1939 Chevrolet Master 85

As the 1930s came to a close, Chevrolet sales continued to rise, with nearly 490,500 units in 1938 and over 587,000 vehicles for 1939, the same year they sold their 15 millionth car. They opened a new manufacturing plant in Tonawanda, New York, in 1939, and the Master Deluxe was said to be the fastest-accelerating American passenger car of the year. This was surprising as both the Master Deluxe and the slightly lower priced Master 85 rested on a 112.25-inch wheelbase and were powered by the same overhead-valve, inline-6 cylinder engine delivering the same 85 horsepower at 3,200 RPM (the Master Deluxe had a 4.22:1 gear ratio compared to the 3.23:1 ratio of the Master 85).

Chevrolet had offered wooden depot hack bodies on their light commercial chassis as early as 1922, but the 1939 model year was the first time they offered a station wagon on a passenger-car chassis. The station wagon body style on the Master 85 listed at $850, and the Master Deluxe line at $883. A total of 430 examples were built on the Master 85 and 989 on the Master Dexlue. These were the most expensive body styles offered by Chevrolet in 1939.

Chevrolet began using the box-girder type frame with a 112.25-inch wheelbase size in 1937; the previous year, they had offered the Standard Series on a 109-inch wheelbase on the Master Deluxe with a 113-inch wheelbase. 1937 was also the year that the 206.8 cubic-inch engine was enlarged to 216.5 cubic inches, staying in the size through the outbreak of World War II. The engine had been re-engineered with a larger bore and shorter stroke, and four main bearings (the 1936 engine had three main bearings). The Unisteel Body by Fisher wore updated styling and was offered in various two- and four-door configurations. Known as 'Diamond Crown' styling, they had safety glass in all windows, straight side fenders, and a grille that swept in on both sides.

The 1939 Chevrolet
Chevrolet's models for 1939 included the Master 85 and the slightly higher-priced Master Deluxe. Both models were very similar, distinguished by more standard amenities and trim on the Master Deluxe, including bumper guards and twin taillights. Body styles common to both models included a four-door sedan, sport sedan, station wagon, two-door town sedan, and two-door coach. The Master 85 had a coupe while the Master Deluxe had a business coupe and sport coupe.

Chevrolet updated the styling of the 1939 vehicles with a more modern appearance, longer hoods and redesigned fenders, running boards and wheels. The grille had horizontal mouldings and now stretched back along the fender line at the top, narrowing to around four inches at the bottom. Below the circular headlights were horizontal bars on the divide between the fenders and the grille. The radiator now rested in a more upright position and the front bumper now had a more rounded face bar. The curvaceous fenders were now higher at the rear, tapering sharply to the running boards at the front.

In the back, on the decklid (except coaches and sedans), was the license plate lamp. The combination taillamps were smaller in size and incorporated stop lamps. The previous eight-spoke wheels were replaced by four-spoke steel wheels.

The interior was mostly unchanged; the hand brake lever was relocated to the cowl, and a vacuum gearshift mounted on the steering column could be purchased for an additional $10. A rearview mirror, white sidewall tires, single sidemount, license plate frame, bumper guards, radio heater, clock, cigar lighter, and seat covers were also part of the options list.

Body Styles and Production
The two-door coupe was the least expensive body style in the lineup with a base price of $630. The coach listed at $648, the town sedan at $669 and the sedan at $689. The sport sedan crested the $700 mark (at $710), and the eight-passenger station wagon was priced much higher at $848. The most popular body style in the Master 85 line was the town sedan with 124,059 examples built, followed by 41,770 of the coupe, 22,623 of the sport sedan, 1,404 of the coach, and 430 of the station wagon. Just 336 examples were sedans.

The station wagon bodies were built by Mid-States Body Corp.

Mechanical Specification
The Master 85 rested on a 112.25-inch wheelbase and was powered by an overhead valve inline six-cylinder engine displacing 216.5 cubic inches. It had four main bearings, solid valve lifters, a Carter one-barrel carburetor, and produced 85 horsepower at 3,200 RPM. It was paired with a three-speed manual transmission with a single plate clutch and floor shift controls. Stopping power was via four-wheel hydraulic brakes. Double-acting shock absorbers were introduced in October 1938.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2023