1947 Chevrolet Fleetmaster Club Coupe Custom Hot Rod

Today’s car is a 1947 Chevrolet Fleetmaster Club Coupe owned by Bob Wilcox, which I photographed at the Net Cruze’s Cars & Coffee held at the Ladera Senior Citizen Center in Los Angeles, CA.

The 1946–1948 Chevrolets have a look that just pulls people in. Even though they carried over prewar styling, these cars came to represent America’s postwar spirit. Collectors love them for their classic lines and solid build quality, while hot rodders and custom builders saw those wide fenders and flowing bodies as the perfect blank canvas for frenched lights, shaved trim, and just the right stance. In the lowrider world, they became rolling art, dipped in chrome, painted in rich candy colors, and cruised low and slow as proud cultural statements. Today, these Chevys connect all three worlds restoration, hot rodding, and lowriding each celebrating that same timeless shape in its own way.

The 1941–1948 Chevrolet models were designed under the direction of Harley Earl, General Motors’ first head of styling and the visionary behind GM’s Art and Color Section. Earl’s team, led by Chevrolet studio chief Frank Hershey, gave these cars their lower, wider stance and the new horizontal grille design that replaced the upright prewar look. Assistant designer Carl Renner helped refine the flowing fender lines and balanced proportions that carried through the postwar years. The result was a modern, streamlined design that became one of Chevrolet’s most recognizable and best-selling shapes of the 1940s.

These 1941–1948 Chevrolets carried the final expression of the prewar Art Deco era, with rounded fenders, wide horizontal grilles, and unmistakable streamlined simplicity. Civilian production halted early in 1942 for the war effort and didn’t resume until 1946, when Chevrolet picked up right where it left off. Collectors often refer to these as “Prewar Body Chevys” or “Art Deco Chevys,” while the 1946–1948 versions are sometimes called “Postwar Carryovers,” since they revived the 1942 design to meet massive pent-up demand. These Chevrolets symbolized America’s return to the open road and marked the end of an era before the all-new 1949 models ushered in a more modern, slab-sided look. At the top of the lineup stood the Fleetmaster, Chevrolet’s premium offering during this period, a car that blended prewar grace with postwar practicality, and today remains one of the most recognizable and cherished examples of late-’40s American design.

By the end of 1948, nearly two million of these familiar shapes had rolled off Chevrolet’s assembly lines. Between 1946 and 1948, total Fleetmaster production reached approximately 1,254,000 units. In 1947 alone, Chevrolet built 684,145 cars, of which about 571,000 were Fleetmasters and within that group, approximately 67,000 were Sport or Club Coupes. The ’47 Fleetmaster Coupe has become a standout favorite among collectors and hot rodders alike, thanks to its balanced proportions, clean grille design, and the way it bridges prewar styling with postwar performance potential.

Finished in deep black with a black leather and gray tweed interior, this car packs serious muscle under the hood. Power comes from a 454-cubic-inch Chevrolet big block producing 563 horsepower at the rear wheels, topped with a GMC 6-71 blower and twin 750 Holley 4 barrel carburetors. A GM Turbo TH400 three-speed transmission with a Gear Vendor overdrive channels that power to a Ford 9-inch rear end with a 3.50:1 gear ratio. Stopping power comes from four-wheel disc brakes, while the chassis rides on a Mustang II independent front suspension with coilovers and a live rear axle supported by semi-elliptic leaf springs and shocks. The car rolls on Budnik 20-inch wheels—8 inches wide up front wrapped in Toyo 275/40R20 tires, and 10 inches wide in the rear wrapped in Toyo 295/40R20 tires.

As you walk around the car, the craftsmanship starts to reveal itself, with some details subtle and others bold. Up front, a ’46 grille sets the tone, framed by a louvered hood and frenched headlights that flow perfectly with the body. Out back, the frenched taillights and molded fenders, all done in lead, show off the level of old-school metalwork rarely seen today. The upper rear door corners are rounded for a smoother profile, and the trunk has been reworked, raised and shortened about six inches at the bottom to tuck the license plate neatly below. A wide single tailpipe exits cleanly beneath the rear; a custom third brake light is built into the decklid, and, of course, the signature spider web detail adds the perfect finishing touch.

Inside, the attention to detail continues with a one-piece windshield, tilt steering column topped by a classic Banjo wheel, and power windows for a touch of modern convenience. The list just keeps going, this car is a perfect blend of traditional craftsmanship and thoughtful upgrades that make it both timeless and drivable.