Car: Chevrolet Fleetmaster 4-Door Sedan
Year: 1948
What makes it special: The 1946, 1947, and 1948 Chevrolet Stylemaster, Fleetmaster, and Fleetline were warmed-over versions of 1942 cars, but that didn’t matter to a car-hungry public. After nearly four war years in which no civilian passenger cars had been produced, Chevrolet, along with most of its competitors, elected to serve up existing models, since factory tooling was already in place, and the demand for new cars was high.
What made it famous: There were new model names for 1946. The Master DeLuxe had become the Stylemaster, while the Special DeLuxe was renamed the Fleetmaster. The Fleetline continued as a Fleetmaster subseries. Body types were the same as before, except that there was no business coupe in the Fleetmaster series. Apart from a new grille, the 1946 Chevrolet was virtually identical in appearance to the final prewar series, and there were no significant mechanical distinctions. Minor modifications in trim were made for 1948, but sustained demand made substantial changes unnecessary. Mechanically, most were powered by an inline-6, mated to a 3-speed, manual transmission.
Why I would want one: Love the overall body design and the ample amount of chrome grille.
Fun fact: Not until the 1949 models appeared, in January of that year, would there be a “true” postwar Chevrolet.
