VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 When did Chevrolet make turn signals standard?

Well, this is my first trip out from under my 'lurker-rock' for some time!

And, like the header says...

I've been digging around the 'net and can't find anything solid. Buick apparently got the ball rolling in 1939 with their rear-only "Buick Eight" turn signals. The latest year I can confirm that turn signals were still an option was 1952.

I'm curious to know when Chevrolet made them standard equipment. Also, were they standardized on cars and trucks the same year??

Thanks for the help.

i believe 53 was the first year for turn signals to be std equip on chevy pass cars and the then new 53 corvette. the 53 and 54 pass car turn signal mechanism and its "bell" on the steering col was used on the 53 thru 62 corvettes. .mike

Turn signals became standard on passenger cars in 1953 - although it was still listed as option # 101. You could not buy one without that option. It continued to be an option up to 1956.In Canada at least the 1953 could be purchased with no directionals. 1940 was the first year they were offered as an accessory.
The 1960 truck data book still lists an accessory number for directionals so it wasn't standard at that point.
Accessory is sold and usually installed by the dealer and an option is installed at the factory.

when i was a *kid* i got stopped in my 50 by the local cop and given a ticket for no turn signals had to go to court and i had to show them proof that turn signals were not made standard equipment until march of 1953 they of course they tore up the ticket

By 1950 most states required turn signals on cars.

Thanks for the input, guys! This makes twice within just a few months that I've run into a 'bench racing' question that I couldn't find an answer to on the 'net. Nothing beats chatting with folks who have experience!

Dave B.

All this makes we wonder about station wagons; like the 49 - 52 models. All the factory type pictures I see show one large brake light in the middle of the tail gate. (And so no turn signals.)

But many (I'd say way over 50%) of the 49-52 wagons I see at VCCA events, open shows, cruises, etc etc not only have that big light in the tail gate BUT also two outboard tail light/brake lights. They all seem to be in the same place. And they all look like 39 passenger car tail lights. They look like they "belong" there.

I've asked dozens of guys about it. Factory? Add on's?? Or what?? I never seem to get the same "story." Does anybody here know, like really know for sure???????

Bill.

The tail lights used on wagons equipped with directionals (and panel trucks) were indeed 1939 passenger lamps. At this point I can not find anything more than the instructions for installing directionals showing the lights. There it gives the instructions for wiring the lamps into the circuit. It fails to mention as to where to mount the lights etc. and no accessory package is mentioned orshown as to the lamps.The dorectionals were always a dealer installed item up through 1952.
From 1953 and up there were truck directional kits made for panel trucks that came with the 1939 lights.
I will keep searching.

Gene,

Thanks ever so much for this info. I've been wanting to pose the question about the whole idea about the tail lights / turn signals on my "new" 51 wagon since I got it last August. But I always got such conflicting info when asking around locally, I was hesitant to do so.

I'd sure appreciate hearing any more info you can come up with.

Thanks again,

Bill.

The sales invoice for my 1953 Bel Air (dated September 19, 1953) shows that the buyer paid $16.75 extra for the turn signals. I also have the sales invoice for the 1955 that my parents once owned, and it also showed the turn signals being optional. My 1956 had them but the invoice did not note being charged extra for them. So - was 1956 the first year they were standard equipment?

Reply from ChevNut, earlier in this thread ....

"Turn signals became standard on passenger cars in 1953 - although it was still listed as option # 101. You could not buy one without that option. It continued to be an option up to 1956.In Canada at least the 1953 could be purchased with no directionals. 1940 was the first year they were offered as an accessory.
The 1960 truck data book still lists an accessory number for directionals so it wasn't standard at that point".