The Chevrolet Superior was an automobile of the lower middle class produced by the American automotive firm Chevrolet from 1923 to 1926, as the successor of the 490. It was designated as the Superior Series B during the first year of production, then as the Series F (not to be confused with the Series F of 1917), Series K, and Series V.
History[]
Series B (1923)[]
The car was, like its predecessor, equipped with a 2802cc overhead-valve four-cylinder engine capable of generating 26 bhp (19 kW) of output at 2000 rpm. Engine power was transferred from a cone clutch to a manual three-speed gearbox, and from there via a propeller shaft to the rear wheels. The rear wheels were fitted with external band brakes.
The Series B was offered in five body styles: a two-seater roadster with two doors, a five-seater tourer with four doors, a two-seater coupe with two doors, a four-seater sedanette with two doors, and a five-seater sedan with four doors. The hood was a bit longer than that of its predecessor, and the curved area on the bulkhead was slightly shorter. A chassis and engine could be purchased on request without a body. Sales prices ranged from US$495 for the tourer to US$860 for the sedan.
Series F (1924)[]
The Chevrolet Superior Series F replaced the Series B during the 1924 model year. Technically and stylistically, the vehicle was not changed. However, the sedanette option was dropped, and a four-seater coupe with two seats and a two-door saloon took its place. Sales prices were dropped from between US$490 to US$795.
The tourer, four-door sedan, and four-seater coupe were available in standard and deluxe versions. The deluxe vehicles featured steel wheels rather than the typical wooden-spoke wheels offered at the time, and were also equipped with a front bumper, a nickel-plated radiator frame, and nickel-plated outer door handles. A deluxe Superior Series F could be purchased for between US$640 and US$940.
Series K (1925)[]
The Superior Series K debuted in 1925. Stylistically, it was not much different than the precedent Series F, and only differed by featuring a nickel-plated frame that was slightly narrower in the center and lowered to accommodate the Chevrolet logo better. The cone clutch was replaced by a single-plate dry clutch. Another new feature was the outer sun visor above the vehicle's windshield. Deluxe models were not continued into the 1925 model year. All open variants of the Superior Series K had wooden-spoked wheels, while their closed counterparts sported steel wheels similar to those of the deluxe Series F vehicles.
Sales prices ranged from US$525 to US$735.
Series V (1926)[]
There were few changes during the last year of the Superior's production. The bowl-shaped headlamps were replaced by drum-shaped examples, and were connected by a nickel-plated rod in front of the grille. The brakes were only slightly improved. In addition to the models already offered, a new model, a four-door landaulet, made its debut.
Along with the Copper-Cooled, which was only manufactured in 1923, 1,442,253 Chevrolet cars were built during the four years of the Superior's production.