Louis Chevrolet Wins the 100 Mile Automobile Race in 1917
1917 : An Eventful Year for Chevrolet
In 1917, Chevrolet, which was fourth in line behind Buick, Ford and Willys-Overland, was acquired by General Motors, the world's largest car manufacturer.
1917 was also a big year for Chevrolet's designer, Louis Chevrolet. He became the Speedway Champion when he won the 100 mile automobile race at Sheepshead Bay, New York.
Not only was the race a monumental event, 1917 ushered in the production of the first Chevrolet V-8 engine.
1917 Chevrolet Series D V-8
There were 511 Chevrolet Series D V-8's built in 1917 and each sold at a price of $1, 385. The new 1917 Chevrolet Series D V-8 touring car, with its 102-inch wheelbase, weighed 3,200 pounds.
With the Zenith two-barrel carburetor and displacement of 288-cubic inches, the V-8 engine developed 55 h.p. @ 2,700 rpm at a compression ratio of 4.75 to 1.
All models had electric starters and a new chassis that featured quarter-elliptic cantilever springs at the rear.
Even though the Series D had great power, the sales were low due to the high price.
If you are a Chevy owner or just an antique auto enthusiast, I hope you enjoyed reading this review of a famous (and fast) Chevrolet Classic.
Sometimes it can be difficult to sort out all the details related to antique automobiles, but I am positive you will have no trouble making sense of the information presented above about this classic vehicle. Now, if you own one, take your classic 1917 Chevy for a spin today!
More Antique Chevy
Articles
The
Story Behind the 1915
Chevrolet
- Louis Chevrolet had a good thing going in
1914 with the Royal Mail and Baby Grand but 1915
marked the start of the Chevy - Ford competitive
age.
Need an Article about classic Chevrolets or Other
Subjects for Your Website ?
Jean Pardue is a freelance article
writer and can be contacted at speed-writer@hotmail.com
.
|
|
Classic Chevy Cars
Classic Chevy Advice for Collectors