Chev Flashback - Chevs Seen On The Streets of Brisbane (part 2)

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

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

CHEVROLET FLASHBACK - CHEVS SEEN ON THE STREETS OF BRISBANE (part 2)

by Bryan Cantrell

This article continues the series of flashbacks of Chevrolets seen on the streets of Brisbane in the 1970’s. This time I feature Chevrolets spanning 3 decades - the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s, starting with a very original 1940 Chevrolet "Pullman" sedan.

It was photographed in 1970 at the top end of Grey Street, near the South Brisbane Town Hall, the clock tower of which can just be seen in the background. It has good straight bodywork, and is complete down to the crank hole cover. Otherwise it is stock standard without an accessory of any kind. The registration plate is not original; it is 1964 vintage. Note the advertising on the corner store across the road: SU-TALL soap, Coca-Cola, STREETS icecream and VINCENTS APC. This area is now occupied by the Griffith University, South Bank campus.

The second Chevrolet is an unusual model for Australia, being a 1951 Chevrolet “Styleline Deluxe” sedan photographed at the University of Queensland in 1972.

This model is well-endowed with stainless steel trim: around the body at the base of the windows, around the front windscreen and around the tops of the doors . But there’s more - stainless steel trim, that is – the “spear” along the side of the body and the stone guard on the front of the rear mudguard. But there’s more – this time the skirt filling in the wheel arch of the rear mudguard that was standard specification in the USA. Who knows how this car reached Australia, but perhaps it was imported by someone returning from sabbatical leave overseas as it has an “A” parking permit on the driver’s side windscreen that signifies the car belongs to a senior staff member. All in all, a very distinctive vehicle that has a much smarter look than the 1951 Chevrolets sold through GMH dealers, which lacked such extensive ornamentation.

The third Chevrolet is also a good original car still in regular use - a 1954 “210” sedan photographed in Bardon in 1972, with a nice example of a typical “Queenslander” house in the background.

Another stock standard car lacking any accessories

Finally, a 1967 Chevrolet Impala sedan seen in a used car yard on Kingsford Smith Drive opposite the Queensland Butter Board premises in 1974.

I was alerted to this Chevrolet by Roger Dunstan and, after looking at it, I tried valiantly to persuade my father to buy it instead of the new Holden he was considering. Unfortunately I failed. Just 7 years old, this Chevrolet was in immaculate condition and would have been a very sound purchase, but Dad was put off by the V8 motor and the higher cost of registration and insurance.