1923 Chevrolet Coupe
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Artifact Overview
Chevrolet introduced an air-cooled engine in its 1923 model. The design placed copper fins around the four cylinders to draw away heat. Air-cooled engines were lighter and mechanically simpler than water-cooled powerplants. Unfortunately, flaws in Chevy's design led to overheating and poor performance. Chevrolet recalled and destroyed nearly all 759 of its air-cooled cars. This example is a rare survivor.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Automobile
Date Made
1923
Place of Creation
Creator Notes
Engine designed by Charles Kettering; car manufactured by the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Corporation in Flint, Michigan.
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
00.136.125
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Material
Steel (Alloy)
Metal
Glass (Material)
Rubber (Material)
Copper (Metal)
Color
Black (Color)
Gray (Color)
Dimensions
Height: 74.25 in
Width: 68 in
Length: 142 in
Diameter: 24.75 in
Inscriptions
Radiator: COPPER/ CHEVROLET/ COOLED
Hub caps: CHEVROLET
On rear tire cover: CHEVROLET
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Related Content
Set
Exceptional Engines
- 14 Artifacts
Henry Ford built his first experimental engine using scrap metal for parts. He tested it on the kitchen sink after supper on December 24, 1893. For ignition he ran a wire from the ceiling's light bulb. His wife Clara hand-fed gasoline to the intake valve while Henry spun the flywheel. The engine roared into action, shaking the sink.