1941 Chevrolet Special DeLuxe Coupe - Series AH 🇺🇸

Although we are certainly looking at a popular car here, with thousands produced, it also represents a milestone in Detroit automobile production. In 1941 Chevrolets were better than ever, in reality a splendid year for the whole USA car industry. In 1941 Chevrolets looked like the most luxurious Buicks thanks to the artistic genius of stylist Harley Earl. This paid off for Chevrolet, keeping it as market leader at the beginning of the forties exceeding a million units in 1941, with a marked difference (of more than 300,000 units) compared to the rival Ford in second position.

Thus it is important today to give due consideration to a specimen of a Chevrolet from that era in a collection representing American automobiles.

This model is a Special DeLuxe Coupe in the original two-tone color combination Marine Blue and Nassak Gray, purchased by the Nicola Bulgari Car Collection in October 2007. The car had already been restored and was ready to face the new roads and further miles that lay ahead.

Company
General Motors

Wheelbase
116in

Interior trim
Gray cloth

Brakes
front and rear drums

Make
Chevrolet

Length
195.7in

Engine
inline 6 - 216.5cid

Tires
6.00x15

Model
Special DeLuxe - Series AH

Width
76.8in

Carburetor
1 carb. Carter 1-barrel

Original Price
$800

Body style
2-door Coupe

Weight
3050lbs

Horsepower
90hp @ 3300rpm

Production
155,889

Model year
1941

Exterior paint
Marine Blue/Nassak Gray

Transmission
3-speed manual

The DeLuxe was a trim line of Chevrolet automobiles, marketed from 1941 to 1952, and was the volume sales leader for the marque during the 1940s. The line included, at first a 4-door Sedan, but grew to include a fastback 2-door "aerosedan" and other body styles.

In 1941, Chevrolet introduced a completely new body. The 1941 Chevrolet models featured new Fisher bodies and a fresh frontal appearance. The 1941 Chevrolet Master DeLuxe (Series AG) and Special DeLuxe (Series AH) lineup was fabulously good looking, substantially bigger and more impressive than before. For the third time in as many years it was fully restyled by Harley Earl's Art and Color Section, and more than ever it resembled the costlier Buick. Their 116-inch wheelbase, three inches longer than in 1940, made them the longest Chevrolets yet - and they were roomier inside, too.Concealed safety steps replaced the traditional running boards. These changes would continue through the post-war models up to 1948. They also improved the existing six-cylinder engine for additional horsepower. Chevrolet and other General Motors cars offered shortwave radios as a factory option.

The styling and body of the Special DeLuxe was similar to the Master DeLuxe in 1941. The headlamps were incorporated into the fenders and the name could be found on the rear sides of the hood in chrome block letters. Under the hood was a 216.5 cubic-inch six-cylinder “Blue Flame” engine that produced 90 horsepower and was the only one offered. That power was sent to the rear wheels through a three-speed Synchromesh transmission.

The exterior sported smooth curves with chrome and stainless trim. The rear bumper had an optional center bumper guard that had to be ratcheted out of the way so the trunk cover could be lifted. Front and rear bumpers had optional chrome "tips", a dress-up item that bolted to the ends of the stock bumper. Although it wasn't a Chevrolet option, a popular aftermarket feature was a large external sunshade that protected the driver from glare off the metal dashboard.

The interior had cloth bench seats and a metal dash, sometimes with a simulated burl wood grain. The radio was a simple mono vacuum tube type radio with integrated speaker. On the left side of the radio there was a knob labeled "T", which operated the throttle, because during ignition it was hard to press both the starter pedal and the accelerator while keeping the clutch depressed. The choke leverwas on the right side. The clock was integrated into the glove compartment door and was of a manual-wind 7-day type.

The least expensive body style was the two-door business coupe, which had seating for two and carried a $769 price tag. The most expensive of the Special DeLuxe Series in 1941 was the four-door station wagon, which had seating for eight and a sticker price that was just under a thousand dollars.
Chevrolet owners could personalize their vehicles with numerous factory-installed accessories, and even more authorized items were available through dealerships.