VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 39 4dr Trunkless

I have owned a 1939 Chevy 4dr Trunkless (flatback) Master 85 for 25 years. Does anyone know if any others still exist? I'm tempted to call it the world's rarest Chevrolet until someone proves me wrong!

I've never seen a flat back '39 so don't know if
any still exist, but the Master isn't the rarest
Chevy ever produced. According to Sixty Years
of Chevrolet, the '39 Master Deluxe flat back sedan
held that position with only 68 were produced. It's likely that even with 68 produced, this '39 isn't
the rarest ever produced...

In 1950 my neighbors boy friend had a flat back 39 chev. It is the only one I have ever seen. I saw it one time as he rolled it that evening and it ended up in the salvage yard. The neighbor gal was lucky she lost the tips of two fingers as she was ejected from the car and the car rolled over her hand.

There was a VCCA member in Penn. that owned a Master DeLuxe version--one of the 68.

There were 1404 of the Master 85 2 doors made,336 4 doors....180 Master DeLuxe 2 doors and 68 4 doors.

Any of the above would be extreemly rare today.

Chevrolet used the tail section of the 1937-38 body for the trunkless '39's.. where as the trunk models had a completely different rear section.The trunkless model rear fenders had an adapter section so the rear part of the fender would match the 1938 fender mounting contour.

Chevgene,
Do those rear fenders also fit a 1939 station wagon??

The rear fenders are interchangeable with the sedan delivery. I don't now about the station wagon. I was fortunate enough to obtain a pair of nos rear fenders many years ago. I'm going to differ with Chev Nut on the back section, though. The rear body section of the '37-'38 flatback has a stamped double bead around the beltline, where the '39 does not, making it even more unique.

That is correct-the fenders fit a sedan delivery and trunkless car-the wagon fenders are the same as a trunk sedan.....I was being a little too general about the 1939 rear panel.I meant that the fender mounting area and slant was the same as a 1937-39 as was the fender mounting area of a sedan delivery.

Actually the right rear fender is special for the sedan delivery as it had no gas filler neck opening and the car did.That also made it a rear bird.
Years ago I would run across the slant back fenders and pass on them as they seemed to have no value.

:) :) According to my Encyclopedia of American Cars, Chev Nut's posting of July 11 is right on the money with regard to production numbers. One thing that has not been mentioned here is that the "trunkless" models were designated as "coaches." My dad had a '35 Coach for many, many years, but that is another story! Stuart

The 2 door Chevrolet was always named a "coach" and the 4 door a "sedan"-The first trunk model was in 1933,was a 2 door and called a "Town Sedan"-the first 4 door with a trunk (built -in) was a 1934 and was called a sport sedan.The Sport and Town Sedan names were used thru 1948...The Sport Sedan name brought back in 1956 for the 4 door hardtop.

Chevgene - That is a good point about the rt rear trunkless fender. The one I have already has the gas filler hole. Also, it probably would have been possible for Chevrolet to retool the '37-'38 rear body dies and used them in '39 (by changing the belt line beads), so your original statement could indeed be correct.

I own a 1939 Chevrolet Slantback, 1 of only 68 that were produced in 1939. Mine is the Master Deluxe 4-door sedan model.I do believe,very rare hard to find vehicle. :chevy:

HI there Bowtie1939, and welcome to chevy Chatter.

There is a 1939 4 door sedan slant back in New Zealand , it is a RHD version. Only one I have seen down this way.

Yes, probably so. As far as I know the only one left in existance for a body by Fisher USA made 1939 Master Deluxe 4-door sedan is mine.There are a few of the USA made "Master 85" 4-doors still around,which I have as well. However not many.

Here's one about half way down the page in this thread…


http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=217662&page=28

There was a very well restored one at a Central Meet 20 some years ago. Was owned by an older Chevrolet collector. Was sold several years later.
There are probably one or two more around that no one knows about.

Oops, I see this is a tread from back in 2005.

I have seen one, cannot recall if it was a 4 dr or 2 dr. Neighbor girls boy friend bought one, came to pick her up for a ride and she ended up in the hospital with the end of one finger gone, boy friend rolled the car tossed her out and her hand was caught under the car. 1950.

I am confused about the descriptions here. Don't the coach models have the same back hump but without and opening lid?

The "coach" which is a trunkless flat back 2 door has the same rear end as a sedan which is also trunkless.

Hi
I realize this is a very old thread. I have right hand drive'39 Flatback Master 85. I have owned the General for about 40 years. I put it in a dry garage for 22 years while I was offshore and I am about to get it out of storage and hopefully back on the road. It is mostly original but it had been repainted by a previous owner. Unfortunately I have no idea where I left the key so a minor hurdle to overcome. I think there is at least one other here in New Zealand.
Great website. Thanks.

Do you have a Slooper or just a plain 2 door?

Hi
It is a four door but not a sloper. My memory is that it was built in Canada. I think there was a plate on the firewall which stated this but it is twenty or more years since I have even looked under the hood. About 15 years ago I found a photo on-line of a very similar car - even the same shade of green - in the USA. I have been using the interweb recently to find it again or another but without success. Once I start tinkering it will be great to use this site to pick up tips. Thanks for your reply.

Hi Guys
New here..... I have a 39 4 dr FB master deluxe and MD coupe as well......as far as I know alot of early chevs in 39 came to NZ and Aust mainly coupes and 4drs plus the flatbacks.. and some roadsters..once the war started...the drive was for staff cars or Tudors....so we got the 1st cut.
They say there was no fisher produced Roadster but I have seen one in Australia, owned by a mate in Brisbane.....its not a holden.....Its made in Canada ????
I have an odd ball Oldsmobile V8 355 engine, olds say they never produced one but the engine guys in the shop say that when they run out of Olds blocks they would use the Cadillac 355 block....and why do we get confussed ?? LOL......

In 1939 , Holden body Chevrolet roadsters were made in Woodville South Australia. 116 business roadsters , and 88 sports roadsters were built, all fitted to the standard 1939 chassis from Canada sources, The business roadster has a large upper hind rear trunk, the sports roadster has a dickey seat to carry Addison all passengers.

Some typos in here , "hinged" (not HIND) and additional (not Addison, HA HA , must have been apple auto correct)

Somewhere in my colour slide collection I have a photo of 3 of them (4 door flatbacks) in the Horopito, New Zealand wrecking yard taken around 1976.