Chevy’s cars were all-new for 1940 and would have a brief run before automobile production in the U.S. was put on hold due to the war effort. The Special Deluxe was the top-of-the-line car with more creature comforts and better trim than its Chevrolet contemporaries. This 1940 Special Deluxe is said to have been a one-owner barn find that is completely original. It runs and looks good, can be found in Freehold, New Jersey, and is available here on Barn Finds Classifieds for $15,000.

The Chevies received a longer wheelbase and new sheet metal for 1940, with an “alligator” type of front opening hood. The side panels were removable for easier access to the motor. The headlights were on top of the fenders along with the parking lights. The Special Deluxe was positioned ahead of the Master Deluxe so if money was no object, this is the one you bought. They came with amenities like a 30-hour clock, front door armrests, dual windshield wipers, twin air horns, and a deluxe steering wheel with a horn ring.

We’re told this ’40 Special Deluxe is a documented car that should be able to provide a history lesson to the buyer. The odometer reading is 53,000 miles, which may help explain why the 217 cubic-inch inline-6 – which was good for 85 hp – runs so well. Chevrolet built 764,000 cars that year, including 431,000 of the new Special Deluxe, so it was quite popular for the money.

From the photos provided, it looks as though some spare parts come with this automobile. So, if anything does need replacing, hopefully, there’s an extra there that will do the trick. The 1940 Chevies were known for a few firsts. For example, 1940 was the first use of plastic parts in one of these cars. And the first use of stainless-steel trim pieces. Also, the charging system for the battery worked faster than before. The cars would continue being built into 1942 until production was shifted to producing military vehicles and the like. They would return mostly unchanged in 1946.