During the Thirties , one auto maker after another followed Ford ’s lead and sum manufactory - cataloged station wagons to their lineup . It probably surprised no one that the 1939Chevroletswould be among those that adopted the then - dearly-won and pretty rarified body fashion . What might have seemed rummy , though , was how long it call for : Chevy entered the theatre of operations in 1939 , two age after Pontiac – which sell in low-toned number – pioneered the style among General Motors products .
When Chevrolet finally did enter the station station wagon grocery store , it jumped in with both feet . It offered the eight - passenger vehicle in both the Master 85 serial ( with beam - axle frontsuspension ) and the Master DeLuxe series ( with spiral - spring independent " Knee - Action " front hiatus ) .
At respective starting price of $ 848 and $ 883 , they were the priciest cars in the ' 39 Chevy line . Model - class output came to 430 Master 85s – separate between folding end gate and rear - doorway version – and 989 Master DeLuxes . Station wagons were build on the same 112.25 - column inch - wheelbase bod as other ' 39 Chevrolets and were powered by the same 216.5 - cid , 85 - bhp ohv six - cylinderengine . They share the year ’s raw front plane - metallic element , including headlamps that rested on the buffer " catwalks " and small horizontal auxiliary radiator grille .
Though place wagons now had the section ’s full blessing , building of the wood body component and their assembly was contracted to several firms . Chris Messano , who restore the ' 39 Master DeLuxe featured here , had to copy the remnant of consistence portion to make a replica of its Campbell body .
The bombastic panels are made of birch ; framing is of ash tree . The proprietor of Chris Messano Woodworks in the Los Angeles orbit , he necessitate two years to complete the restoration after purchase the formerly run - down black Maria in Redwood City , California , in 1999 .
Messano said that the naughtily weathered original consistence segment at least render him something to imitate . The specialised station wagon computer hardware and much of the sheetmetal were salvageable , but a sedan chair served as the donor for a number of trunk and mechanical parts , including the locomotive . The punk , cowl , fenders , and windshield frame were spray Wood Ash Brown , Chevy ’s stock place wagon color in 1939 .
The car , which Messano sell at the 2003 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance , featured a number of period Chevrolet accessories , starting with fogginess lamp and a winged thug ornament . While a buffer - mounted sparetirewas standard on ' 39 wagons , the metallic element cover was not . Neither were the whitewall tires or bright wheel - trim rings . The interior sported a deluxesteeringwheel , in - dash clock , and warmer .
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