Description

Chevy's long-lived four-cylinder powerplant final got belt drive for the generator, which had formerly been gear-driven. A bevel gear at the camshaft drove the distributor. The wheels' braking surfaces were widened, and on the steering column, the positions of spark and throttle controls were altered. Appearance, on the other hand, was similar to the Series K. Late in the year, all closed models got disc wheels. In fact, this was the final year for wood-spoke wheels as standard equipment. Henceforth, they would be a no-cost option. At $765, the costliest Chevrolet was the new Series V Landau sedan, which flaunted fake landau irons and a fabric top. A Series V coach or coupe cost $645; touring cars started at $510.There were changes afoot in General Motors this year, too. GM's Art and Colour section was formed under the guidance of Harley J. Earl. It was the first department at any automaker devoted solely to "styling" cars. Its work would help GM surpass Ford in sales and would give each GM division a design identity that reinforced the corporation's strategy of escalating model lines, from Chevy through Cadillac.Ford was struggling to keep up. It insisted its restyled 1926 Model T was "totally new," but in fact, the utterly obsolete design was on its last legs, awaiting ouster by a completely different car for 1928.Chevrolet, meanwhile, posted a $50 million profit and stood ready to grasp the top spot in sales -- a feat viewed as inconceivable a few years earlier.