Vehicle Description
Celebrating it's 90th birthday, this car is ready to go out and
have a good time! It just needs adriver. Might that be you? It's a
Sport Cabriolet so it's ready to put some wind in your hair and a
smile on your face as you head out on the town in 1928 high style.
Check it out.
This car is one of the first projects to come out of GM's Art and
Color studio. They had just created the LeSalle and incorporated
some of the lessons learned there into the AB. The hood was longer
and straighter than the '27 model, and it had a lower profile. This
one is a beautiful two-tone with the body dressed up in Red with
Black fenders and trim complimenting it nicely. The Cabriolet was
actually introduced mid-year, and the folding roof was one of the
things that put Chevy back ahead of Ford in sales compared to the
Model A for '28. Yes, they were serious rivals even back then. The
difference in appearance is largely in the front with a narrower
grill and a different treatment to the front bumper with black and
silver presenting a nice look. The black molding running down the
side of the car also helps the car look sportier and those Red disc
wheels look like they came off of a Bonneville speed record
car.
Open the door and you will find a nicely restored interior that was
considered well appointed for its time, which happens to be the
same year that bread sliced and wrapped by machine first became
available. The door panels are simple squares of black with a
window crank and door handle, although the brass screws attaching
it are a nice touch. A nice bench provides a comfortable and roomy
perch in the tall and spacious cab. A wooden steering wheel is
mounted on a 4-spoke hub with a lever to adjust the engine timing
for starting or power in the center, and the shifter for the manual
transmission rises tall from the floor. The dash is red with a
black oval panel in the center that contains the control lever for
the lights, a unique barrel type speedometer, and two sweep gauges
for voltage and oil pressure. There is a ventilating windshield
that you can tilt open if you wish, or you could put the
convertible top down for some open-air motoring.
That streamlined hood is piano hinged, so go ahead, open both sides
for a good look. There you will find a 171 cubic inch, 4-cylinder
engine which, true to the great tradition of constant improvements
in search of more horsepower, the factory installed aluminum
pistons in to bump the compression up, larger valves for better
flow and a revised carburetor to produce 35 horsepower at 2200 rpm.
The ignition system has new plugs and wires, the fuel lines are
new, and a 6-volt electrical system is kept charged up with an
original style generator. That big upright radiator keeps
everything running cool while power flows back through a 3-speed
manual transmission to a solid rear axle on leaf springs. The front
end is a drop axle on leaf springs and 4-wheel brakes were a
welcome advance incorporated into this car. The tires are 4.50 x
4.75-21s on those beautiful red dish wheels with black hubs.
Top up or top down, this car will put a smile on your face, as well
as on the faces of those who see you driving down the road. Come on
down and check it out.