new. It came with a one-piece metal top that could be raised and lowered, and the lower body design featured anodized aluminum trim and concealed headlights, giving the car a futuristic look. Also, the Thunderbolt offered a fluid drive transmission, windows that were electrically operated, and push buttons for the doors to allow easy access for the driver and passenger. The Thunderbolt’s interior offered a great-looking leather design with a bespoke aluminum dashboard.
The Chrysler Styling Department, 1940 (Stellantis Chrysler Archives)
Due to the attack on Pearl Harbor and the U.S. entering World War II, 1941 was the last full automotive production year in America. The Chrysler Thunderbolt was designed during the Art Deco movement and prior to the great design ideas by Virgil Exner in the 1950s.
The Chrysler Thunderbolt concept (Stellantis Chrysler Archives)
The Thunderbolt concept traveled extensively to dealer showrooms and auto show events around the country, boosting sales for Chrysler. I remember seeing this concept when I worked for the Walter Chrysler Museum many years ago, and it was spectacular.
The 1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt concept with the top down (Stellantis Chrysler Archives)
In 1941, the Thunderbolt, along with a newly designed Newport concept, were introduced. They both influenced Chrysler’s new lines that came out after the war.
Some automotive historians called the Thunderbolt “the push-button car” when it was traveling the auto show circuit. The concept offered a new high in functional automotive design with its hidden headlamps and enclosed wheels.
Another view of the 1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt concept (Stellantis Chrysler Archives)
In conclusion, the 1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt is a great-looking part of Chrysler’s history as one of their first concept models. According to some automotive historians, some of the Thunderbolts were sold to private individuals. Many years later, auto collector Gerard De Persio of Tustin purchased one of the six Thunderbolt models that were built in 1941 for $40,000 with the intention of restoring it. He later would sell it for $2 million. Today, the Thunderbolts are very rare and collectable if you can find one.
The 1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt on display at the Walter Chrysler Museum
Bibliography
Dammann, George H. “70 Years of Chrysler.” Crestline Publishing, 1974.
Lamm, Michael & Holls, Dave. “A Century of Automobile Style: 100 Years of American Car Design.” Lamm-Morada Publishing Co. Inc., 1996-1997.
Langworth, Richard M. “Chrysler and Imperial: The Postwar Years.” Motor International Books, 1976.
Adler, Dennis. “Chrysler- Dodge-De Soto -Plymouth-Imperial.” Forward by Thomas C. Gale. MBI Publishing Company, 2000.