The 1940 Chevrolet Special Deluxe represents a pivotal era in automotive design, blending the classic pre-war aesthetics w/ the emerging trends of the 1940s. This model year is particularly notable for its beautiful streamlined styling, which set the stage for the dynamic designs of the post-war period. The 1940 Chevrolet Special Deluxe Sport Coupe was the top-of-the-line pre-war American car featuring streamlined ‘Royal Clipper’ Art Deco styling. Chevrolet built 46,628 units of the Special Deluxe Sport Coupe out of 431,199 total Special Deluxe models produced in 1940. In the current collector car market, there seems to be a plethora of 1940 Fords out there, w/ the 1940 Chevrolet being a much, much rarer specimen.
‘Red Hills Rods & Classics’ is very happy to offer you this gorgeous 1940 Chevrolet Special Deluxe 2-Door Sport Coupe! This beautiful example underwent an older restoration, w/ the idea of building a slightly street-rodded car that can be driven and enjoyed to the fullest. The original steel body body was lathered in bright red paint and polished to a brilliant shine throughout. The chrome bumpers, chrome grille, as well as the assorted chrome and stainless trim is all in great condition. All of the glass has a nice smoky tint. She has just the right stance, and rolls on polished 15” American Racing wheels wrapped w/ Performer GT Radial tires (P235/70/SR15 on the rear & P195/60/R15 up front). Air shocks were installed in the rear for rear-height adjustment. You can walk around this Coupe a dozen times and it looks excellent from every angle. The undercarriage is nice & tidy from front to back, and features Mustang II suspension, front disc brakes, billet oil pan, chrome differential cover, and a custom 3” dual exhaust system w/ Magnaflow mufflers (see photos).
Open the driver’s door and you will find an old-school gray tweed bench-seat interior. Interior features include: gray tweed seat covers, matching gray tweed door panels, painted (body-colored) dashboard w/ full set of VDO gauges, tilt-steering column, Lecarra 4-spoke wrapped billet steering wheel, billet door handles, billet window cranks, Sony XR-2100 vintage AM/FM stereo receiver w/ cassette, (2) Pioneer speakers in the kick panels, (1) Optimus 3-way bass reflex speaker on the back deck, (2) sets of gray seat belts, and dark gray carpeting throughout. The interior is very comfortable and fully functional in every way. The trunk area is completely finished in matching gray tweed and dark gray carpeting.
When you pop-open the hood of this super-cool 1940 Chevy Coupe, you’ll find a 350ci SBC motor lathered in black paint, featuring finned aluminum valve covers, Edelbrock Performer RPM aluminum intake manifold, Holley 650cfm carburetor topped w/ a matching finned air cleaner assembly, HEI ignition, power rack & pinion steering, high-torque starter, electric 16” cooling fan, and more. The motor is linked to a TH350 automatic transmission, which feeds power to a 10-bolt rear end w/ 3.31 gears. She fires up instantly w/ a flick of the wrist, even when cold, and she runs, drives & performs beautifully in every way. She also sounds excellent, thanks to the dual exhaust system w/ Magnaflow mufflers. This Coupe is a blast to drive and gets a ton of attention anywhere she goes. The power steering & front disc brakes make driving around town effortless, and when you get her out on the freeway she tracks straight & true.
If you have been searching for an entry-level Street Rod that you can drive & enjoy to the fullest, but also one that won’t break the bank, you will want to take a very close look at this beautiful 1940 Chevrolet Special Deluxe Sport Coupe!
