The arrival of the 1929 Chevrolet six was a milestone event. Up to that time, the low-priced field had been characterized by four-cylinder engines. But from 1925 on, there had been a rapid shift away from open cars to closed ones where the enclosed body acted like a drum to amplify a four’s vibration. Sloan was convinced a six was the way of the future.
Knudsen wisely decided that an all-new car and new engine would be too much for one year, so a lengthened 1928 model was introduced, still with four cylinders. The long fan shroud required by the four between the radiator and the engine was a dead giveaway of what was to come.
The new 1929 six-cylinder Chevrolet was introduced on January 1, 1929 and advertised it as “A six for the price of a four.” It was superior to its main competitor Ford in several ways. The short-stroke, overhead valve 3.2-litre (194 cu in.) inline six was smoother than the Model A’s side-valve four, and its 46 horsepower was six more than Ford’s 40. It had fuel and air filters under the hood, and oil pressure and coolant temperature gauges on the dash, none of which the Ford had. Its 2,718 mm (107 in.) wheelbase was 90 mm (3.5 in.) longer than Ford’s, and this, plus four longitudinal semi-elliptic springs rather than the Ford’s two transverse “buggy springs” gave the Chevy a better ride.
The new engine soon gained the nickname “Stove Bolt Six,” because the screws used around the engine, but not for the cylinder head, were similar to those used to assemble stoves, and its cast iron pistons inspired the name “Cast Iron Wonder.” All were good naturedly accepted by Chevrolet owners.
While the Chevrolet was more modern than the Ford, there was still a deep reservoir of Ford goodwill and Henry Ford hero worship left over from Model T days. Thus the Model A Ford outsold Chevrolet in 1929 by 1.4 million to some 850,000. For 1930, Ford revised the Model A’s styling and again outsold Chevrolet by one million to 687,000 during the deepening Depression.
But the die was cast for the decline of the four-cylinder car. In 1931 Chevrolet finally slipped past Ford to gain industry leadership, a position it would hold for many decades, in spite of Ford’s introduction of the peppy V8 engine in 1932. Derivations of that 1929 Chevrolet six engine were used until 1962, and the Ford-Chevrolet sales race continues to this day.
