Update: thanks to a comment by Bill McCoskey, it turns out this wood kit was supplied by Chevrolet as an option on 1948 Chevrolets. Full details at the end of the post:
No, it’s not original, but we can pretend, eh? My friend Paul B. shot this presumably near the water in San Francisco, given the fog. I have a major soft spot for GM fastbacks of the era, and this Chevy Fleetline is a very tasty example. I think I’d do without the wood applique, but it does add a bit of contrast to the black paint, and it is rather period-correct, unlike some others that I’ve seen.
A bit of zooming in suggests that the wood “framing” is the real thing, and the the larger panels inside it are probably a faux paint finish on the original body. Looks quite well done.
By Bill McCoskey: From what I remember, this wood trim was a dealer-applied [but Chevrolet made & sold] kit for the coupes and convertibles, 1948 only, but fits 1947 cars. It was created in response to the Ford Sportsman, and was known as the “Country Club”. I remember B-J selling one about 5 years ago. In the 1980s I was approached about restoring one that had been found here in Maryland, in an old barn. He didn’t like my estimate, so we didn’t do the restoration.
Here is what Wikipedia has to say on the subject:
1948 Chevrolet Country Club Wood trim accessory which was offered by Select Chevrolet dealers during 1948, by 1949 the option had gone away. Three Models were produced the Aero Sedan, the Convertible and the Sport Coupe models the frames are made of Ash and the interior is Mahogany.
I like it although I’d not want to own it .
I prefer the coupes .
A buddy of mine in Arizona did this to his late 40’s Plymouth Coupe and calls it “Plywood” .
There are thin sheets of real wood (? veneer ?) that can be used in the larger central areas .
-Nate
Always liked these GM fastbacks. Never seen a woody, but I really like it.
Sea wall looks very much like the Ocean Beach parking lot on a cold foggy day. Very familiar with that having lived 88-98 on 20th and 21st streets in the Richmond.
I like the wood, I think it looks good enough to fool someone not in-the-know into believing it was original. The car itself is beautiful, but as is so often the case it’s a bit overloaded with “accessories”. But that’s none of my business, it’s not my car.
From what I remember, this wood trim was a dealer-applied [but Chevrolet made & sold] kit for the coupes and convertibles, 1948 only, but fits 1947 cars. It was created in response to the Ford Sportsman, and was known as the “Country Club”. I remember B-J selling one about 5 years ago. In the 1980s I was approached about restoring one that had been found here in Maryland, in an old barn. He didn’t like my estimate, so we didn’t do the restoration.
Here is what Wikipedia has to say on the subject:
1948 Chevrolet Country Club Wood trim accessory which was offered by Select Chevrolet dealers during 1948, by 1949 the option had gone away. Three Models were produced the Aero Sedan, the Convertible and the Sport Coupe models the frames are made of Ash and the interior is Mahogany.
The Ford and Plymouth of that era were good looking in their own ways, but these Fleetlines were beautiful. Some cars don’t take well to a woody treatment like this, but this proves that it is almost impossible to screw up this car’s styling.
Very cool! Some closeups of (apparently) another here at YouTube:
The rear wiper is really cool. I didn’t know it was available.
Trico made rear window wipers for almost every American manufacturer from about 1946 to 1956. They were not popular accessories, but do pop up at flea markets or the internet from time to time.
Here’s a photo of a complete Packard rear window wiper kit from Trico, 1951 to 1956.
This was indeed taken at the Ocean Beach parking lot in San Francisco. A few months ago, a monthly morning car meetup started being hosted there (I can’t quite call it a cars & coffee because there’s no coffee, though a little mobile coffee shop set up in a vintage trailer is occasionally there). Though only a few months old, this meetup draws a couple hundred classic cars from all over the Bay Area, and there is always a great variety of cars. I have a picture or two of this very Chevy.
Gorgeous car. The Fleetline epitomized the Art Deco era with its streamlined bright metal horizontal accents. The black one features an item that was popular back in the day – the hanging rodent off the aerial. I never liked it.
I’ve never seen the rear wiper on GM cars. It was common on bathtub Nashes.
I always preferred the 46-48 Nash Suburban – looked a bit less heavy than the Chevrolet. As a kid I had a very realistic tin toy Suburban and played with it endlessly. Have never seen one in person though one was featured here at CC at a car show a while back.
What a great looking car – beautifully styled, fastback design. I’d love to see one of these in living colour one day.
To drive this would be a whole different experience. You have huge blind spots at the C pillars, no right side exterior mirror, and windows narrower than in what we drive today. A long massive hood in front of you that you can actually see. No indication of where the rear of the vehicle ends, so backing into a parking spot would depend on your knowledge of its length.
A great read.
I can’t reckon out what that furry thing on the left front fender is. An otter stretching up to nibble on the sideview mirror…?
It’s a raccoon tail, similar to what one might find on a coon skin cap. It was a popular accessory briefly in the 50s, and they’re starting to show up pretty regularly on local lowriders. The lowriding community consistently have some of the nicest cars you’ll see, mostly restored stock with the exception of the lowering and typically a nice (often hidden) stereo system. They also tend to love all the gee-gaw accessories that were potentially available at the time.
That Nash Suburban takes the cake, for me. Must be the rarest of the rare—could there be more than two or three of these, out there somewhere ? There’s about as much wood on it as you could possibly manage. As a woodworker, I am impressed.
But doesn’t the added thickness of the doors and adjacent panels create problems with hinge clearance, etc ? Hmmm . . .
I’m looking for a 47 or 48 Chev Fleetmaster Fleetline, Coupe OR Convertible with the added Country Club wood kit. Original, Restored to Original or Modified. Prefer a completely “turn key” situation.
I’m a totally legit car guy. Member of both the VCCA and Natl Woodie Club in Portland, Ore.
Call me at 503-232-2085 day or night. That phone doesn’t accept texts. Please call me about yours or somebody else’s.
Thank you for what help you can provide.
Bill Fuller