Sitting in this garage is a classic from the 1950s that would suit a buyer seeking a turnkey practical vehicle at an affordable price. It presents beautifully for its age and is sure to turn heads wherever it goes. This 1951 Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe appears to need nothing because there seems to be nothing but good news everywhere you look. The seller is an enthusiast, but with his collection constantly growing, he needs to make room. Therefore, this Styleline is earmarked to head to a new home. Located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, the Chevy is listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set a BIN of $19,000, although he may consider reasonable offers.
This Deluxe is a handsome car, finished in a combination of Aspen Green with a Fathom Green top. Its styling is typical of vehicles of the era as manufacturers adopted a more integrated appearance. It still demonstrated a carryover from previous models with its rear quarter panel design, but it marked a refreshing change from the updated pre-war models that had dominated the market through the late 1940s. The paint shines beautifully, although it is unclear whether the car has received any previous restoration work. There are no visible significant flaws or problems, and the panels look straight and free from damage. The buyer won’t need to fear the presence of rust. Not only is the exterior clean, but the underside reveals little more than a sprinkling of surface corrosion and a collection of cobwebs. Their presence suggests that the Deluxe hasn’t seen much recent action. The trim and chrome present as impressively as the paint, and the wide whitewall tires add a perfect finishing touch to the exterior.
If this Chevy’s exterior presents nicely, its interior offers potential buyers more of the same. Upholstered in gray cloth, there is no evidence of wear, stains, or physical damage. The back seat looks like it may never have been used. The headliner is perfect, as are the painted surfaces. One of the few flaws I can spot is some wrinkling on the kick panels. However, I believe that these could be stretched and glued to eradicate that problem. Surprisingly, the wheel shows little evidence of wear for a vehicle of this age. It may have a single hairline crack in the rim, but it probably doesn’t warrant repair at this point. There is a hole in the dash where the radio should be, but this is sitting in the trunk. It isn’t clear why the seller removed it, but the buyer should probably test it before attempting a reinstallation. Otherwise, this interior appears to need nothing.
Chevrolet offered potential buyers a choice of two engines in the 1951 Styleline, but these depended on the transmission type. If buyers chose the new two-speed Powerglide, they automatically received the 235.5ci six-cylinder producing 105hp. The original owner of this classic selected a three-speed manual, meaning the engine bay houses a 216.5ci six pumping out 92hp. While it may have been a long way from being considered a high-performance model, this Styleline should still cover the ¼ mile in 21.5 seconds before running out of breath at 75mph. For potential buyers, lifting the hood provides more good news. The seller states that the drivetrain is original and in good health. He claims that it has a genuine 83,000 miles on the clock, and while he doesn’t mention supporting evidence, the overall condition makes that claim seem plausible. The seller recently installed a new fuel tank, carburetor, fuel pump, plugs, points, and a coil. After completing this work, he says that the Chevy runs and drives perfectly. That makes it a turnkey proposition begging for a new owner.
While the 1951 Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe may not have been the most glamorous vehicle to emerge from the 1950s, it is still a handsome car that the company built with a high standard of finish. This car appears to be in exceptional condition for its age, and its odometer reading is well below what you might expect from any vehicle from this era. Sometimes an enthusiast with a young family will be forced to shelve their ownership ambitions because locating a practical and stylish classic can seem impossible. If you find yourself in that situation, this beautiful Chevy could be the car that will address those problems. That makes it worth a closer look.
Everyone of these I”ve seen , someone painted black or red and put some kind of mag wheels on it . Nice to see an original one for a change .
I think geomechs has a car like this. My grandparents bought a new leftover ’51 Chevy in 1952. It was their 1st new car, and were very proud of it. It was a 4 door and I hardly remember it, but my grandparents were not the richest people, grandfather a factory worker, grandma worked at Boston Store, but they scrimped and saved, and FINALLY, got to buy a new Chevy, even if it was already a year old, it was good enough. Simple times.
My Mom’s first car was this in almost the same green. Nice to see one stock and in this shape.
When my wife was 16 in 1988 she learned to drive in a 51 sedan very similar to this. Her dad was a bit eccentric relative to family transportation. At that price, if it were closer, I would consider it for a fun weekend car. The low top,speed isn’t ideal for the highway, but to run around town it’s fine. If you ever get tired of it, you could probably get close to your money back. I think this is a decent buy. GLWTS.
Nice car, but before I just jumped in and drove off I’d get that shiny new fuel filter a new location to get it away from the exhaust manifold. Don’t see too many of these anymore, especially in this condition.
Generally, fuel filters of this type with a glass “sediment bowl” enclosing the filter element (which in some instances was not included) were installed with the glass bowl on the bottom so that water or other contaminants would settle out of the fuel. Years ago when fuel was more likely to have dirt or water in it, you often saw these with a layer of fine silt and/or water in the bottom of the bowl. Most of these were made so you could remove, clean, and replace the bowl easily without the use of tools. Many Diesel fuel filters on industrial and agricultural equipment still are based in this design principle. Unlike a plastic see-through in-line filter, these are not particularly problematic when located above the (intake) manifold as shown. The downside to this location is that it doesn’t protect the fuel pump from contaminants, although many fuel pumps from this era had a sediment bowl located on the inlet side of the fuel pump right from the factory for that purpose. It was a good system overall.
What a great car at I think a reasonable price. When I was in high school (early 60’s) the service manager at the local Chevrolet dealer go a light green 49 coupe like this in trade. It was absolutely pristine, he proceeded to put a new 409 and 4 speed in it and left the rest as it was. Everyone wanted that car. He did sell for what was a fortune at the time. I saw it a couple of times after that. My guess is it got wrecked, my hope is it is in a barn somewhere in Colorado.
Nice Sport Coupe; I wish mine looked half as good! Seats are not original (should be grey striped but not pleated), but they seem to be well done.
Absolutely right. The seats have been done, and they look NOTHING like the original grey pin-striped wool cloth that ALL 51 Deluxes used, and it IS available today via SMS.
I’m confused ! My second car was just like that , w/o sun-viser but it had chrome strips on top of the back fenders . Was that maybe an option ? I to think the price is fair . That would be a great car to show and shine on a low budget , and you surely would be able to sell anytime for a return on your investment .
The early 51s had the chrome strips on the top of the rear fenders but after the start of the Korean War they were eliminated to save chrome.
My 1st car was a 50 2 door
Hard top if I remember correctly the battery was under the floor.
Hmmmmm
The fuel filter looks correct
My parents first new car was a 1953 Chevrolet 150. It had a AM radio, heater and turn signals.
My father was a mechanic and I remember dozens of these early 50s Chevrolets and Pontiacs at our house. He would buy them cheap, fix them up and sell them. I was 5, 6, 7 years old and remember playing in them.
My Mom’s first car was this in almost the same green. Nice to see one stock and in this shape.
Dad was a mechanic, eh? Now all the pieces fit. My daughter has fond memories, and some not so fond, of helping me tinker with vehicles as a kid. Her “job”, she remembers, was always to “pump the brakes” among other things. It’s helped her understand the mechanics of things.
Know one wants a couple for some reason unless their going to cut it up and race it,plus that’s a little to much especially for a coupe,couple, had a few coupes hard to get rid of.
Nice looker,for sure, too bad it has the 216 engine with splash lubrication rather than the full pressure 235.
Note the cartridge-style oil filter. I believe that was an add-on. My ’55 Blue Flame Six did not have an oil filter as standard equipment.
My Job as a kid was to climb in the trunk and my dad would close the hood and run the garden hose to detect for leaks. He let me out when I was 19…🤪
I was a “brake pumper” too, Howard, as you say amoung other things.
And hate to disappoint you, but there are a lot more pieces to the puzzle. I’m very complicated.
Thanks for the come back on the chrome on the rear fenders . Was not aware of that info. .