This 1948 Playboy Convertible Features A Retractable Hardtop And Is Rarer Than Some Supercars

Mention Playboy and one thing usually comes to mind. However, it’s time to get your head out of the gutter and learn about the Playboy Automobile Company.

Founded six years before the famous magazine, the Playboy Automobile Company was the brainchild of Packard dealer Lou Horwitz, who saw the need for a small and affordable car in postwar America.

The company’s first and only production model was the A48, which was introduced in the fall of 1946. Production began the following year and the car was notable for being one of the first convertibles to feature a retractable hardtop.

Also Read: Think Panoramic Roofs Are New? Check Out The One On This 1955 Mercury Montclair

While the A48 wasn’t exactly beautiful, it was cheap as pricing reportedly began at $985 (£726 / €850) which is roughly the equivalent of $11,400 (£8,406 / €9,836) today. Given its affordable price tag, it’s not surprising to learn the model wasn’t geared towards performance as its four-cylinder engine produced a mere 40 hp (30 kW / 41 PS). Paired to a three-speed manual, the car reportedly took 17 seconds to hit 50 mph (80 km/h) and topped out at just 75 mph (121 km/h).

Playboy reportedly had plans to expand their lineup to include a station wagon, but the company failed to attract investors and went bust after 97 vehicles were produced.

That brings us to this 1948 Playboy A48 Convertible, which will be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s next month. It has apparently been driven a mere 7,526 miles (12,112 km) in the last 73 years, but time hasn’t been kind to this rare classic. As you can see, the underbody has extensive rust and there’s plenty of pitting on the chrome accents. That being said, the body appears to be in relatively good condition and a moderate restoration should be enough to return it to its former glory.

There’s no auction estimate, but a nicer example sold for $132,000 (£97,336 / €113,893) in 2018. Whether or not this particular model can repeat that success remains to be seen, but Playboys are pretty rare as less than 50 are believed to have survived.

Getting back to the magazine, The Buffalo News noted in 2017 that Hugh Hefner originally wanted to call his publication Stag Party.  However, there was already an existing Stag magazine and they threatened to sue over the name.  As a result, Eldon Sellers, who helped to start the magazine, said his mother used to work for the Playboy Motor Company and suggested they use that name instead.  The rest, as they say, is history.

Picture credits: RM Sotheby’s