Hemmings Classic Car – October 2019

Left:In1932,thePackard

accessorycatalogoffered

avarietyofdifferent

tonneauwindshieldsand

windwings.

Below:Bytheearly

1950s,tonneauwind­

shieldsweremadeof

thickplasticandwere

availableforconvertibles.

Unlikethepre­WWII

tonneau windshields, no

metal frame surrounded

the plastic windows that

could also be used as

tables for the back seat!

and body edge, then fitting side curtains
that had to be snapped into place on the
body and top to function, had come to an
end. Side curtains were a holdover from
the horse-drawn carriage and buggy days.
Some convertible sedans even had
a division window as a stock feature;
this was especially true with Cadillac
and Packard. By the late 1930s, the
convertible coupe eliminated the rumble
seat and instead, a bench seat, located
behind the front seat, became standard
equipment. This change would lead to
the demise of the Convertible Victoria
model. The convertible sedans were
losing popularity because of the change
in the seating configuration of the
convertible coupe, and post-WWII very
few convertible sedans were built and
offered as a stock body style.
There were still a few custom
coachwork firms in existence in the late
1930s and early ’40s that would build
whatever you desired; open touring cars
would be built on rare occasions, but
almost exclusively on luxury car chassis.
For a brief time immediately postwar,
a tonneau windshield was offered for
convertible coupes. It was two separate
units, not one unit like those from the

1920s. The “glass” partition was clear

plastic. The windshields were made by the

Armstrong-Felger Company of Milwaukee,

Wisconsin, and called the Win-shield.

They cost $29.95 with “prices slightly

higher west of the Rockies,” according to

the promotional flyers.

The clear plastic windows were not

mounted in metal frames, but had their

mounting brackets directly attached to

the bottom edge, and were mounted to

the backrest area of the folding front seat.

These units were noted as being “useful as

a table too!” Advertising mentioned that

they eliminated “back-of-the-neck drafts,”

and there would be “no more wind roar.”

The tonneau shields had nearly a

30-year span of popularity, and indeed

served a very necessary purpose while

also being attractive.

Hemmings.com I october 2019 Hemmings classic car 75