1947 Chevrolet Fleetmaster

When Detroit refocused its attention on automobile production, nearly four years had passed since the last civilian automobile had been produced. While work began in earnest for all-new automobiles, Chevrolet along with most of its competitors, elected to present existing models. The tooling was in place and had been paid-for, and was the quickest and most efficient means of meeting the unprecedented demand for new cars. The well-designed Chevrolets remained largely unchanged during the late 1940s and were offered in several body styles that included a town sedan, a coupe, a convertible, and a two-door fastback sedan. Models for 1946 included the 'entry-level' Stylemaster, the mid-priced Fleetmaster, and the range-topping Fleetline 'sub-series.' All Chevy models rested on a 116-inch wheelbase and rode on 16 x 6.00 tires. The 216.5 cubic-inch inline six-cylinder 'Thriftmaster' engine had overhead valves, a cast iron block, a 6.5:1 compression ratio, solid valve lifters, four main bearings, and a Carter one-barrel carburetor. The 90 horsepower produced at 3,300 RPM was delivered to the rear wheels via a three-speed manual transmission. Braking was by four-wheel drums.

1946 Stylemaster
The previous 1942 Master Deluxes became the 1946 Stylemaster with prices that began at $1,020 for the business coupe and rose to $1,125 for the four-door sport sedan. The latter was the most popular of the Stylemaster's body style with 75,349 examples built, followed by 61,104 examples of the 2-door town sedan ($1,070). A total of 19,243 examples were the sport coupe ($1,060) and 14,267 were the business coupes.

Updates to the exterior styling of the 1946 Stylemaster were the relocation of the parking lamps, chrome plated trim replaced the previous plastic components, and there was 'Stylemaster' block lettering on the hoodside. The interior had painted window sills and a three-spoke steering wheel.

1946 Fleetmaster
The previous 1942 Special Deluxe became the 1946 Fleetmaster with prices that began at $1,130 for the Sport Coupe and rose to $1,600 for the station wagon. The 2-door town sedan was priced at $1,140, the four-door sport sedan at $1,195, and the convertible at $1,380. The most popular body style was the sport sedan, with 73,746 examples built, followed by 56,538 of the town sedan, 27,036 of the sport coupe, 4,508 of the convertible, and 804 of the station wagon.

1946 Fleetline
The Fleetline was a sub-series of the Fleetmaster and offered as a four-door Sport Master Sedan ($1,225) and a two-door aero sedan ($1,165). The two-door aero sedan was very popular, with 57,932 examples built compared to 7,501 of the Sport Master Sedan. Both of these body styles were given the fastback GM 'Sport Dynamic' bodyshell treatment and a 'Super Deluxe' level of trim. They had non-pile 'Fleet weave' fabrics, 'Fleetline' lettering and triple mouldings on all fenders, and bright metal windshield surround.

1947 Fleetmaster
The 1947 Fleetmaster wore 'Fleetmaster' lettering on the hoodside spears, minor updates to the grille, and trim below the taillamps. The interior contained a two-spoke steering standard and optional two-tone Bedford cloth upholstery. Prices rose by at least $150, with the sport coupe now listed at $1,280, the town sedan at $1265, the sport sedan at $1,345, the convertible at 1,630, and the 8-passenger station wagon at $1,900.

The Fleetline Sport Master Sedan was now $1,370 and the Aero Sedan at $1,315. The Aero Sedan was very popular with 159,407 examples built, followed by 91,440 of the sport sedan, 80,128 of the town sedan, 59,661 of the sport coupe, 54,531 of the Sport Master Sedan, 28,443 of the convertible and 4,912 of the station wagon.

Country Club Package
For a brief period of time during the early post-war years, select Chevrolet dealers offered an accessory package called the 'Country Club.' Priced at $149.50, it was produced by Engineered Enterprises of Detroit and initially intended for the Fleetline aerosedan, Fleetmaster town sedan, or the convertible coupe. It was a 'wood kit' that wrapped most of the body in rear wood for a 'woodie' appearance. The work was done to high standards, and the wood was of the highest quality.

Styling was little changed through 1948, with no significant body alterations.

Chevrolet Production
Chevrolet had competed head-on with Ford for many years, beginning in the early 1920s, repositioning itself as a 'middle-market' manufacturer as the 1920s progressed, offering a higher degree of refinement and sophistication that was lacking in the Model T. The six-cylinder Chevrolets of the 1930s secured the company's position within the market and its role of being Ford's chief rival. In 1931, Chevrolet production outpaced Ford, securing the number one position within the market, holding steady until 1934 when Ford once again regained the top spot. Ford held the top spot until 1938 when Chevrolet reigned supreme. Ford outsold Chevrolet in 1946, 1949, 1954, 1957, 1961, and 1966. The remaining years, through 1969, were owned by Chevrolet.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2008