For 1937, Chevrolet received its first major redesign since 1929 with an all-new engine, chassis, and body, and the result was a far more modern car. 

“Nineteen thirty-seven marks Chevrolet’s first big change since 1929,” wrote the preeminent automotive historian Michael Lamm in Special Interest Autos way back in 1977, adding that it represented “Chevy’s most important transitional model between the 1929 six and the 1955 V8.” There was a keen observation. For 1937, the chassis, body, and engine were all brand new, and each one was a significant advance that Chevy carried forward for years to come.

After experimenting with various sixes and straight eight and V8 configurations, for ’37 Chevrolet chose an overhead-valve six developed by research engineer Alex Taub. While the new six was roughly similar in exterior appearance to the 1929 original, it was several inches shorter and 65 lbs lighter, and it featured four main bearings instead of three.

Crankshaft main bearings, camshaft, and rocker arms received full-pressure lubrication, while the connecting rod bearings were fed by crankcase dippers. Displacement was increased to 216.5 cubic inches in the new design, while the compression ratio was bumped to 6.25:1. With 85 hp at 3,200 rpm and 170 lb-ft of torque at 900 to 2,000 rpm, the new six was an even match in rated output with the rival Ford V8.

The ’37s also featured Chevrolet’s first truly all-steel Fisher bodies with no wood anywhere, four inches wider than in ’36 for greater passenger comfort. The exterior design is credited to Chevrolet chief stylist Jules Agromonte, who was responsible for the handsome 1934 LaSalle. The distinctive grille design (a stamping rather than a die casting due to Chevy’s enormous production volume) was borrowed from GM’s 1933 Albanita prototype.

While Chevrolet offered two product lines in the four previous years, for ’37 the two models, Master and Master De Luxe, were consolidated on a single platform. A lighter but stronger box-girder frame with a 112.25-inch wheelbase was designed around the Dubonnet-style Knee Action independent front suspension system (see our feature here) for the Master De Luxe. However, a beam axle with leaf springs was standard on the Master base model. The driveline was completely new as well, with a hypoid rear axle that lowered the floor two inches, torque tube drive, and a quieter and more compact three-speed synchronized gearbox produced in-house at Chevrolet.

With prices ranging from $619 for a Master Business Coupe to $788 for a Master De Luxe Sport Sedan, the new Chevy took direct aim at the Ford V8, the sales leader in the low-priced field in the mid-’30s. (Mainly, it was said, on the strength of the popular V8 engine.) While the ’37 Ford V8 edged out the redesigned ’37 Chevy in total volume, the very similar ’38 Chevrolet would rise to the top of the chart in the following year, and Chevrolet would remain on top through 1948.