VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 1941 Chevrolet Sport Sedan....

Hi All,
Just registered and thought I'd take a second to say Hello!
I restored a 1941 Chevrolet Special DeLuxe Sport Sedan some years ago and I'm a big fan of these vintage autos.
If anyone is interested, I created a website for '41 Chevrolet enthusiasts called...
Paul's '41 Chevy Web Site
http://weba.viawest.net/~pstair
My hobbies and pastimes include corresponding with other classic car owners worldwide, collecting a variety of automobilia, restoring vintage clocks and radios, fishing, camping, hiking and most everything else!
Great forum and I hope to spend some time chatting with you here...
Regards,
Paul (bullpup)

Hi Paul,

Welcome to Chevy Chat. I see you've been a VCCA member for some time now, that's great. What took you so long to join us here? It doesn't matter, you're with us now. Lots of really good info here and great people to chat with about great Chevys. By the way, your 41 looks really great, and your website looks interesting too. I took a quick peek, but haven't been through all of it yet......but I will take a longer look in the future....probably some good info there too.

Welcome aboard. Hope to chat with you in the future.

:)

Hey Paul,

Your '41 sure looks nice. Pretty car. I really enjoyed your web site. The 7 pages of pictures were fun to go thru!! Nice to see Mike Welch's Admiral Green coupe. He's made a lot of improvements to an already nice car since he bought it.


Anyway, welcome aboard Paul. Chat away.....

Bill.

Hi Ken,

Thanks for the kind words about Big Red!
Your '48 is a beautiful restoration, as well. Did you see Scott's 1948 Chevrolet Convertible (Cabriolet) on my website? Another gorgeous Chevrolet!
Here is a question for the group...
When did the term 'Cabriolet', which denotes a convertible style car, go in and out of use?
I know Cabriolet was the correct terminology in 1941.

Anyway, nice chatting with you Ken...
Paul

Hi Bill,

How many of the cars in the photo are yours? That's quite a collection of wonderful, classic Chevrolets!
Is that a '42 in the upper left corner? It looks like a '42 Special DeLuxe. Now that's a rare car!
Very few cars were produced in 1942 for civilian use, due to the war. In fact, the '42 model year was ended in January of '42 to allow the auto industry to convert to war production.
Have you ever seen a photo of the 1942 Chevrolet Fleetline Aerosedan? Very much the cutting edge of style, though hard to see out the back window!

Paul

The 1942 was more popular than you think.There were over 250,000 produced.Thats more than most makes produced in 1941.There were less than 150,000 Special DeLuxe Sport Sedans made in 1941 as an example.

The Cabriolet name was first used by Chevrolet in 1931.It was a "convertible" that had roll-up door windows and a fixed windshield.They also produced a Roadster up thru 1935.It had side curtains and a fold down windshield.Was usually the lowest priced model sold.The name was used thru 1948.After that it was just called a convertible.Chevrolet used to have a name for each body style.The 2 door with no trunk was a coach,with a trunk (1933 and up) a Town Sedan,trunkless 4 door a sedan and 4 door with trunk a Sport Sedan(began in 1934).

A family friend had a new 1941 just like yours.I was only 8 years old when it was new and thought it was the most beautiful car and color that I ever saw...the only problem was that the maroons did not hold up well back the and in a few years the primer was showing thru.
We have a Wisconsin Region member that has a maroon Town Sedan that is just beautiful.It even has the new car smell inside that I remember them having.We had several other friends and neighbors that has new '41's.

The term "Sport Cabriolet" was used in 1929.

:) :grin:

Did the top go down?

Yep! And there was also a "Convertible Sports Cabriolet" in 1928 as well. It was introduced in mid-year. Looks like the first year to use the term "Cabriolet" was in 1927.

:)

I don't know much about dem Model T's :cry:

Hi Paul,

Yes, I poked around in your website and saw Scott's 48 cabriolet and a couple of pretty nice 47s as well. Not only did you do a great job on Big Red, but that website is pretty impressive as well. I steered a couple of other folks over to the website too. I may e-mail a photo or two of my 48 for you to consider putting on the site when I can think of a few words to go with the photos. Looks like you've got other than just 41s in there. Stay with it and keep Big Red shiny.

Paul,

Thanks for noticing the 42!

I still own the 54 (since January, 1977) and recently acquired the 56 (July, 2006). There's been lots written in here by me and others about those two cars. The 56 will be in Jim's '07 calendar.

The others have sort of come and gone.

I bought the 42 more-or-less at the All-Cal Meet in Pleasonton, CA in 1995. Good friend PDX Joe attended the meet with me. Nice he was there to 'check out' the 42 for me. I sold it in July, 2005. It went back down to Cali, Auburn, to a friend and long time VCCA member.

It was very original and very early. Many date codes still seen on the car. All in July and August, 1941. Body number 750. It still had the original interior in pretty nice condition. I was reported to be just the third owner. Sold new in TX. I had/have much of the car's history. Odometer read just over 7000. Reported to have rolled over just once.

The 57 was acquired in 1979 and sold in 1985 because we needed the money. It brought $10k; Pretty much top dollar for a Nomad in those days! 283 power pack, PG, PS, PB, wonderbar, original interior, etc. etc. It was my daughter's favorite one of all. Altho she's driven the 54 extensively on NW Meets and locally. Longest drive for her was from BC/WA border to Portland - - on bias plies on I-5! I slept most of the way home, recovering from all the 'fun' at the meet. I've always had TOTAL confidence in that child.

My wife discovered the 68 convertible just a few blocks from our home on a Sunday morning in 1990. We bought it that day and drove it to the beach. Painted and spruced it up a bit the following year. Sold it on Halloween, 2003 to a fellow in Kansas City. He turned it into a low rider. Some would say that's unfortunate. Especially considering it was a VERY nice car.

The 55 pick-up came and went in a flash March, 2006. Very cute truck; but I quickly decided straight axles weren't for me. Especially when BIG profits were literally being shoved at me.

I'm currently in the acquisition mode. I'd still like to find my 'dream' car, a black and white 54 Bel Air four door sedan. (My folks bought one new in Fall, 1953.)

Enough of my rambling. I guess I just love these old cars.....

Bill.

The Dawg is right. The first use of the term "Cabriolet" by Chevrolet was in 1927. The '27 "Sports Cabriolet" was also the first rumble seat offered by Chevrolet. The top was canvas and did not go down. There were two '27 Cabriolets at the Anniversary meet in Grand Junction, both from Texas!
---ChevyBill

Hi all,

While over 250,000 '42 Chevrolets were produced for the civilian market before the government ended production of civilian automobiles on Feb. 9, 1942, that's still less than the million plus Chevys produced in 1941.
Wonder how many of these 42's still exist out there?

I am always amazed at the large number of 1941 Chevrolets that have survived in one form or another. Many made there way around the world... Russia, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Central & South America.
A gent sent me a photo from New Zealand of his '41 Chevy cab. Apparently it had been in service for many years. Very cool!

Thanks for all the info about the term 'Cabriolet"! Now I know when to use it or convertible, Cabriolet just has a nice ring to it!

The 1941 Chevrolet was one of the nicest low priced cars to ever grace the American roads. Wonderful styling, particularly the front end... Eye It, Try It, Buy it!!!!