Everything Chevy Fans Should Know About The Model 490
The Chevrolet Four-Ninety or Series 490 was the brand's weapon of choice to compete with the Ford Model T. It was an affordable, mass-market vehicle with a starting price of $490 during its 1915 debut (hence the "490" moniker). Back in the day, the Chevy brand was known for the Classic Six, the brand's first production car that carried a hefty $2,500 base price.
Itching to join the mass market bandwagon, Chevy unveiled the Series H in 1914 and became the first Chevrolet to sell for under $1,000. The Series H sold well, but Chevy founder Billy Durant wanted something more affordable, so the automaker unveiled the 490 in 1915, and good things began to happen for the brand.
The Chevrolet 490's maiden debut was in New York newspapers in early 1915 and as a prototype at the NY Auto Show. It went on sale in June of that same year, and more than 13,000 units left the factory by year-end.
[Featured Image by Emran Kassim via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0 DEED]
Chevrolet Series 490: Car for the masses
Chevy followed the same recipe that Henry Ford concocted to make the Model T a roaring success. The Series 490 was as barebones as possible, with only a single door on the passenger side, cloth upholstery, and black paint. Under the hood is a 2.8-liter (171 cu in.) Chevy straight-four engine with 24 horsepower. The 490 was later available in many body styles, including a four-door touring, a two-door roadster, and a three-door sedan.
The Chevy Series 490 was a deal at $490, but you'll need to fork over an additional $60 for an electric starter and lights. Chevy added a left front door and sliding windows for the 1917 model year. It sold so well that Henry Ford had no choice but to lower the prices of its Model T lineup to match the Chevy 490's popularity. Chevrolet sold over 60,000 Series 490s by 1917 and became second to Ford in overall sales by 1919, to which Chevy sold more than 127,000 Series 490s.
The sales success of the Chevy 490 enabled company founder Billy Durant to acquire a controlling stake and merge the Chevrolet brand with General Motors in 1916. Prices for the Series 490 ballooned to around $800 by 1921, but the car came with more standard features like electric horns, headlight dimmers, and a speedometer.
The Series 490 made Chevrolet a household name in the American auto industry. Despite selling in huge numbers, the average market price for a Chevy 490 is around $10,000 to $13,000, and you'll be hard-pressed to find an owner willing to part with an American classic.
[Featured Image by Marvin Dement Boland via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | Public Domain]