Australian 1954 Chev Sedans

From the website of the Veteran & Vintage Chevrolet Association of Australia (Qld)

http://www.vvcaaqldinc.org.au/1.php

AUSTRALIAN 1954 CHEVROLET SEDANS

by Bryan Cantrell

Leading up to the Centenary of Chevrolet, it is worthy to reflect on significant milestones in the history of Chevrolet passenger vehicles since 1911.These include the 1913/4 “Royal Mail” in which the motor which universally becameknown as a “Chev 4” was first used; 4-wheel brakes in 1928; the “Chev 6” engine in 1929; knee-action suspension in 1934; hydraulic brakes in 1936 and so on.

The 1954 models are also noteworthy as they marked the end of an era for Chevrolet in mechanical design: the last of a long line of models with an OHV engine, a single universal joint, an enclosed drive shaft in a cast iron torque tube connecting the gearbox to the differential, and king pins in the front suspension.It was also the last of the post WWII “new“ Chevrolets introduced in 1949.

The “modern” Chevrolet , born in 1955, changed this forever with the introduction of an exposed drive shaft, two universal joints, ball joint front suspension and the first V-8 engine since 1918.It was the forerunner of the Chevrolet cars we know today.

So, back to 1954.Only a single model was available in Australia. This was the 210 series 4-door sedan, equipped with American “Fisher” bodies and exported through Canada, but partly fitted out (seats, trim, tyres and battery) by General Motors Holden (GMH) in Australia.The cost of a 1954 Chevrolet was £1578, while a contemporary Holden sold for £1074. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) recorded 2295 Chevrolets registered in Australia during 1954.

The GMH code for 1954 Chevrolet 210 sedans sold in Australia was 54-104B.They featured carpet flooring; single tone leather seats with alternating wide and 4 narrow pleats; and two-tone door trims with arm rests on all doors.No external rear view mirrors were provided.
Most bodies were painted in Duco lacquer manufactured by BALM (British Australian Lead Manufacturers Pty Ltd. As far as I can ascertain, no two-tone option was available. Interiors were painted in complementary colours, normally darker than the body colour, except for the lower half of the dashboard which was a pale cream/off white colour. The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is stamped on a plate attached to the front passenger door pillar.

Compiled by Bryan Cantrell, March 2011.

The end