Chevrolet Deluxe

Chevrolet Deluxe

Manufacturer	General Motors
Production	1941-1952
Successor	Chevrolet Bel Air
Body style	2-door coupe 4-door sedan
Layout	FR layout
Engine	216 cu in (3.5 L) 90hp I6[1]
Transmission	3-speed manual[2]

1951 Chevrolet Deluxe coupe (rear)

The Chevrolet Deluxe was introduced late in the 1941 model year as a 4-door sedan. In 1942 a fastback 2-door "aerosedan" became an option. Production was indefinitely delayed in 1942 due to WWII, after 110,000 had been made total, though several thousand Chevrolet coupes and sedans were produced during the war years for military staff use. In late 1945, civilian production resumed. The original series was produced through 1948. A redesigned Deluxe with reduced body contour and integrated rear fenders was offered for the 1949 and 1950 years.

Specifications

In the 1941/42 model years, the 216cid inline 6 "Blue Flame" engine was the only one offered. It produced 85 horsepower at 3300rpm. In 1947 output was bumped up to 90 horsepower. A Deluxe of this vintage could easily exceed 80 miles per hour without overdrive. The transmission was a manual synchromesh 3 speed, with vacuum assisted shift, in which the "three-on-the-tree" shifter^[2] was able to be moved between gears by the slightest pressure on the lever. Third gear was direct, meaning the input and output are equal speeds. Overdrive was a rare option. Connection to the third member rear-end was via an enclosed "torque tube" driveshaft. The brakes where hydraulic with all-wheel drums. The master cylinder was located beneath the driver. Shock absorbers were of the lever type. The windshield through 1948 was of a split, flat-glass type. The wipers were vacuum actuated. Chevrolet offered windshield washers on some years.

Style

The exterior sported smooth curves with chrome and stainless trim. The rear bumper had an optional center bumper guard that had to be ratcheted out of the way so the trunk cover could be lifted. Front and rear bumpers had optional chrome "tips", a dress-up item that bolted to the ends of the stock bumper. Although it wasn't a Chevrolet option, a popular after market feature was a large external sunshade that protected the driver from glare off the metal dash board.

The interior had cloth bench seats and a metal dash, sometimes with a simulated burl wood grain. The radio was a simple mono vacuum tube type radio with integrated speaker. On the left side of the radio, there was a knob labeled "T" and it operated the throttle, because during startup, it was hard to press both the starter pedal and the accelerator, while keeping the clutch depressed. On the right side was the choke lever. The clock was integrated into the glove compartment door and was of a manual-wind 7-day type.

1941-1948

1949-1952

Notes

1. ^ "Directory Index: Chevrolet/1942_Chevrolet/1942_Chevrolet_Brochure". Oldcarbrochures.com. http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Chevrolet/1942_Chevrolet/1942_Chevrolet_Brochure/1942%20Chevrolet-14-15.html. Retrieved 2011-11-20. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Directory Index: Chevrolet/1946_Chevrolet/1946_Chevrolet_Owners_Manual". Oldcarbrochures.com. http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Chevrolet/1946_Chevrolet/1946_Chevrolet_Owners_Manual/1946%20Chevrolet%20Manual-15.html. Retrieved 2011-11-20.