VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions WWII cars/trucks

Gene you said in a string in the ’46-'48 category:

"The late date of the change suggests to me that the stripe color changed for the "black out" models."

I have a few questions for you and the other experts about vehicles made during WWII.

When did GM start making the 'black out' models? What was done to made the cars ”˜blacked out’? Can you tell me when '42 civilian production vehicles ended and if GM made any cars other than government ordered cars in '43-'45.

I have heard that GM could not offer some radio models for ’42 cars for fear of it being used to receive messages from Japanese subs off the coast; is that true?

Did Chevy make any changes (not the exterior which I guess they did not change at all, except black out stuff, but were any changes made to the drive line, motor, tranny, etc) to the cars/trucks made during the war years or were they basically exact copies of the pre-war cars/trucks? I am asking about the normal type of vehicles not the special vehicles made for military use.

How would I be able to tell if a vehicle was made during WWII years?

When could civilians buy the ’46 models?

Thanks guys, I have always wanted to know more about the vehicles made during WWII years. Also I would like to have a car or truck made during ’44.

Civilian vehicles were for goverment purposes or other critical jobs. Most all vehicles and parts made during the war did not have any chrome on them once the production stock ran out. There may have been other civilian vehicles made for other purposes I don't know about. I have some 1935 master hub caps that were made during the war; they are painted gray instead of chrome.

From my DuPont info blackout models of all makes begin about mid Dec. 1941 and continued in production until late Jan. 1942 depending on make.
The only chrome allowed by the government on BO cras was the bumpers and guards.All parts that were chromed were painted harmonizing colors and in some versions certain items were painted over exsisting chrome or stainless parts.The BO cars also had some trim pieces omitted or altered.
No new cars were made after the cutoff date and the cars in dealer stock were froze and sold only to buyers that had special needs, doctors,letter carriers, etc.
Light duty 1/2 ton pick-up trucks were produced again in late 1944 along with a heavy duty long wheel base model.These trucks had no rubber parts such as floor mats and hood corner bumpers.The later were made from leather.
The radio was the expensive and rare short wave radio offered by various GM cars in 1941 and 1942.I would think that lack of sales was the reason they were discontinued more than anything.
The BO cars were the same mechanically.There were several items changed on all 1942 Chevrolets in areas where there were material shortages.The 1942 cars had steel cored plastic inside door handles and window cranks.The cast iron pistons did not have the tin coating used since 1935.Most makes of cars had aluminum pistons prior to 1942 and all were forced to use cast iron.On some makes used larger and'or better connecting rod bearings due to the extra bearing load of the iron pistons.
The 1946 models were announced in Sept. 1945 (by most makes)The first Chevrolets were delivered to dealers in Nov. of 1945.Most dealers recieved only one car.The first model available was the low priced Styleline 4 door.Withinn a week or so there was a long strike at GM and no more cars rolled off the lines till spring.Little by little more models became available.To get a new car either you paid the dealer a few hundred dollars under the table or gave him your trade in at a very low cost.Then they often hung many accessories on the new car so they could make more profit.
Some BO cars that remined froze and were sold as new in 1943-44 are titled as 1943 and 1944.This was because of the local rules.
In the fall of 1945 my father ordered a new car.Was marked for spring delivery.The dealer said that there were about 50 orders ahead.He had a 1934 Chevrolet as a trade.In spring when production resumed there were 200 ahead and so it went thru the summer.He offered them the '34 (which was in good condition) for nothing but no luck They would rather take a 1941 in for $500 and sell it for $1000 then fool with a $150 car.My father finally gave up in September and bought a used low milage 1942 for $1100.A new 1946 like it would have been about $1400.00
By the summer of 1946 you could have bought a new Hudson or Nash off the show room floor.Chevrolets remained "hard to get" thru 1948-49.In 1949 a used 1948 Fleetline still sold for the price of a new car.
My father began selling cars for that same dealer in 1949...I found my first job there in 1950.

Yes, during the war new repalcement parts that were previously chromed were available only in gray paint finish...infact in 1943-45 many new parts were not even available.

After WWII BO cars were difficult to sell used.Many were high milage and nobody wanted an ugly painted chrome car.Were a bargin if you could live with the looks.

Some dates in the above may be a little off as I was going by memory but in general all is resonably close.

Thanks a ton Gene, you have a good memory, that is a great history lesson on that time period for Chevrolet.

You said, "Light duty 1/2 ton pick-up trucks were produced again in late 1944 along with a heavy duty long wheel base model." So I assume it should be easier to find a '44 pick-up then a car, was the title the only way to tell what year it was made?

Thanks again, if you think of anything else please post it. :) :) :)

I think he said that the title didn't tell you what year it was made. Titles were local (state) and generally gave the date first sold.

The serial number will tell what month and year the vehicle was built. A federal system was used. If you find a vehicle let me know and I can tell if it is a WWII vintage and when it was made. Most that I have checked were bogus. I have been looking for a '43 Chevrolet for many years only found one, a '43 Fire Truck in Fla. some years ago. There is a '44 Fire Truck in the Houston area. Owned by a VCCA member who drove it from Battle Creek, Michigan a number of years ago. If I remember correctly it was originally delivered to Rice Lake, WI about 9 months after the chassis was assembled. It has all the right numbers and therefore is legit.

There is a 1943 black out Fleetline Aero in New Jersey....at least its titled as a 1943.Seeing no passenger cars were produced in 1943 its safe to assume that 1943 was the year the car was first registered.At one time some states registered the car by year of first registration rather than by actual year of car.

Trucks are kind of a gray area.My info. indicates trucks were produced in 1944 and 1945 so a 1943 could be a left over 1942 or could have been produced in 1943 although code numbers (letters) are not listed for 1943.Another one of those mysteries.

Maybe the guys overseas have a better chance of finding one made in '43 or '44 then us here in the U.S.?

I don't actually know if the vehicles listed as produced in '43-45 were left from '42 production or assembled out of parts or had at least some new parts. I would suspect that the dies and jigs were still available and all parts might not be available so some likely were made. Apparently they were some '42 models that were stored somewhere. I understand that the '43 Sedan was delivered to a Post Master and was actually a '42 that was stored. Others were apparently assembled in the war years.

As far as I know, all indications are ALL the US auto makers shut down by the end of January, 1942.

All the "neat" stories about getting a "war time" (1943-1945) car are like that tax in Maryland. Just a bunch of what they're now taxing!!!

I wouldn't believe it if the guy had "paper work" to go along with it.

Bill.

I know one fellow in NJ that has a 43 Blackout. The story is that it was purchased by a postmaster in 43 and is titled as such. I have seen the vehicle on the Back Roads on the Early Six Cylinder Tour and it is still original.

Believe it or not.

Same car that I was refering to in my Nov 21 post.Have heard of other 1942's titled in the same way.I have never heard of any passenger car production later than Feb 1942 and before Sept. 1945.
When production ended in 1942 all new cars remining in dealer stock were froze and could not be sold unless the government gave its apporval.From what I have read the gov. even paid the dealers an intrest for the money that they had invested in the cars and were not permitted to sell.

When GM celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 1987, as an employee, I received two books on its history. One is a paper back item with the old Chevrolet script on the cover and refers to Chevrolet products only. The second is a hard bound book with the GM logo on the cover and is titled, "The First 75 Years of Transportation Products". Each book makes mention of the subject being discussed here.

The Chevrolet Book:

In fact, the 1942 models were just arriving at dealerships in force when the Japan attacked. Among the 42's was an all-new Fleetline Aerosedan and the Sport sedan, 2-door fastback models. They were the "newest of the Torpedo models" (so called for their bulky front end and tapered rears) and accomodated six passengers.

Their introduction was short-lived. Civilian production ended on January 30, 1942. One Flint assembly plant worker marked the day by writing "Last Chevrolet Off" as the final car left the line.

It would be four years before new models were seen again. The last production models featured no bright trim other than their bumbers. Features that were previously chromned were now painted or enamel. The public dubbed these "Black-out Specials" erroneously believing they were camouflaged for darkness. These models were put into a government warehouse for contingency but several dribbled out to high-priority customers. Some may have been registered as 1943 Chevrolets due to various state title laws, but they're extremely scarce today.

The GM book has this to say on the subject:

On January 1, 1942 the government prohibited the use of chrome trim, hence, all trim pieces were patiently hand painted in harmonizing colors for the remainder of the 1942 calander year. Known as "blackout models" these chromeless cars were officially halted on February 2, 1942.

With the end of GM's civilian production in early 1942 -- Chevrolet on January 30, 1942, Buick on February 2, 1942, Cadillac on February 4, 1942, Oldsmobile on February 5, 1942, and Pontiac on February 10, 1942, GM like the rest of the automobile industry, would turn to military production.

This "43 Chevy Postmaster car" -

Nobody really believes this car was "built" (assembled) in a Chevy plant as a 1943 model, do they?? It seems obvious it is a '42 that wasn't titled/registered until 1943.

Wouldn't the cowl tag indicate year, assembly plant, paint, trim, etc?? How could the tag indicate anything other than '42??

It seeems kinda silly that somebody would portray a '42 as a "43" when there wasn't any such thing as a "43."

Bill.

I clearly remember a fellow worker of my Dad's who
lived in what then was far out in the country and worked
for a large foundry which ran 24/7 with war work. He started the war with a '31 Buick which was worn
out. He put in for a new car in '43 and was
rewarded with a new B35 Oldsmobile. The ugliest of
the 42 blackouts. Nobody called it a '43 or '44. It was just a '42 that was held back by the government.. But, it was a NEW car and it was a big
deal coming after the depression. We weren't part of the new car scene until my Mom bought a new '55.

So if I understand it right GM did not build any 'staff' type cars for the military.

Also if I want a '44 Chevy it would have to be a pick-up, which (if I got it right) were built in '44 by Chevy, right? I'm guessing that they would be tagged as a '44.

Not likely they 'built' any. Here again, most likely they were 42's that were 'held over' or not sold or whatever you'd want to call them.

The whole issue is really just nonsense.

People and posts switching back and forth from "Chev" to "GM." And from "cars" to "pick-ups."

The best thing to do if some guy tells you he has a '43 is just smile. And walk away. Otherwise you're gonna get a lotta something that most folks think stinks all over your shoes.

Bill.

In the case of the N.J person with the 1943-He is fully aware that its a 1942 model and was made in 1942 but uses the titled 1943 year as a point of intrest.It always brings up a lot of discussion.

My sons first car was a 1970 Camaro that he bought used in 1976...Actually it was a 1969 model but due to the delay in getting the new style 1970 out in the spring of 1970, Chevrolet continued to produce the old 1969 till Spring of 1970.This car was originally purchased new in an eastern state,can't remember which, but it was titled as a 1970 because it was made and sold in 1970 even though Chevrolet called it a 1969.

Some of the replys earlier in this post got rather twisted.GM and Chevrolet ,and all makes for that matter were restricted to the same rules.No new cars MADE from early 1942 till late 1945.Certain trucks were made during these years and military trucks made by some companys all of these years,There were military versions of Chevrolet,GMC,Dodge,F0rd and Studebaker that I remember.They all had the "square" front ends and grilles.

I can't see how there could be any lingering doubts after Gene again clearly spells out the situation.

It's really pretty simple, no 43's 44's or 45's. Maybe by title; but not really.

Thanks again, Gene.

Bill.

Gene,

I thought your example of the 69/70 Camaro was a good one to use re the WWII cars. The delay was costly to the number of 70 Camaros. I've got a book that shows only 124k 70's but nearly twice as many 69's @ 243k. That same book refers to 'first series' 70 Camaro (the picture obviously looks like a 69)..... and 'second series' 70, which is obviously a 70, with the pointed front end/grille and split front bumper.

I often hear the pointed 70 Camaro's referred to as 70 1/2's. Like many other late year intros, such as the original 64 1/2 Mustang.

Anyway, I just thought it was a great point that you made Gene.

Bill.

The 1970 Corvettes were also delayed.

Gene, as I recall there was a (pretty long) strike in late 1967 than delayed the 68 models, at least for Pontiac.

Was there a "Chevy" strike in 69 that delayed the 70 models???

Bill.

No-it was just a change over thing.
I remember several years when there were strikes.I drove a company car from 1963-77 and some years had to wait- or get a demo that I didn't want.Prefered a three seat wagon, having 5 kids to haul around..Can't remember just which years but seemed like every two or three years there was a strike.Also affected the supply of parts.New car announcement time was always union contract time.Thats back when the unions carried some weight.

I remember growing up and living in a town with I think seven GM plants there was one or two strikes every three years. For that reason I did not go to one of the GM plants. I did not go to GM until 1973 and our plant did not have any strikes until I retired. Now it looks like most of the local plants will be closing. Things aren't like they used to be.

See you down the Back Roads

It's sure sad to say Back Roads, but I guess we just can't keep figuring things will stay the same.

Maybe it was Mack who said something that weighs heavily on my mind - the idea about "worrying about our kids and grandkids." As Mack, I really do wonder how the he!l they're going to "make it."

I used to be pretty positive about 'most things.' But I find it increasingly difficult to keep that "up" kinda attitude.

I enjoy (my) life, no doubt about it. But I do wonder about those that are coming up behind us.

Sad...........

Bill.