Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 1935 Chevrolet Master Deluxe.
Gone is the car’s original 206ci inline-six that produced just 80 horsepower when new. And now, in its place, lives a much more potent fuel-injected Vortec 6.0-liter LS V8 mated to a 6L80E six-speed automatic transmission. In the listing is a video of a start-up that brings the 6.0-liter V8 to life. There is a nice rumble coming from the side-exit exhaust pipes at idle – I can only imagine how beastly it must sound at wide-open throttle.
This custom ride is being offered for sale by a private seller in Qualicum Beach, British Columbia, and the auction ends next Wednesday.
One of the defining characteristics of this hot rod its distinctive matte finish, which the seller calls “Root Beer.” The exterior has been updated with suicide doors, inset turn signals in the headlights, custom taillights, and removed bumpers. The smooth wheels and white-letter tires complete the look, which conveys a sort of “rat rod” aesthetic with an understated theme.
As unique as the car looks, most of its selling points lie beneath the surface. Among them are features like power steering, a tilt steering column, bucket seats, a Mustang II independent front suspension, power front disc brakes, and a dual exhaust system. Some of the engineering work was completed by Goodfellas Speed Shop in Parksville, British Columbia. The listing says that build documentation will accompany the car.
By way of model history, Chevrolet originally marketed the Master Deluxe with the tagline “Its outer beauty reflects its inner quality.” Advertisements went on to say, “The smart, clean-cut beauty of the Master Deluxe Chevrolet for 1935 is a true reflection of its inner quality. For Chevrolet has given much care to the manufacture of hidden parts as to the fashioning of the bodies of this aristocrat of low-priced cars.”
An aristocrat is a member of the aristocracy, which, according to Oxford Languages means an individual of the highest class, of noble heritage, also considered privileged or superior. So, for Chevrolet to call this car the highest class of low-priced cars was sort of an oxymoron, but the public seemed to buy it – literally: between model years 1935 and 1936, Chevrolet sold 846,300 Master Deluxe models, many of which retailed around $560 to $675.
Luckily for us, there are a few of those 846,300 units still on the road for us to admire, but I’m fairly certain none of them are customized quite like this hot rod. Perhaps you’d like to make it yours?
The auction for this 1935 Chevrolet Master Deluxe ends Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at 12:30 p.m. (PDT)
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and photo gallery
