Chevrolet DeLuxe |
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Wikipedia: Chevrolet Deluxe
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History
The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Chevrolet Deluxe page on 22 July 2016, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Chevrolet Deluxe was a trim line of Chevrolet automobiles, marketed from 1941 to 1952, and was the volume sales leader for the marque during the 1940s. The line included, at first a 4-door sedan, but grew to include a fastback 2-door "aerosedan" and other body styles.
The original series ran from 1941 to 1948, after which a new body style was introduced for 1949, running through 1952.
During the post-war years and continuing through the early 1950s, the Deluxe range was Chevrolet's sales leader, offering a balance of style and luxury appointments unavailable in the base Special series; and a wider range of body styles, including a convertible, Sport Coupe hardtop (starting in 1950), two- and four-door sedans and four-door station wagons.
The 1941 Chevrolet was the first generation that didn't share a common appearance with Chevrolet trucks, while the Chevrolet AK Series truck did share common internal components.
Specifications
In the 1941/42 model years, the 216cid inline 6 "Blue Flame" engine was the only one offered. It produced 85 horsepower at 3300 rpm. 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 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 were hydraulic with all-wheel drums. The master cylinder was located beneath the driver. Shock absorbers were of the lever type. The windshield through 1952 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 dashboard.
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.
