1932 Chevrolet Sport Roadster
Arriving in the midst of the Great Depression, the 1932 Chevrolets were advertised as, “The Great American Value.” The cars’ styling and chrome accents echoed GM’s more expensive 1932 Cadillac models. Priced at a low $445, the Chevrolet Sport Roadster included a “rumble seat” for two, built into the rear deck. Chevrolet’s 6-cylinder overhead-valve engine, introduced in 1929, provided smooth, economical power. Upgrades for 1932 included a synchromesh transmission that helped eliminate embarrassing gear clash. Without a doubt, the styling of the ’32s helped make Chevy America’s favorite car that year. Even today, many collectors point to the 1932 Chevrolet when asked to name their favorite Chevy of all time.
1932 Chevrolet Deluxe Sport Coupe
Adversity sometimes results in greatness, and that was truly the case with the 1932 Deluxe Sport Coupe. Launched amid the Depression, in a year when Chevrolet sales had dropped 50 percent compared to the previous year, the Sport was one of Chevrolet’s prettiest pre-WWII cars, an attractive yet compact vehicle with a curvaceous rear that lived up to its title with sporting looks and performance. The car was a strict two-seater… well, inside at least. If you wanted to carry more passengers, they had to make do with the rear rumble seat in the trunk. Lots of fun in the sun, rather less so in the rain. “It was a cool design,” believes Ed. “It says so much about Chevrolet: a lot of the words you can use to describe it also relate to current cars. It had spirit, was affordable and contemporary. Customers felt they were getting a lot of car for their money, something that still holds true today.”
1936 Chevrolet Suburban
The early Suburban was the grandfather of the modern SUV. However, the steel-bodied, truck-based Chevy Suburban “Carryall” originated as a more robust and accommodating alternative to ‘woodie’ station wagons when it was introduced in mid-1935. Continuing into 1936 with few changes, the first generation Suburban was often put to work carrying up to eight persons, plus their gear and luggage, to rugged and remote locations –where work, play, or the pursuit of adventure awaited. During the past 76 years, many of the more than 2 million Chevy Suburbans built have continued that original mission, while others have taken on new roles, such as serving as VIP limousines. Along the way, the Suburban has become the longest-lived, continuous production, automotive nameplate in the United States.