1952 Chevrolet Styleline DeLuxe Sedan

1952 Chevrolet Other Description

If you’re reading this and you’re a skeptic, I’m going to ask you for a few favors before you rush off to write me an E-mail demanding proof of what I’m about to tell you. First, look at the pictures carefully. Second, read this description carefully. And third, if you’re even remotely interested in this Chevy, then please come see it with your own eyes and touch it with your own hands. You can demand some kind of proof all you want, but the proof, as they say, is in the pudding and this beautiful little 1952 Chevrolet Deluxe sedan is one heck of a bowl of pudding.

Why this preamble? Because as far as I can tell, and as far as all the three previous owners have determined, this 1952 Chevrolet Styleline DeLuxe has just 1506 miles on it. Yes, you read that right: one thousand, five-hundred and six original miles.

See? Right this very second you’re saying that’s nonsense, aren’t you? “No way!” you’re thinking. Not possible. Again, give me the benefit of the doubt here because I was also a skeptic—it’s my job. But this is flat-out the nicest 1952 Chevrolet sedan I’ve ever seen. If it’s got 101,506 miles on it, then why do the doors close and latch with your fingertips? Where are the squeaks and rattles? Why are the carpet, the upholstery, the rubber pedals, the knobs, the handles, the window crank mechanisms, and all the other little parts of a car that get a little sloppy as miles accumulate, why are they all tight, smooth, and like new? There’s no slop in the steering, the suspension feels taut, and the car doesn’t shake or shimmy at all. No, this is either a very low mileage car or a $100,000 restoration, and I’m guessing nobody throws that kind of money on a 1952 Chevrolet sedan and doesn’t restore the engine bay or chassis.

Now, some guys will also demand paperwork, something to prove that it’s got so few miles. What, exactly, might that be on a car with just 1500 miles? It wasn’t serviced (obviously it has been serviced recently, but in-period when it would have been accumulating miles, it never needed to go to the shop for a brake job or a tune-up). There are no receipts showing various maintenance items were performed because they weren’t performed, at least not in-period because the car wasn’t driven. The car has been recently serviced and quite extensively, because it runs superbly and I suspect that the carburetor, fuel pump, gas tank, ignition system, and other things like that have been taken care of properly. Turn the key and it starts. There is no grumpy period while the choke sorts itself out. Turn the key, it starts in 3 seconds, it idles smoothly, and it’s ready to drive within 7 seconds. That’s probably how it was when it was new, but restoring and tuning a car to make it behave like that takes a lot of time and money. Did they spend the money or is it still the way the factory set it?

The clues are all there, and you can still believe I’m lying to you, I won’t blame you. But that’s why, if you’re seriously interested in this car, you should come see it and prove it to yourself. It’s just lovely to look at, and yes, it has been repainted fairly recently in its original code 477 Twilight Blue. I don’t know why it needed a repaint but there it is. Maybe it was stored somewhere that damaged the paint. Maybe age and time simply made it look shabby compared to the rest of the trim. I don’t know, and while I’m a fan of 100% original survivors, I can’t complain about how this one looks. The color is exactly right, the shine is soft so it looks right on 1950s bodywork, and they don’t appear to have done any major disassembly, so the doors, hood, fenders, and trunk lid are all just where the factory put them. Again, I don’t believe this is a restored car simply because the quality is evident but only in limited quantities, if you know what I mean. It would take a ton of money to make a restored car look and feel like this, but if you were spending a ton of time and money, you’d make it perfect, right?

Likewise, all the chrome and stainless trim is in original condition. There are a few minor blemishes and signs of age, mostly on the bumpers, but you’re really going to have to look hard. The stainless trim is in excellent condition as well, including the big stainless gravel guards on the rear fenders. The emblems are bright and crisp with only the most miniscule pits on the Chevrolet emblem on the nose—again, if you’re restoring, why isn’t it perfect? The glass appears to be original throughout and there’s not even any delamination except for the vent windows which show a some slight yellowing around the edges, which is probably from the glue. I mean, I spent a lot of time going over this car looking for evidence one way or the other, and I’m not coming up with much that says this is a restored car.

The interior is unquestionably original, as the fabrics and patterns are exact and they clearly have some age on them. The two-tone gray and blue upholstery looks stylish but plain, just the way Chevrolet buyers liked it. Matching two-tone door panels are handsome and in excellent condition with the aforementioned handles and cranks in excellent shape (the windows all wind up and down effortlessly, by the way). The big black steering wheel, the horn ring, and the Chevrolet emblem in the center are in excellent condition and the paint on the dashboard is original with no cracks or fading. All the gauges work properly, the shifter for the 2-speed PowerGlide automatic transmission snaps through detents that are so sharply defined that it’s impossible to place it wrong, and there’s even a visor card describing how the PowerGlide operates (these are available as reproductions, which I believe this to be). The chrome and stainless on the dash is in excellent condition, the plastic knobs are uncracked with crisp markings, and the clock reliably ticks away up in its own pod on top of the dash. The heater also works, but there is no radio as this was a bare-bones car back in the day. Gray carpets are a fine choice and they, like the seats, are correct and likely original simply because they look to have some age on them, but very little wear. The headliner is discolored the way old headliners get—a little blotchy—but no split seams or sagging, so it, too, is undoubtedly original. The trunk is carpeted and fitted with a complete jack assembly and what appears to be the original spare tire that’s never been out of the car. Your call, but I don’t think they’re making tires like that anymore…

The engine is Chevy’s familiar 235 cubic inch inline-6, also known as the “Blue Flame Six.” In this car, it’s unbelievably smooth, running with a turbine-like hum that you can hear but you probably won’t feel once it’s warmed up. It’s possible that the engine has been detailed, since the firewall is a little scruffy, but then again, there are areas on the block that are scruffy, too. It has clearly been serviced, as the belts, hoses, and plug wires are new, but things like the manifolds, starter, generator, and carburetor look to be untouched from 1952. The radiator was obviously out of the car, cleaned, checked, and repainted, but if you look closely, all the little fasteners, bolt heads, and screws around the engine are original style and still covered in original paint. It has not been disassembled. As I said, it runs superbly, starting with only a few cranks and idling like you’d expect from a new 1952 Chevy.

The 2-speed PowerGlide automatic transmission was a relatively new addition to the Chevy lineup and it must have been quite a revolution for Chevy’s typical customers used to shifting for themselves. In this car, it works as it should, with one crisp gearchange from 1st to 2nd at about 20 MPH, right about the time you start to think it won’t shift at all. Don’t worry, it always does. Once it’s in high, it’ll run right up to about 60 MPH where it’s happy to cruise all day. There’s a newer exhaust system under it, but it has the right 6-cylinder grumble that hushes to nothing at cruising speeds. The underside of the car is not restored, and this is another clue: who would spend tens of thousands of dollars restoring this car to this level and leave the underside original? There’s some surface scale on the floors, but nothing major, and certainly no perforation or deterioration of any kind. We could have sprayed it satin black and passed it off as original, but we thought a new buyer would prefer to see it in the altogether. Is it pretty? No. Is it anything but original? No. Our guess is that this car was stored where the floor got moist, which would explain the surface scale, but there’s no sign that it’s ever been in inclement weather. The steering is tight, the brakes are effective, and all the steel lines are original and still in excellent condition. Obviously the brakes have been serviced as there are signs of recent work, and the suspension is lubricated, but those are factory-issued spiral shocks out back and they’re not worn out. Original steel wheels painted to match the bodywork are a nice choice and wear fresh 6.70-15 Firestone wide whites just to dress the little car up a bit.

So you’ve read this far. Good. Can I guarantee the mileage? No. Do I have papers to prove it? No. But I’m not new to this and it’s my job to represent cars fairly and accurately, and I’ll be damned if I can find any evidence of high mileage on this car. It’s been fluffed, sure, but if you want the most authentic driving experience I’ve ever felt, this 1952 Chevy delivers in a very big way. If you’re interested in the car, please come see it in person and make up your own mind. But don’t send me any messages saying it just isn’t possible because everything I’ve learned over 40 years of playing with cars says it is, because it’s sitting in our showroom right now.