The Fleetline is loved by an American car freak along with Harley

The Chevrolet “Fleetline” debuted the year the Pacific War began. Due to the war, the development of passenger cars for civilian use was halted, and the 1947 model owned by Mr. Kobayashi was a reproduction of a pre-war model, although it was a post-war car. The owner, who has a passion for American culture and American cars such as Route 66, even built a garage house for this car and Harley. We take a deeper look into the owner’s love of American cars.

The oldest pre-war model reproduction car in the venue

A total of 178 entries of various nationalities and makes, from sports cars to commercial vehicles and motorcycles, gathered at the “20th Century Meeting 2024 Spring Season” held in Sanjo, Niigata Prefecture, on April 14, 2024. Among the wide variety of entrants, the oldest and most notable was the 1947 Chevrolet “Fleetline”.

The Fleetline debuted in 1941. However, in December of that year, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States declared war on the Axis powers. The development of passenger cars for civilian use in the U.S. stopped during the war, and the Fleetline was produced mainly as official military vehicles until the end of the war in 1945. When the war ended, American automakers began producing passenger cars again, mostly by reproducing prewar models. The 1947 Chevrolet Fleetline is almost identical to the prewar model except for the grille and other design features.

The owner built a garage house for his car

The Chevrolet Fleetline is powerful with its huge whale-like body. The model of this era was powered by a straight-six engine with a displacement of 216 cubic inches (about 3.5 liters). Speaking of American cars, models from the “tailfin” era in the mid-1950s and “muscle cars” from the 1960s to the early 1970s are major hobbyists, but models from the 1940s in relatively stock condition are a bit rare in our country. The owner of the car was just in front of us, so we asked him about it.

“I have always admired the American culture and cars represented by ‘Route 66,'”

says the owner, Mr. Jota Kobayashi.

In addition to cars, he also rides a Harley motorcycle and used to drive a 2014 Dodge Ram, so he is a genuine American car freak. So, is this Fleetline your pick?

“Actually, I was looking for a Chevrolet Impala at first. While I was having a hard time finding a good deal, I happened to come across this Chevrolet Fleetline at an American car specialty store in Shiga.”

In the end, he bought the car in July of last year. While keeping the car in basically stock condition, the owner shows his casual attention to detail with optional parts such as headlight eyebrows, an external front sunshade, and gun spotlights mounted on the A-pillars. It was only recently that the car was finished to its current state, and this was the first time for the owner to participate in an event.

“I also built a garage house for this car and Harley,”

he said, showing us images of his tasteful American-style garage. His passion for the car hobby is truly genuine. In a venue with a high percentage of old Japanese cars, European historic cars, and cars from the young timer generation, his presence was as if he had come down from “Route 66.