The Chevrolet Deluxe was introduced late in the 1941 model year as a 4-door sedan. In 1942 a fastback 2-door "aerosedan" became an option. Production was indefinitely delayed in 1942 due to WWII, after 110,000 had been made total, though several thousand Chevrolet coupes and sedans were produced during the war years for military staff use. In late 1945, civilian production resumed. The original series was produced through 1948. A redesigned Deluxe with reduced body contour and integrated rear fenders was offered for the 1949 and 1950 years.
This was the first generation that didn't share a common appearance with Chevrolet trucks, while the Chevrolet AK Series truck did share common internal components.

Chevy took a breather in 1951 and made few changes, though the Fleetline fastback body style was phased out. Model year production was down slightly to 1.3 million units, with only a fifth being the basic Special series. In a trend that would continue through to the present day, buyers increasingly turned towards the automatic transmission—nearly 50% of cars sold were equipped with Powerglide.
The Powerglide is a two-speed automatic transmission designed by General Motors. It was available primarily on Chevrolet from January 1950 through 1973.