Classic Wheels: 1951 Chevrolet

Don Pomarico’s 73-year-old Chevy is really a tribute to family. His dad purchased the 1951 DeLuxe FleetLiner in 2002 in the Syracuse area after his mom had found it listed in a classified ad. When his father passed away 10 years ago, the estate was liquidated in order to set up a trust fund for his sister Kathy, who is deaf.  

“My father wanted her to be taken care of, and we wanted to keep dad’s car in the family,” Don said. He and three of his siblings purchased the Chevy from the estate for $10,000.  

Don, a lifelong resident of Beacon, is a dyed-in-the-wool Chevy guy. His first car was a 1965 Impala. He and his dad raced Chevy stock cars at the Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown from 1990 to 2000. 

“I ran a Nova and a Monte Carlo, and won 10 races there,” Don recalled. “It’s a great hobby, but it gets expensive.” 

In addition to the ‘51 having been his dad’s, Don said he likes the car because that model has become so rare.

Of the 1.1 million DeLuxe series Chevrolets built in 1951, only 57,693 were FleetLiner four-door sedans. The DeLuxe models as a whole, which were produced from 1949 to 1952, embodied Chevrolet’s first major restyling after World War II. 

Pomarico’s Fleetliner is a classic of that era. The fabric bench seats accommodate six passengers. No power steering, brakes or windows. “Air conditioning” consists of swiveling side vent windows. The dashboard features an AM radio, cigarette lighter, choke and windshield wiper dial. 

Don said the car was in close-to-original condition when his dad bought it, including the distinctive rear-wheel skirts. It had been repainted in a deep metallic gray that suits the vehicle well.  

The Specs

Main assembly plant: Flint, Michigan
Production years: 1949-52 (1951 production: 57,693 units)
Model: DeLuxe FleetLine
Body: Four-door sedan
Weight: 3,160 pounds
Engine: 235 cubic inch inline 6 cylinder
Horsepower: 105
Carburetor: Rochester single barrel
Transmission: Powerglide automatic
Fuel economy: 20 mpg
Passengers: 6
Cost: $1,690 ($20,414 in 2024)

When needed, replacement parts weren’t hard to find, he said. 

‘The transmission had to be rebuilt,” he said. “And we added a front windshield visor, replaced the hood ornament, some chrome trim and added Coker whitewall tires.” 

Pomarico said he’d only consider three changes to the car. 

“It’s a six-volt system; I’d change that to 12-volt and replace the vacuum-operated windshield wipers with electric,” he said. “And the AM radio doesn’t work now; I’d love to put a stereo under the seat for cruising.” 

One of his favorite forms of cruising, at no more than 65 mph, often takes him to “cruise nights” in  Middletown, Brewster, Danbury and Fishkill.

He describes the Chevy’s gas mileage as “pretty darn good,” something that would have been appreciated in 1951, even with gas averaging 19 cents a gallon at the time. 

And although the lack of power steering adds a bit of work, Don loves getting behind the wheel. “It’s just a lot of fun to drive,” he said. “And it really turns a lot of heads!”