The 1949 Chevrolet De Luxe was a trim line of Chevrolet. It was the sales leader for the marque during the 1940s and manufactured 1941 to 1952. The line included a 4-door sedan, a fastback 2dr 'Aerosedan', convertible and business coupe styles. Chevrolet manufactured the original series 1941 to 1948. They introduced a new body style for 1949, running until 1952.
Chevrolet offered a balance of style and luxury appointments in the De Luxe Line unavailable in the base Special series of the 1949 models.
Note the 'typical' original seat upholstery during these years. You may also compare the Chevy seat with the one in a 76 Oldsmobile from the same year.
More History
In 1949, all the Chevrolets got the first new styling after the war. The Deluxe was the brand new upper-end model for Chevrolet. The cheapest Deluxe was the Deluxe Styleline 6-passenger sedan, costing $1,492.
Many things changed starting in 1950. Chevy offered a luxuriously-appointed hardtop coupe, called the Bel Air.
One change was the availability of Powerglide, a two-speed automatic transmission, exclusively in the Deluxe and Bel Air models. A 235-cubic inch six-cylinder engine powered these cars. It developed 105 horsepower and had a 3.55:1 rear differential. Models sold with the standard three-speed manual transmission got the usual 216.5-cubic inch engine, developing 92 horsepower.
At the Auction
Note: Auction has ended!
The current owner bought this 1949 Chevrolet De Luxe from a woman in Pennsylvania. Her late husband had purchased it in 1972 from the original owner. Then he drove it into a heated barn and left it sitting there until now.
The new owner lubricated the cylinders, cleaned the fuel system, installed a rebuilt fuel pump and a fresh battery and it fired up. It runs drives and stops as it should. He took it down the road. Amazing how nice it rides and shifts smoothly through the gears. The gauges and speedometer work, all the glass is nice and clear.
The owner also washed, waxed and vacuumed the car. The paint, stainless and chrome are in incredible shape. The paint seems to be original with the exception of the lower portion of all four fenders, it appears to have had some minor rust repairs above all four wheels, which was done prior to 1972.
The car does have a few scratches but for its age it's in great shape. The wheels still have the pin striping on them.
A previous owner had undercoated the car. Floors and trunk are in great shape with no rust. The interior is very good shape. The door panels have some stains. The drivers seat has a very small wear spot on the top of the seat. Still, amazing shape for a set 65 years old! The dash, knobs, gauges, seats and floor coverings are all in great shape.
The ash tray and working lighter don't appear to have ever been used. The trunk is also in good condition: Trunk mat and side panels are nice. The original jack and two wheels with old recapped snow tires are there.
The car does need a radiator and an exhaust system, the front pipe has a hole in it. The car is being sold with a clean PA title and bill of sale.