We reanalyze the near-field vertical displacement data for the great Chilean earthquake of 1960 to provide constraints on the down-dip slip distribution. A recent study of free oscillation data confirms earlier proposals of a slow precursor comparable in size to the main shock; we seek evidence for this event in the displacement data. Spatial coverage of the data is inadequate to allow determination of a unique fault model, but inversions show that thrust slip must extend over a width of about 300 km and to a depth between 60 km and 85 km, well below the seismogenic one for interplate events. We propose that this deeper slip is the source of the slow event. Our preferred class of solutions has moments ranging from 1.6¿1023 N m to 2.5¿1023 N m, only 30% to 45% of the free oscillation value. Underestimation of the near trench displacements by 50% together with a seismic overestimation of moment by 30% due to tradeoff with rise time would result in satisfactory agreement. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1989