VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1955-1957 1955 model 210 Handyman Special

It's been my experience that most two door Handyman wagon survivors are 150 series with sliding windows at the rear bench seat. Came across a vehicle that is badged 210 and has windup windows at the rear bench seat. Owner sez he acquired it out of Montana almost 20 years ago and said it's a "210 Special". Were two door wagons offered in:
- 150 trim
- 210 trim, and
- 210 Special trim?

Thx (as always)

CDP

The 1955-1956 and 1957 Finger Tip Facts books list the 150 Handyman as having fixed glass and roll down for 210 models.
The Nomad has the sliding glass.
Canadian wagons should e the same as their bodies were made at the Cleveland body plant, same as US cars.

150 two door wagon - fixed glass
210 two door wagon - roll up/down for rear seat
Nomad - sliding glass panels only for rear seat

Does the term "210 Special" ring any bells?

'Til I get my hands on a copy of that Finger Facts book -- a hearty thank you in W. Allis

Never heard of a 210 Special. Was in the dealership when 1955s were new, have tons of 1955 literature, etc. and never saw any thing about a Special. Also there is no reason for them to make a Special in such a low production model.

Got it; again sincere thx

CDP

And yet, when googling 1955/6/7 Chevy Handyman 210 Special wagon, numerous responses (mainly two door wagons for sale) pop up.

If it's special to you ! Then it's Special....

How about a 150 Special Handyman? George H. Dammann states in "75 Years of Chevrolet" at page 219, as a caption to shots of 1954 models "Devoid of virtually any exterior trim was the Series 150 Special . . . designated model 1503" and further down pg. 219 "appearing for the last time in the 150 Special series was the Handyman wagon".

And on pg. 221 (1955 models) ". . . the Deluxe designation was dropped from the 210 name. The Special designation remained with the 150 Series for one more year". He admittedly appears to contradict himself, at one point stating that 1954 was final model year for a 150 Handyman Special, then in his report for '55 stating it continued for one more year.

CDP

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/chevyresto/55008.htm


1503 is a car, not the wagon. So not the Handyman.

That was his caption for a '54 Series 150 2-door passenger car photo. In the 150 Series, Handyman was designated Model 1529. The 210 Series version was designated Model 2129.

The question remains, where were '55 Handyman wagons then referred to as 150 Special (as was the passenger car) or a 210 Special. "Special" is certainly in wide-spread use today.


CDP

Both the "60 years of Chevrolet" and "75 years of Chevolet" by George H. Dammann are full or errors or misstatements. Some were corrected in "75 years". Quoting from them is okay but should be done with caution. Best to use several references when attempting to document facts. That includes 'official' Chevrolet literature. However, it is far more accurate than most other sources.

P.K.'s response was special: "If it's special to you, then it's a Special"

Anyhow, am still working this topic and thought I'd share an opinion rec'd at an autumn cruise night, namely that there was a plethora of options that could be ordered on a 150 or 210 Handy Man, incl. air conditioning, power windows and seats and Wonderbar radio.

Specific question today is about fixed glass side windows @ rear seats on a 150. Did 210 Handy Man have fixed side glass window (rear seats) as on the 150 Handy Man or roll up?

CDP

I replied to that oin my June 12 post.


Vehicle options do not change or add to a name of a model series.

The only Chevrolet car line called a Special was the 1949-1952 lowest priced lines.....In 1954 they became the 150 series and up thru 1957.

Question this time is somewhat different (more specific):

- as windows adjacent to rear seats in the 150 series Handy Man wagon were fixed (or possibly sliding) could a buyer special-order crank windows, and

- were windows adjacent to rear seats in the 210 series Handy Man fixed or sliding or crank up/down?

I acknowledge that there was no factory "Special" series, but as the term "Handy Man Special" is seen & heard every day (incl. at the Scottsdale auctions), am guessing that when a buyer ordered upgrades on a 150 or 210 it was special-order and "special" was handwritten on the purchase document, and the term worked its way into common usage

Your assistance continues to be appreciated

CDP

As per 1955 Enginering features;
150 rear side windows are both stationary
210 2 door wagon front side windows crank down, rear are stationary
210 4 door wagon has rear side windows only and they are stationary but the rear door windows crank down.
No options are lsted for any other type of wagon.

I appreciate your research and acknowledge the official statistics quoted, however the fact remains that 210 Handyman wagons regularly show up for sale with crank (or power) windows @ the back seat. Admittedly some if not all were stripped to a body shell for the restoration (or customizing) process which is when modification could easily be performed. The 210 wagon I know of (local cruise night visitor) has crank windows (just halfway down) **

Thank you again for your help and (at the risk of further annoying purists) I ask if anyone knows of a 210 Handyman wagon with crank or powered rear side windows

CDP

P.S. ** Although it is now in Canada, it was sold new in Montana

If you read my post it says 210 2 DOOR WAGONS HAD ROLL DOWN QUARTER WINDOWS. tHIS IS THE FRONT WINDOW ON THE REAR QUARTERS, THE WINDOW BEHIND THAT DOES NOT ROLL DOWN.
a 210 2 DOOR WAGON IS A 219 hANDYMAN WAGON.

If a Chev Nut of 1955 had his/her heart set on a 210 Handyman with fixed rear-seat side windows and air conditioning and a wonderbar radio and had the dough to pay for it and asked the dealer to write it up and submit it that way, the deal would have been declined?

The writing below is given in an attempt for all to better understand claims for modifications and alterations. It is not intended to be the initiation of another diatribe on VCCA judging. If others want to continue the discussion this post should be copied to a new thread and continued.

Anyone can speculate what might have happened. Without factory issued paperwork to document modifications it should not be considered a factory option. It might have been a factory assembly mistake but again that is speculation. It also could have been a dealer modification which is NOT factory authorized. An owner can make what ever claims he wishes and speculate all he wants but that does not change the fact that a non-documented factory option is a modification from factory specifications or authorized dealer installed accessories.

That being written, there are and have been arrangements between Chevrolet and other companies to supply components, modifications and alterations. Professional cars (limousines, ambulances, funeral vehicles, taxis, etc.), police, fire fighting, military, specialty and heavy duty vehicles are examples. There are Cavalier convertibles that were modified by an authorized outside company. COPO factory authorized modifications as well as some dealers that modified vehicles (some authorized and others "look the other way") that many are familiar with.

All the above is difficult to put into "neat, clean package" that can be applied to evaluating the authenticity of a given vehicle. There have been numerous discussions on what is factory original with authorized dealer installed accessories. Too often for my thinking, changes have been allowed or accepted from the way a given vehicle was built in the factory. Some of those without documentation from owners which is an attempt to "equalize" the opportunity to be given awards or recognized.

My posts were evidently interpreted as being what would be accepted at a VCCA judging meet, which is not the case. All I was looking for is someone's theory why Handyman wagons of '55/56 are regularly referred to at shows and at auction and online sales as "Handyman Special"

Being a foreigner (Canadian hobbyist for over five decades) probably hasn't helped. Have run this question past active hobbyists (in both countries) and the most common theory is that if someone ordered a brand-spanking new Handyman and wanted to access Chevrolet's extensive list of options, the dealer might have written "Special Order" on the purchase document, and that, over the years, may have morphed into simply "Special"

CDP

Could just be a slang term that hung on with car guys and was misused and overused? Maybe a Canadian thing EH? Like couch vs sofa, or running shoe vs sneaker, or soda vs pop...

Some models were marketed differently in Canada but you would need to find dealer brochures or documentation from that period or leading up to that period to see if there was a basis for the term...
My 1938 Canadian Pontiac Coupe is actually a "Special". GM Canada produced it as a lower end model and marketed it with a fancy sounding name "Special" rather than the other model "Deluxe". I actually have the dealer brochure and GM Canada Vintage Services documentation to support it so it was documented even 80 years ago. Don't know if any other Marquees used the term, including other manufacturers over the years but it was strictly a Canuck term for my 38 model...

There was a "Master Special" Chevrolet offered in 1938. This was a separate model from the Master and offered only in Canada.
I'll start a new thread in the 1937-41 forum with more details. Tom

Google "Chevrolet Handyman Special" and a number of hits will appear, mostly dealers. Have been chasing this topic for some time and on occasion have sent them an email inquiring about the name. Most were ignored or the response was along the lines of "that vehicle has since been sold, can we interest you in a . . . "

Anyhow, feedback from the VCCA continues to be appreciated

CDP

I think people just got used to using the word "Special" to mean the low end of the Chevrolet line... and hence "150 Special" or "Handyman Special" just meant it wasn't a Belair. Even though the terms clearly were not used in GM paperwork, the customers and dealership people likely used them.

I thought a "Handyman Special" was a house that was near a state of collapse, not a wagon!