Concerts & Cars 2009 ~ Featured Vehicle for July 24, 2009
“Best of the Big Bands"
Vehicle: 1950 Chevrolet DeLuxe Convertible
Engine: 235 cubic inch 6 cylinder with Powerglide Automatic Transmission
Owner: Russ Patterson, Mercer, PA
Russ is not the original owner of this car, but he has had it for fifteen years. The Chevy has been partially restored with some of the work done by Russ. 
Every Detroit manufacturer, with rare exception, offered at least one convertible as the style leader of its line. However, automakers didn’t really expect to sell a lot of convertibles and they usually did not. Convertibles set the style objectives but didn’t do much for sales as only 32,810 units were sold by Chevrolet in 1950.
The introduction of the Bel Air two door hardtop marked a sea of change in how the Chevrolet Division defined sportiness. Until the advent of the hardtop convertible, the serious sporting types went for the convertibles.
In 1948 the Chevrolet Division of General Motors sold 20,471 Convertibles out of a total production run of 422,320 cars for the year. In 1949, Chevrolet built 32,392 Convertibles with a total production of over 1 million Chevy cars. In 1950 Chevrolet made another million cars and the 1950 Bel Air Hard Top out sold the 1950 Convertible 2 to 1, making this convertible even more rare and desirable today.
PHOTOS BELOW
