* 1940s models that started design *before* the war but were released/refined during or after: Many pre-war designs were delayed or modified due to the war effort and material shortages. This resulted in models continuing into the early 1940s with relatively little change from pre-war versions. Specific models would vary widely by manufacturer.
* Post-war designs (late 1940s): The end of WWII saw a rush of new designs and the beginning of the post-war automotive boom. These cars often featured sleeker, more modern aesthetics compared to their pre-war counterparts. Again, pinning down specific models is hard, as the late 1940s designs bled into the early 1950s.
Therefore, instead of a list of specific models (which would be extremely long and vary widely by country and manufacturer), it's more accurate to say that the 1940s saw:
* The continuation of pre-war designs: Many manufacturers continued to produce variations on pre-war models due to wartime limitations and a need for immediate post-war production.
* The genesis of post-war styling: The late 1940s saw the beginning of the design trends that would define the 1950s, with a move towards more streamlined and aerodynamic shapes. These are the cars that are more prominently remembered as representative of "1940s design" even if their release date pushed further into the decade.
To get a more precise list, you would need to specify a manufacturer (e.g., "What cars did Ford design in the 1940s?") or a country (e.g., "What cars were designed in the UK in the 1940s?").
