VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions 1932 Chevy Business Coupe

I'm new here - wondering if anyone can give me info on the 1932 business coupe. Why was it called a business coupe? And did all the 5-window cars have a rumble seat? I've just begun writing about classic cars - many of them Chevys - and am becoming fascinated by the classics! But this car is hard to find info on. Thanks so much.

Hi There and welcome to Chevy Chatter. Glad to have you with us!

Regarding the 1932 Chevrolet "Business Coupe", there is no such model. In 1932 there was the Standard Coupe (which was a three-window coupe), the 5-Window Coupe and the Sport Coupe. The Sport Coupe had a rumble seat.

Welcome to the VCCA. What are you writing about.
The "businnes coupe" were sold without the back seat and a couple of other differences than the more standard coupes.
They were used by salesmen to have a place for thier samples and sales books. Don't know what year they first appeared, 35 or 36 maybe.

I actually write for a website about dogs, but one of the owners of the site is a car collector, too. So each week we put photos of his dogs with the cars. The information I was given this week was for a 1932 Chevy business coupe,2-door, 410 horsepower. He restores cars, too. That's all I have and I'm trying to get more info to write about. But it sounds like the 1932 model would not be a business coupe.

And, the 1932 Chevrolet doesn't have 410 horsepower either, unless it is a high-tech street-rod with a V-8 engine. The original horsepower for the 1932 six-cylinder engine was 60.

Yes, I'd read that about the original 60 horsepower. And I know the person re-does cars so that must be what he added in terms of horsepower. I asked the editor I work for to ask the owner - I now know the car I am writing about is a 3-window, and I guess it was informally called a business coupe because of no rumble seat and because the trunk was used by salesmen for supplies, etc. I also heard sometimes salesmen slept in the trunk? I also read at one Chevy 1932 website that Chevy released 20 models (not just coupes) the beginning of '32 and then 6 models were dropped by April??? Anyone else heard this? thanks for all your help - I'll definitely be back because I've developed a real love of cars.

Yes, that is correct. At the beginning of the 1932 model year in late 1931, there were 20 different models available. In April of 1932 only 14 models were available.

The Standard Coupe was never informally called a "business coupe" by Chevrolet. The Standard Coupe was basically the same as the 5-Window Coupe except that the Standard Coupe had three windows. Both models had trunks.

No doubt, with 410 horsepower the '32 coupe in question is a full-blown street rod and not a stock original car.

I doubt they were sleeping in the trunk! Not much room in a '32's trunk...

Good to know. The whole sleeping in the trunk thing seemed a little creepy anyway.