1939 Chevrolet Master DeLuxe Series JA news, pictures

1939 Chevrolet Master DeLuxe Series JA news, pictures

Chevrolet would not take over as the United States number one producer of automobiles until 1927. The Chevrolet Company was initially intended as a 'Light French Type' of car which was developed under race driver Louis Chevrolet's guidance. Under the hood was a six-cylinder 299 cubic-inch engine that sat atop of a 120 inch wheelbase.

By 1914 the Chevrolet automobiles were selling for around $750. This price purchased a Royal Mail Roadster with a 170.9 cubic-inch four-cylinder engine. This engine would be used in many Chevrolet's until 1928.

When Chevrolet introduced the 490, they were sending the world a message: that they were aggressively going to compete with Ford and they were not afraid to show it. The car cost the name of the car, selling for $490. It was the same price as a Ford Model T. Though this was a valiant attempt, sales figures never did near Ford sales figures.

With the help of William S. Knudsen's leadership in 1925, who had worked at Ford in their production department, began offering a wide array of colors. Within a few years, Chevrolet had surpassed Ford in sales. In 1928, the list of standard options grew to include four-wheel brakes.

In 1929, Chevrolet introduced their 'Cast-Iron Wonder.' This was a six-cylinder engine that would become the engine that would power many Chevrolet's for the years to come. Throughout the years, the engine size would increase, as would the horsepower output.

The 1939 Chevrolet Master Series JB had longer hoods than the prior years. The headlights now sat atop of the front fenders. The grille had horizontal bars and many aspects of the vehicle became rounder. The six-cylinder cast-iron block engine displaced 216.5 cubic-inches and produces 85 horsepower. The Master Deluxe Series JA was a slightly more expensive, more fancy version of its Sibling, the JB. It featured standard equipment that was optional on the JB. Included were bumper guards and twin taillights. The addition of an all-new body style was the four-passenger coupe.

1939 was the first year Chevrolet offered a wooden body on their regular passenger-car station wagons. The use of wooden bodies had been used on their depot hacks dating back to the very early 1920s. This configuration was the most expensive automobile produced by Chevrolet in 1939. It had a base price of $880 and 989 examples were produced.

This vehicle has been treated to a restoration since new and has been carefully maintained and preserved. It has traveled a mere 1200 miles since its restoration. The exterior is painted in Wood Ash Brown which is the factory correct color and the only one offered on the Master Deluxe wagons when new. The interior is finished in brown leatherette seating. The body was created by Mid-States Body Corporation which Chevrolet contracted for construction of their wooden bodied vehicles.

The engine is a 216.5 cubic-inch overhead valve inline six-cylinder unit that produces 85 horsepower. It has a three-speed manual gearbox with vacuum assistance. There are four-wheel hydraulic brakes on all for corners of the car.

This car was offered for sale at the 2006 Gooding & Company Auction where it was estimated to sell for $125,000-$175,000. It is one of only a few 1939 Woody Station Wagons still in existence and the level of restoration is virtually unmatched making this one of the greatest examples in modern times. At auction, the car was sold for $104,500.