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That famous 1949 Arthur Miller play, "Death of a Salesman," is a classic of American theater – a scathing attack on the American Dream of achieving wealth and success without regard for principle, and it made both Arthur Miller and the character Willy Loman household names. It received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1949, the 1949 Tony Award for Best Play and the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play – the first play to win all three. And Miller got to marry Marilyn Monroe. Cool. The play is basically a counterexample to Aristotle's characterization of tragedy as the downfall of a great man – Willy is just a salesman – but he has his tragic flaw, and we all may have it too.
And here, on a side street in Westchester, just north of LAX, may be Willy's car, a 1949 Studebaker Champion Business Coupe –
Business coupes were designed to be used by traveling salesmen and featured an extra large trunk with no rear seat. The 1949 Champion engine was basically the same flat head six that was introduced in 1939. This engine displaced 170 cubic inches and was rated at 80 horsepower. Only 2,360 Champion Business Coupes were produced in 1949. Most were low trim line models in keeping with their intended purpose.
And this one has an air of tragedy and defeat. Perhaps 1949 wasn't a very good year – "The man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want."
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