1931 Chevrolet Five-Window Rumble Seat Coupe

1931 Chevrolet Five-Window Rumble Seat Coupe

By the early 1920s Chevrolet had abandoned its attempt to compete head-on with Ford's Model T - Ford was able to drop its prices annually whereas Chevrolets steadily rose - and re-positioned itself as a middle-market manufacturer whose products possessed a degree of refinement lacking in the Model T. The highly popular six-cylinder Chevrolets of the 1930's helped consolidate the company's position as Ford's chief rival, but until then its mainstay had been four-cylinder cars.

Chevrolet introduced its new range powered by the famous 194ci (3.2-liter) Stovebolt overhead-valve six in 1929, the cast iron wonder being enthusiastically marketed as "a Six for the price of a Four". Styled by Harley Earl at General Motors Art & Color department, the new line was known as the International in its first year, subsequently becoming the Universal and then the Independence in 1931.

Features of this year's model were a higher, larger radiator; afore this was a bowed tie bar carrying the headlights; while aft its hood had now gained vertical louvers on the raised side panels. Looking to the future, wire wheels were now standard.

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