In the years following World War II, U.S. automakers largely used rehashed versions of the cars they sold before the war. Chevrolet was no exception, as the platform used in 1948 was the same one used in 1941. The Fleetline, as a sub-series of the Fleetmaster, was the entry-level model starting with the 2-door coupe referred to as the Aerosedan. This 1948 Chevy is one of those cars and it’s been off the road for some 25 years in Salinas, California. It’s available here on Facebook Marketplace for $17,500 firm, no negotiations. Thanks to Ikey Heyman for another great tip!
The pre-war design of the Chevies would continue through 1948, after that, a new design would finally be launched the following year. The Aerosedan was an apt moniker because of the car’s fastback styling which included a distinct sloping roof that extended through to the trunk lid. The Fleetline was powered by a 217 cubic inch inline-six that produced 90 horsepower and was aspirated through a 1-barrel carburetor. A manual transmission was still the only way to go because it wouldn’t be until 1950 that the 2-speed Powerglide automatic came into being.
This ’48 Aerosedan, with its 5-passenger seating capacity, was one of almost 212,000 Chevrolets built that year out of 800,000 units in total. That would make it the most popular Chevy the Bow-Tie Brigade would see fly out of dealer showrooms. The mileage of this one is unknown and it’s blue/grey in color with no major issues with the body. In fact, it looks pretty solid, including the chrome and glass. The seller tells us it’s complete with no rust, having been parked indoors since roughly 1995 with several other cars of a similar vintage.
We’re told the car started and ran perfectly when it was parked, but since that was ages ago who knows what it may take to get it going again. There are layers and layers of dust everywhere and what we see of the interior looks as though it may need more attention than the body and paint (soap, water, and wax would go a long way to brighten this baby up again).
The seller says he’s in no hurry to sell this car, so the asking price is the final price. However, Hagerty’s resale estimates paint a less optimistic picture at $8,900 for Fair, $17,200 for Good, and $29,800 for Excellent. He might have more luck getting what he wants by getting rid of the dust and taking some photos out in the sunshine.
Great car. When I was a little boy in Brooklyn on East 3rd St, our neighbor (and surrogate uncle for my entire childhood until he passed) Ray Rigassio was an old time auto mechanic. He taught me to understand the internal combustion engine. He bought one of these used for about $100 and drove it for at least a decade or so. His daughters, Laura and Joanne, were a few years older than me and he needed to teach them to drive….in the city. So he installed a lever that went down to the brake pedal alongside the steering column with a horizontal handle below the shift lever. While teaching them, he’d keep his hand on the bicycle grip end of the handle in case a quick stop was needed. I can still smell his cigar smoke in that car. What a guy. An Italian married to my surrogate aunt Ruthie, a Jew. Both of their families disowned them. Ruthie was Selma Diamond in the flesh. Such great people.
OMG I knew them! My Mom was a nurse at Methodist Hospital and I think she worked with one of the daughters. Ray had worked at the Stutz factory as a young man and entertained my wide-eyed car-crazed childhood self with his knowledge and the basement full of tools and a pool table. Ruth gave me his copy of “Those Wonderful old Automobiles” by Floyd Clymer when he passed in the early 1980s, and I still have that book. What a lovely family!
Gosh, what a small world. Yes, Laura was a nurse. She and Jo are retired in Florida now. Jo stayed close with my Mom all her life until Ma passed in 2014. Ruthie never forgot my birthday and would always include a $1 bill in her card. I mean I was in my 40s and still got a card with a dollar in it :-)….seriously. After Ray passed I’d call her and talk every month or so. She always made me feel good about myself. A life-long 2-pack-a-day person, she moved to Florida to be with her grand-daughters and a week later was gone.
When I was delivering newspapers on my 10-speed in the mid 70’s there was one on my route.
It belonged to Miss Smith, my dad’s second grade teacher. It was her second car, having traded in a model A for the Fleetline.
I lusted for that car every time I passed it.
I went to college, she passed away and the car disappeared.
Years later I saw one at a cruise night and told the owner that same story.
He said “Miss Smith…yeah, this is her car…”
Still love ’em.
Thanks for those stories guys, that’s neat!! I really like the styling on this one, I wouldn’t change a thing externally. New black interior and maybe some better brakes and drive it.
and gone already
The almost whale-like appearance of these bombs make them look like factory-built custom cars. Apart from needing a serious suspension drop its designers hit bullseye with this creature
I think that the professional Chevrolet engineers knew how to design the suspension properly.
Yeah, for 1940s road conditions when a 4×4 like ride height was almost mandatory to get from point A to B. For modern road use you gotta admit a lowered stance enhances not only the beautiful curves of 40s bombs but also road handling
https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/1948-CHEVROLET-FLEETLINE-CUSTOM-SEDAN-189233
This was the earliest car I remember my father had. It was a two tone blue, dark on the bottom, light on top. I remember many weekend trips in the backseat fighting with my brothers as to who had to sit in the middle. Mom usually settled that quickly!
Owned 48 Chevy Fleetline years ago. The motor started and ran well but was tired and burnt oil like mad but to this day I never driven a car with a manual transmission that has such a short throw and smooth shifting of gears.
Cannot recall what they were called but fluid drive comes to mind or possibly vacuum shift but I could be wrong on both counts.
You got it man: vacuum shift. As long as you kept them properly adjusted & lubed all was well. If not, then trouble was around the corner for sure! Ha Ha!
Why don’t people wash their cars before putting them up for sale, dirt does not help the sale at all. This car is not worth $17,500.00 as is.
that was vacuum shift. not sure how it worked, but had it on a 48 Chevy 2 door sedan.
Never checked how it worked either because it always worked so well.
I had a low mileage version of this car, but as a Pontiac flathead 6, equipped with a 4-speed Hydramatic. Totally gutless! Was also painted baby s**t brown from the factory.
Thanks for being a downer….everyone really appreciates your negativity sir…….
Robert,
I tend to call things as I see them, and that Pontiac, with the little flathead 6 and the early Hydramatic that tended to roar for several seconds [it felt like minutes] before the car would move forward [and the Hydramatic was in excellent condition]. And as for the color description, I have to credit an old girlfriend for that description, and I have to agree. Her description is one that any parent will know what that color looks like!
My Dad’s very first car was a very good working 1948 Chev 4 door. We all have wonderful memories of that grey sedan with its vacuum wipers that stopped working whenever you were stopped on a steep hill and then drove away! LOL
My first car was 1948 Chevy business coupe. It had no back seat. I learned to drive with this car. I was not old enough to get my driver permit. I only drove it on the farm. It had a cracked engine block,not road worthy. Still a lot of fun to kick around in and dad only paid $50.00 for it. Sure would like to have it now. I was just 13 years old and that was 60years ago.
My dad had one, we kids killed the battery listening to the radio. Last time that happened! he took the fuse out… We all hated that car, but it lasted 10 years. He put the same engine in a 50 body and kept it another 10 years. Damn that thing was a runner!
Not sure what the re-design for ’49 was, but that was my dad’s first car. He put a Cadillac V-8 in it ( approx. 1956). Machined the manifold and made his own adapter to mount a 4-71 blower. Lowered the car, he said the duel exhaust came out just below the bumper and you could just get a pack of Lucky Strikes under the tips…. Idling in 1st gear was 25mph
I had a 1949 Chevy Deluxe 2 door fastback in high school and college. Traded it in for a 1966 Mustang GT. I wish I had them both back.