The Chevrolet Master and Master Deluxe are American passenger vehicles manufactured by
Chevrolet
Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the promi ...
between 1933 and 1942 to replace the 1933
Master Eagle. It was the most expensive model in the Chevrolet range at this time, with the
Standard Mercury providing an affordable product between 1933 and 1937.
Starting with this generation, all GM cars shared a corporate appearance as a result of the Art and Color Section headed by
Harley Earl
Harley Jarvis Earl (November 22, 1893 – April 10, 1969) was an American Automotive design, automotive designer and business executive. He was the initial designated head of design at General Motors, later becoming vice president, the first ...
.
From 1940 a more expensive version based on the Master Deluxe was launched called the Special Deluxe. The updated corporate appearance introduced a concealed radiator behind a façade with a grille.
This was the last Chevrolet that was exported to Japan in knock-down kits and assembled at the company's factory in Osaka, Japan before the factory was appropriated by the
Imperial Japanese Government. When Toyota decided to develop their own sedan called the
Toyota AA, a locally manufactured Master was disassembled and examined to determine how Toyota should engineer their own cars. In May 1925 the Chevrolet Export Boxing plant at
Bloomfield, New Jersey was repurposed from a previous owner where
Knock-down kit
A knock-down kit (also knockdown kit, knocked-down kit, or simply knockdown or KD) is a collection of parts required to assemble a product. The parts are typically manufactured in one country or region, and then exported to another country or r ...
s for Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick and Cadillac passenger cars, and both Chevrolet and G. M. C. truck parts are crated and shipped by railroad to the docks at
Weehawken, New Jersey
Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located on the Hudson Waterfront and Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's po ...
for overseas GM assembly factories.
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Model years
The Master name was used on a number of different versions, and the Series name changed each year. A four door open top convertible was no longer offered starting in 1933.
1933 (Series CA)
The 1933 Series CA began production as the "Eagle", but was renamed "Master" midway through the model year when the 1933 Standard model (Series CC) was introduced. Several changes were made to the Eagle when the name was changed to Master. The easiest to distinguishing feature is the post between the front door wing windows and the roll down windows: on the Eagle the chrome divider between these two windows goes down as the window goes down, whereas on the Master this divider remains fixed and does not go down with the window.
1934 (Series DA)
The Series DA Master offered an increased wheelbase of . This increased the difference with the cheaper Standard wheelbase to . Powered by an upgraded version of the "Stovebolt" six-cylinder engine, now producing . The independent front suspension was something GM called " Knee-Action" using trailing arms and coil springs.
1935 (Series EA and ED)
The Master underwent a redesign, utilising a new "Turret Top" construction method. This consisted of steel used entirely in the body construction to include the roof and wood was no longer used in bodywork or chassis construction.
1936 (Series FA and FD)
All Chevrolet took on an upgraded streamlined appearance as Chevrolet sought to take on a new and modern appearance called Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
, and the bodies were shared with the Pontiac Deluxe.
1937 (Series GA and GB)
The Master now replaced the lower priced Standard Six, while the higher equipment Master Deluxe edged the range upwards. While external differentiation was limited to trim and equipment, the Master Deluxe introduced independent front suspension while the Master retained a beam front axle on leaf springs.
1938 (series HA and HB)
The Master (HB) and Master Deluxe (HA) sold well, with 162,430 and 302,728 respectively.
1939 (series JA and JB)
The Master returned for 1939. The Master Deluxe was now the JA, while the base model was renamed the Master 85 (JB). A station wagon was first offered, though its construction had been contracted to Mid States Body Corp.
1940 (series KA and KB)
The Master continued to be available in Master 85 (KB) as well as the more upscale "Master Deluxe" model (KA). The even better equipped "Special Deluxe" also appeared for the 1940 model year.
File:1933 Chevrolet CA sedan (6712944261).jpg, 1933 Chevrolet CA sedan
File:1934 Chevrolet (18503668532).jpg, 1934 Master Sedan
File:1935 Chevrolet Standard EC 4-Door Sedan KRZ847.jpg, 1935 Master Sedan
File:1936 Chevrolet 4-Door Touring Sedan HCE204jpg.jpg, 1936 Chevrolet sedan
File:1937 Master De Luxe Chevrolet Sedan, Chevrolet dealers since 1916, proven, reliable, and... (NBY 6129).jpg, 1937 Master Deluxe
File:1938 Chevrolet Coach HDM217.jpg, 1938 Chevrolet Master Deluxe sedan
File:1939 Chevrolet Master 85 (8775958833).jpg, 1939 Chevrolet Master Deluxe Town Sedan
File:1941 Chevrolet Master Deluxe Coupe.jpg, 1941 Chevrolet Master Deluxe Coupe
Trucks and buses
This was the last series of trucks and medium-duty vehicles that shared an appearance with Chevrolet passenger coupes and sedans, and were replaced with the AK Series trucks. The first truck body style was introduced in 1918 as the Chevrolet Series 490 using the same approach used by the Ford Model TT. Each year a Chevrolet Series was introduced, the chassis was also available with a cargo bed body style.
See also
*1937 Cadillac Series 70
*1937 LaSalle Series 37-50
*1937 Oldsmobile L-Series
The Oldsmobile L-Series, or the Oldsmobile 8, was built from the 1932 through 1938. Oldsmobile hadn't offered a full-sized luxury flagship since the cancellation of the Oldsmobile Light Eight in 1923, and the Viking upscale companion brand to Ol ...
*1937 Buick Series 80
*1937 Pontiac
References
External links
Masters history at secondchancegarage.com
GM Heritage Center 1938 Chevrolet Master
{{Turismo Carretera vehicles
1940s cars
Master
Cars introduced in 1934
Sedans