The Chevrolet Delray debuted in 1954 as an optional trim level on the mid-range 210 series

Chevrolet 210

The Chevrolet Two-Ten, or 210 was the midrange model of the Chevrolet car from 1953-1957. It took its name by shortening the production series number by one digit in order to capitalize on 50's numerical auto name trend. The numerical designation '"210"' was also sporadically used in company...

 of Chevrolet

Chevrolet

Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...

's full-size car

Full-size car

A full-size car is a marketing term used in North America for an automobile larger than a mid-size car. In the United States, the EPA uses "large car" to denote full-size cars....

. It later became a distinct series of its own.

1954-1957

The Delray was a two-door club coupe featuring an upgraded vinyl upholstery with "waffle-like" pleating, color-keyed to the exterior, along with carpeting and other minor upgrades. The standard equipment was otherwise essentially similar to the regular 210 models. The Delray was offered until 1957, and proved reasonably popular.

1958

In 1958, the Delray became a distinct series of its own, taking the place of the 150

Chevrolet 150

The Chevrolet One-Fifty, or 150 was the economy/fleet model of the Chevrolet car from 1953-1957. It took its name by shortening the production series number by one digit in order to capitalize on the numerical auto name trend of the 1950s. The numerical designation '"150"' was also sporadically...

. The Delray was Chevrolet's price-leading, no-frills model, with the more expensive models being the Biscayne

Chevrolet Biscayne

-Biscayne Fleetmaster:In 1960, a lower-priced, sparsely trimmed version of the Biscayne called the Fleetmaster was produced. Aimed primarily at the fleet market, the Fleetmaster included a lower grade of upholstery than the standard Biscayne and deleted routine convenience items such as a cigarette...

, Bel Air

Chevrolet Bel Air

The Chevrolet Bel Air is a full-size automobile that was produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1950–1975 model years. Hardtops in the Chevrolet Deluxe Styleline model range were designated with the Bel Air name from 1950–1952, but it was not a distinct series of its own until...

 and Impala

Chevrolet Impala

The Chevrolet Impala is a full-size automobile built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors introduced for the 1958 model year. Deriving its name from the southern African antelope, Chevrolet's most expensive passenger model through 1965 had become the best-selling automobile in the United...

 (the last being a sub-model of the Bel Air). It now had GM's X-frame. It came in a utility coupe, a two door coupe, and a four-door sedan.

Befitting its bottom-end status, the Delray had minimal interior and exterior trim and limited options. As such, this model was popular with fleet buyers such as police departments and businesses. However, private customers could also buy a Delray if low price, economy and basic all-around transportation with the convenience of a full-size automobile were the primary goals. Also, buyers could order any engine and transmission choice, including the 348 V8 and the fuel-injected

Fuel injection

Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....

 283 V8 engines.