August 12, 2022 - Car #68 has been listed for sale in Hemming's Motor News. Please go to our "Playboy Cars For Sale" page for more details.
November 24, 2021 - Car #79 which was recently sold at an auction in Iowa as described in the previous update below, is now being set to go to auction AGAIN in early December 2021 at a Sotheby's auction in Indiana. Here is the link to the auction information:
https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/1221/open-roads--december/lots/r0007-1948-playboy-a48-convertible/1185211
September 3, 2021 - We have just learned that Playboy car #79 from the Hemken Auto Museum in Iowa will be sold at auction September 17-18, 2021. Please let us know if you are the successful new owner. Here is the flyer for the auction:
July 7, 2021 - If you are able to obtain a copy of the May/June 2021 issue of Swedish classic car magazine "KLASSIKER" then check out page 54 for a nice article on the Playboy car featuring Car #34, owned by the Webmaster of this site! Here are a couple of sample photos from that magazine's cover and the article. Of course, the artcile is all written in Swedish! Enjoy!
October 21, 2020 - Link below to purchase t-shirts was removed as they are currently not available.
April 9, 2020 - Here is a current photo of Playboy #68 (cream color) and Playboy #92 (white) which are both unrestored running and driving cars. Great to see them out and about!
March 13, 2020 - Car #31 has recently sold to a new owner in Colorado. We look forward to hearing of the restoration progress of this car. Here are three current photos of Car #31:
October 15, 2019 - I added a new page to this website to feature any Playboy cars currently known to be for sale. Let us know if you are interested in owning one and what your budget might be.
September 1, 2019 - Here is a previous link to view the live auction results of the August 31, 2019 Auburn, Indiana auction referenced below. Playboy #65 is LOT #71 in this auction video:
https://worldwideauctioneers.com/auctions/The-Auburn-Auction-2019/index.php#undefined7
August 26, 2019 - We have learned that Playboy #65 will be sold at auction on August 31, 2019 in Auburn, Indiana. Please click on this link for auction information (may no longer be valid). Good luck! And let us know if you are the successful bidder!
https://worldwide-auctioneers.com/auctions/car-details/index.php?id=68&rid=32
Here is a current photo of Playboy #65. There is also an undated photo of Playboy car #65 on this website on the "Car Photos 48-90" page.
July 12, 2019 - This page was updated to reflect that Robert Cunningham's book has been sold out! See below on this column.
June 10, 2019 - Another sunny Sunday here in Southern California means another classic car show to display my 1948 Playboy car #34 at a local "Cars and Coffee" gathering! Enjoy!
April 3, 2019 - Yesterday, April 2, 2019, the Webmaster of this website was honored to have been visited by none other than David Kaplan, grandson of Lou Horwitz, founder of the Playboy Motorcar Company. David traveled across the country from Buffalo, New York to Orange County, California. He checked over my Car #34 and gave it his seal of approval. He was also treated to a ride in my 1956 BMW Isetta and my 1964 Amphicar. Thanks for visiting, David!
March 19, 2019 - Fans of America's pioneer retractable hardtop convertible can now showcase their favorite car! Manufactured in one of Pixel’s 14 global production facilities, these stylish shirts feature the iconic Playboy grille and front fenders as illustrated by author/illustrator Robert D. (Bob) Cunningham. The artwork is further enhanced with the corporate logo and advertising slogan used in vintage Playboy advertising. Choose from t-shirts, tank tops, hoodies and baby onesies in a wide variety of sizes and colors. There’s even a smart phone case!
(Webmaster note: These t-shirts, etc. are no longer available.)
December 11, 2018 - There is a two-page article about the history of the Playboy car in the November/December 2018 issue of PLAYBOY magazine! Check it out at your local magazine retailer or order a digital copy with this link. The article is on page 158:
https://www.playboy.com/products/november-december-2019
December 10, 2018 - We are very pleased to announce that a great new book by Robert D. Cunningham about the history of the Playboy car has just been published titled "PLAYBOY: America's Pioneer Retractable Hardtop Convertible"! The book quickly sold out of its printing!
October 11, 2018 - Playboy car #88 was sold at an auction in Hershey, PA on October 11, 2018. Here is a link to a video of this car crossing the auction block. Congratulations to the new owner!
https://www.facebook.com/HemmingsNews/videos/521184711684078/?t=21
Here is a photo of car #88 being previewed for this auction:
And here is a still shot of car #88 crossing the auction block:
August 24, 2018 - A fellow Playboy car owner recentlydiscovered this article about Playboy cars from Argentina printed in 1948. Of course it is all in Spanish!
August 6, 2018 - The Paddock Car Show in Kenmore (Buffalo), New York on August 5, 2018 was a tremendous success and featured 15 Playboy cars on display, the largest gathering of Playboy cars in one location since 1948. Here is a nice article written by the local Buffalo newspaper:
https://buffalonews.com/2018/08/05/15-rare-buffalo-made-playboy-cars-displayed-at-show-sunday/
July 29, 2018 - In anticipation of the upcoming publshing of a new book by Robert Cunningham devoted to the history of the Playboy car as well as in anticipation of the Playboy car reunion scheduled for August 4-6, 2018 in Buffalo, New York, here is a link to an article released by Hemming's Motor News:
https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2018/07/29/playboy-americas-first-retractable-hardtop-convertible/
January 5, 2018/July 9, 2018 - We are planning to celebrate the 70th birthday of the Playboy Motor Car Corporation. The date for the show will be Sunday August 5th, 2018 at the Paddock Chevrolet car show in Buffalo NY. This is a great opportunity to see Playboy cars at a show that draws between 400-500 cars. There are currently 16 Playboy cars scheduled to be displayed in front of the dealership at the heart of the show. This show will be advertised in Hemmings Motor News and also Hemmings Classic Car Magazine. We are hoping that you will come to Buffalo to celebrate the event. This is sure to be the largest gathering of Playboy cars since the golden days in 1948.
Above are just two of the Playboy cars planning to be displayed at the Paddock Car Show on August 5, 2018. On the left is the first Playboy ever built (the prototype), and on the right is the LAST Playboy car ever built. Here is a link to an article in Hemming's Motor News about the show:
https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2018/03/05/long-anticipated-2018-playboy-motor-car-reunion-announced/
November 29, 2017 - We have just received this photo of car #55 now fully restored and looking gorgeous! Look further down in this column for a photo of #55 before restoration! Great job!
September 27, 2017 - HUGH HEFNER, creator and Publisher of Playboy magazine, who acknowledged that he was influenced to name his new magazine "Playboy" partly due to his childhood friend's mother working for Playboy Motorcar Company, died today of natural causes at the Playboy Mansion at the age of 91.
May 19, 2017 - We are pleased to announce that the last Playboy ever built was recently shown in Auburn, Indiana at the AACA Show and won its first Junior Award! Congratulations!
May 19, 2017 - Thr original Playboy car factory building in Buffalo, New York is possibly slated for demolition. Here is an article about the building:
April 10, 2017 - Updated Home page with further confirmation that the "Playboy" name was suggested to Hugh Hefner for his magazine by a friend whose mother had worked for Playboy Motorcars.
March 13, 2017 - Updated link to magazine article in column below.
January 6, 2017 - Here's an awesome photo we are adding showing the wife of the founder Lou Horwitz demonstrating the use of the jack for the Playboy car:
May 4, 2016 - Here's a link to a nice new article written about the history of the Playboy car from a new automobile magazine called APEX. Go to this link and then find the Spring 2016 issue. The article is on page 29:
http://apexautomag.com/magazine/
February 26, 2016 - updated present location of car #75.
October 27, 2015 - Here is a photo of car #59 now fully restored. Further down this column is a photo of this same car before its restoration. Good job! Looks great!
July 25, 2015 - A website reader just sent us this great photo of her parents standing next to car #10, the Transcontinental car. The father of the women pictured and the grandfather of the website reader who submitted this photo was Marcus Schnell, the man who actually drove this car across the country!
June 13, 2015 - Here is a link to a fantastic new video featuring Car #63 (previously thought to be Car #62) in Pennsylvania. Enjoy!
http://northeastwheelsevents.com/video/playboy-motor-car-walk-about
May 5, 2015 - Added a historical photo of a dealership in East Haven, Connecticut to the "More Historical Photos" page.
February 28, 2015 - We are very pleased to announce that, thanks to a reader of this website, we have re-discovered yet another Playboy car that had long been lost. This is car #66, currently in Missouri. This car will be auctioned as part of an estate sale in May, 2015. Please go to the auction website for more details:
http://www.jwoodandcompany.com
October 12, 2014 - Another update: Here's a link to a YouTube video of the 1947 Playboy prototype driving in the neighborhood of the museum in Saratoga Springs, NY where it currently resides:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYvsa7GutjU
October 12, 2014 - Added another page to this website with the story of the last Playboy car ever built, a 1949 Playboy.
April 14, 2014 - Added a photo of a 1932 Jordan Playboy Roadster to "Car Photos 30-59" page.
March 30, 2014 - The Webmaster of this site won a "Most Unique" trophy plaque for displaying his Playboy car #34 at the 2014 Southwest Unique Little Car Show in Pomona, California on March 29, 2014. Way to go!
March 30, 2014 - Below is a current photo of car #88 at a recent car show in Lexington, Kentucky. Thanks to Bo Gray for this photo! This car #88 was sold at an auction in Hershey, PA on October 11, 2018.
November 20, 2013 - Sadly, we have just learned that Playboy car #42 was burned in a barn fire in upstate New York which destroyed many other classic cars in addition to car #42.
November 18, 2013 - added four additional photos to the "Historical Photos" page.
November 11, 2013 - In 1949, while preparing for fullscale mass production of the Playboy car (which never happened), this car started to be built but was never completed, making it the last Playboy car ever built. It is known as Serial #102. Currently it is being restored.
September 16, 2013 - Here is the owner of car #94 winning an award at a recent classic car show in the Buffalo, New York area. Congratulations!
September 15, 2013 - I was privileged to attend the 2013 Palos Verdes, California Concours on September 15, 2013 where I met up with the owner of car #38 proudly showing his newly restored car. The car is beautiful and attracted massive crowds throughout the day! November 11, 2013 - This car has just been sold to a new owner in upstate New York.
August 9, 2013 - Here is a link to a nice article recently written about Playboy cars (new link updated March 13, 2017):
http://www.sexcusemoi.com/blog/2013/08/07/car-world-forgot/
July 23, 2013 - Miscellaneous site updates.
April 30, 2013/June 13, 2013 - This photo taken way back in 1960 is a little blurry, but I was fascinated to receive it because it shows the owner of car #34 standing next to his Playboy car while talking on a fake car phone. His friend is sitting in the car. What makes it so fascinating is that car #34 is the actual car that the Webmaster (me) of this site currently owns !!
April 16, 2013 - We are pleased to share new photos of the completed restoration of car #38. The first photo is "Before" and the second photo is "After." Quite a beautiful job! Car #38 sold in November, 2013 to a new owner in upstate New York.
January 10, 2013 - We have located yet another Playboy car. This is car #28, located in rural Virginia. This car needs full restoration and may be for sale as of this date. Please let me know if you are interested.
October 25, 2012 - A brief article about the history of the Playboy car appears on page 31 of the December 2012 issue of HEMMINGS CLASSIC CAR. Thanks to the owner of Playboy car #23 for spotting that article!
October 21, 2012 - A photo of Playboy #34, which belongs to this website's Webmaster, is featured in an article entitled "The Cars of 1948" appearing in the October 2012 issue of COLLECTIBLE AUTOMOBILE magazine. Check it out!
October 8, 2012 -
HELP KEEP THIS WEBSITE ALIVE !!!! ******
Maintenance and administration costs of this website are done on a purely voluntary basis. If you enjoyed this website and learned something about the rare Playboy car, please consider a voluntary contribution to help defer these website administration costs.
You may contribute by sending your chosen amount (suggested amount $1.00-$5.00) to my PAYPAL account at:
Below is a direct link to PAYPAL:
Thank you very much for your consideration!
January 6, 2012 - We have added playboymotorcars.com to FACEBOOK. Check us out and "LIKE" our new page. Thanks!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/playboymotorcarscom/219525188130656
October 27, 2011/January 5, 2012 - Through information about its engine number, we have identified the red Oklahoma car (pictured lower down on the same column of this webpage) as Car #55, currently planning restoration. January 5, 2012: Here is a recent photo of this car sent to us by its present owner: (See above in this same column for a photo of #55 now fully restored!)
October 26, 2011 - PLAYBOY #31 IS FOR SALE!
Robert Bauguess of Denver, Colorado-based Bavarian Autohaus is currently offering for sale Playboy #31 which is pictured lower down on the same column of this page. It is in need of restoration as you can see, but is attractively priced. If interested, please contact Robert direct at: (303) 722-8406 or at bavauto@qwestoffice.net
October 17, 2011; November 10, 2011 - We have found another one! We have just been informed of the existence of car #78, located in North Carolina! Here is a current photo of #78:
June 20, 2011 - We have just received this updated photo of car #62. (Update: We have recently heard from the owner of this car who states that is actually car #63, not #62) What a beauty!
May 16, 2011 - A classic car magazine devoted to the American automobile, but published in Italy, titled "Cruisin Life" has recently published a nice article about the history of the Playboy car. The article, of course, is written in Italian!
February 20, 2011 - WOW! We have uncovered another Playboy car that we previously did not know about! Car #85 has been re-discovered after being stored in a garage in Tennessee for at least the last twenty years:
PLAYBOY #43 FOR SALE
November 17, 2010/January 5, 2012 - Bellingham Auto Sales has announced that Playboy car #43 is currently for sale. It is in need of restoration, but is complete except for the front bumper. Update as of January 5, 2012. This car has sold to a new owner in POLAND and is being shipped there.
Here is a recent photo of Playboy #43:
PLAYBOY #59 FOR SALE
October 11, 2010 - Playboy car #59 is currently for sale by WW Motorcars of Broadway, Virginia. It was spotted recently at the Hershey, Pennsylvania car swap meet.
February 18, 2011 - We have just learned that #59 has sold in early February, 2011. We are awaiting contact with the new owner of this car. UPDATE: October 27, 2015 - Please take a look at the top of this column at this car #59 now fully restored.
THE 1948 DAVIS AND ANOTHER MYSTERY PLAYBOY CAR
These two photos were apparently taken in 1974. The primary car shown is a very rare 1948 Davis 3-wheeler. There were only an estimated 17 Davis cars made in Van Nuys, California in 1948, during about the same time that the Playboy was being made. Note the car that is next to this Davis car. It's a Playboy! Does anyone know anything about these two photos??
HARRAH'S CAR
This is a photo taken in 1985 of the Playboy car that was on display at that time at Harrah's Car Museum in Reno, Nevada. Anyone know where this car is now?
ANOTHER CAR IDENTIFIED
After talking to the owner of this car in Oklahoma, we are quite certain that it is serial #55.
PLAYBOY CAR ON "AMERICAN PICKERS" TV SHOW
"American Pickers," a new series broadcast on the History Channel about two antique dealers roaming the countryside in search of quirky old things to buy, has Playboy car #12 shown on one episode as they search through this owner's collection for items to buy. Here is a link to a YouTube video of this segment of the show (This link was removed on February 21, 2011 as the video was pulled from YouTube due to copyright issues.)
PLAYBOY CAR ARTICLE IN "AUTO INDIA" MAGAZINE
"Auto India," that country's best selling auto magazine, has featured a two-page article on the history of the Playboy car in its May 2009 issue. We are unsure whether this magazine is available for purchase outside of India.
YET ANOTHER PLAYBOY CAR HAS BEEN RE-DISCOVERED!!
We are excited to report that in May 2009 Playboy car #31 was re-discovered in Colorado after its whereabouts had been unknown for many years. There are some parts missing from the car, but the new owner is excited about restoring this car. See current photo below of car #31:
(Editor's Note: We have learned as of April 15, 2013 this car has been sold and is awaiting restoration.)
A website viewer has recently sent us these wonderful vintage photographs showing his friend's father, a used car dealer in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, considering marketing the new Playboy car! Thanks Gary!
We have just learned that the car known as #1 (See the "Car Photos" page) has been sold to a new owner in Florida.
ANOTHER PLAYBOY CAR IS REDISCOVERED!
We are pleased to announce that Playboy car #23 has re-surfaced and now has a new owner in Wisconsin. We had been unaware of this car's location since the early 1990's. Here is a recent photo of car #23:
PLAYBOY STORY ON BUFFALO, NEW YORK TV !
On November 27, 2008 WGRZ-TV in Buffalo, New York aired a wonderful story about the history of the Playboy car hosted by local newsman Rich Kellman and featuring an interview with David Kaplan, grandson of one of the founders of the company. Thank you to Rich and WGRZ-TV for permission to post a link to the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXB-FRIgK5A
We have recently received this vintage photo, from a viewer in Connecticut, of a Playboy car that his father, a potential dealer back in the day, wrecked. So sad!
VIDEO OF MY PLAYBOY CAR DRIVING
Here is the link to a short video on You Tube showing the Webmaster of this site driving his Playboy car:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-ftvlWYrig
ANOTHER PLAYBOY CAR "DISCOVERED"
We are excited to report that, because of this website, we have learned of the existence of car #44 in Ohio. This serial number had been previously unaccounted for. The car has had the same owner for over 30 years. Below is a photo of car #44.
We We have also re-established contact with the owner of car #62 in Pennsylvania. Here is a recent photo of his car, although he states that, since this photo was taken, he has replaced the bumpers with the correct bumpers:
NEW YORK STATE TRIP
In April, 2008, the Webmaster of this site traveled to Buffalo, New York and other parts of upstate New York to visit and learn more about several Playboy cars that are located there. Because there were so many new car photos acquired as a result of this trip, please see the new pages I have added to this site entitled "NEW CAR PHOTOS" and "EVEN MORE OLD PHOTOS" which are dedicated to this New York trip.
Car #72, shown below, is now completely restored and is residing in Ohio.
Car #38, shown below, was sold to a new owner near Tucson, Arizona in October, 2007. Here is the car upon its arrival with restoration ready to begin. This new owner made considerable progress in a short period of ownership. The car was recently driven over 30 miles, the first time it had been driven this far in over 20 years. Then this car changed owners again in January 2008 and is now residing in the Los Angeles area of Southern California.
(Editor's Note: Please see new photos above of the completed restoration of this car as of April 16, 2013)
An unknown numbered Playboy car was apparently re-discovered in October, 2007 in swamp-like conditions and in bad shape in Louisiana. See photos below.
Car #91, shown below, which was previously at the Owl's Head Transportation Museum in Maine, was auctioned in Maine on August 18, 2007 and the new owner is in Missouri.
Below is car #51, which was acquired by the Pierce Automotive Museum in Buffalo, New York in August, 2007. Its final restoration is complete and it has been placed on public display.
We have received this photo of a Playboy car dealership in Reading, Massachusetts from a gentleman in Florida whose father and uncle owned this shop.
We have received these three wonderful historical photos shown below from the private library of a website viewer now living in Arkansas whose father had invested money to be a prospective Playboy car dealer in Illinois back in 1948. His father was allowed to borrow a Playboy car for two weeks in order to show prospective buyers what they would get by purchasing a Playboy car. Our website viewer is pictured in coveralls in the first photo and his father is pictured driving a car in the second photo outside their shop in Illinois.
We have received this photo showing car #56 since its complete restoration by its owner, a former original Playboy car factory worker who originally actually built this exact car back in 1948 when the factory was still in operation! Beautiful car!
Playboy car #34, shown below, was on public display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California from June 2007 through February 3, 2008. The display was called "Microcars - the Minimum in Motoring." While not technically a microcar, the Playboy car was selected for display due to its rarity. There are only three Playboy cars currently known to be in California (cars #24, 34, and 38). The display has ended and this car has now returned to its home in Orange County, California.
Visit the Petersen Museum's website at:
On April 26, 2008, Playboy car #34 was awarded a First Place Trophy for "People's Choice Car 1940-1949" at the Orphan Car Show held at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California.
Copyright Ed Howard All rights reserved.