1953 Chevrolet
The Chevrolet 150 was manufactured by Chevrolet between 1953 and 1957 and it was the economy/fleet model of this automaker. The name of the car represents the shorter version of the production series number (1500). This 1953 Chevrolet was released to replace the Styleline Special model which had been available on the market in the previous years.
The Chevrolet 150 was designed as a fleet model, but the company didn’t advertise it much. Still, the car became popular with the police, small businesses, state governments, economy-minded consumers and hot rodders. This 1953 Chevrolet had limited options including solid colors, plain heavy duty upholstery, stark trim and rubberized flooring. For some extra money the buyer could choose the ashtrays, the mirrors and the cigarette lighters. In the last years of manufacturing, the Chevrolet 150 became more stylish and the interior was improved.
1953 Chevrolet
The 1953 Chevrolet was available in different styles such as wagon, sedan and the club coupe style. But the specific body style used for the Chevrolet 150 was the fleet oriented style available as a sedan delivery with two doors and the business sedan.
The exterior design was similar to the one of the 1949-1952 Chevrolets, but there were some significant differences such as the squared-off, rounded-edge bodies. In addition, instead of the twin-pane setup, for the 1953 model the designers went for a one-piece curved windshield. The trunk offered generous space and the interior was roomy enough for six adult people. The driver also benefited from a key-ignited engine that made the short-lived pushbutton obsolete.
Under the hood, the Chevrolet 150 was equipped, between 1953 and 1954, with one of these three engines: a 216 cubic inch engine “Thrift-master” I6 rated at 93 horsepower available only on the 1953 sedan delivery, a 235 cubic inch “Thrift-King” I6 producing 108 horsepower and used on the 1953 standard and a 235 cubic inch “Blue Flame” I6 rated at 115 horsepower. All the 1953 Chevrolets used a three speed Synchromesh manual transmission while in 1954 the Powerglide automatic transmission replaced it. The engine had hydraulic valve lifters and a single barrel Rochester carburetor. In addition to this, the engine had also four main bearings on the crankshaft and a coil ignition system with a six volt battery.
This 1953 Chevrolet was manufactured using the Fisher body with steel box-girder frames while the front suspension was a mixture between the short and long arm wishbone type. The rear axles were semi-floating including torque tube drives and an enclosed universal joint. The shifter was placed on the steering column and it was known as “three-on-the-tree”. When it comes to the brake system, the Chevrolet 150 was equipped with servo-type hydraulic drum brakes which used asbestos liners.
In 1955, the Chevrolet 150 was improved, getting a new chassis and a new engine, the legendary “Small Block V8”. The engine produced between 123 and 180 horsepower depending on the capacity of the engine (235 cubic inch or 265 cubic inch). The Chevrolet 150 was equipped with manual or automatic transmission taking into consideration the choice of the customer.
As any other Chevrolet car, the Chevrolet 150 was an amazing car offering to its owner the perfect opportunity to drive and enjoy driving an incredible car. The Chevrolet 150 could be bought at that time for a price ranging between $1,524 and $2,010 depending on the body type and the number of seats available inside the car. Nowadays, the hot rod enthusiasts are very interested in finding the Chevrolet 150 model because of its lower curb weight. It’s a rare classic car indeed.
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