1935 Chevrolet Master

FTLComm - Tisdale - September 17, 2000

Vintage cars are always interesting and we almost come to expect them to fit into a specific pattern. This remarkable 1935 Cehvrolet Master is simply better. The car appears here as it would have looked brand new in the fall of 1934, perhaps even better. The interior is so well done that it is unlikely if General Motors of pre-war North America could have produced such a fine product.

The 1935 Chevrolet is something of an oddball, it is not exactly certain what prompted automakers in the middle of the depression to produce suicide doors but it was the think to do on both sides of the Atlantic. The coachwork on this car is not a great deal different then many European cars of the same era so it is interesting to note that European design on North American cars is a standard feature rather than an exception. The folks at General Motors had decided to save the body on their cars and reduce the rattles meant doing something about the suspension and this car came equipped with the infamous and totally unsuccessful "knee action" shock absorbers. Though the idea of a shock absorber was a good one the ones on this car were almost certain to be out of order immediately after passing over any Saskatchewan road of that time the things would collapse and the front end of the car would settle onto its suspension, sometimes rubbing along.

But is is unfair to judge a vehicle by its shock absorbers and this was a pleasant and solid little car. Ford definitely felt the pressure because in the following year Henry pulled out all the stops and produced a V-8 equipped car, with a slightly lower profile, more power and it also had suicide, front opening doors.