Automotive Antiques: 1938 Chevrolet Tudor

The 1938 Chevy Tudor is hard to track down in any reasonable state! Ordinarily a classic car purchase on the Internet is easy; bidders on sites like SimplyClassics.com and DealsOnWheels.com offer up their wares and it's a matter of choosing the paint job and finishes you like best. Searching for the 1938 Chevy Tudor is another matter. Two cars kept popping up on every trading site (obviously the poor sellers can't move them). One is a rusty, dented old beast, photographed in someone's backyard as its hapless own runs a rag over it. The other is in tip-top condition: pristine and ready for take off. Someone obviously put a lot of effort into maintaining this car but sadly, ruined everything with one poorly judged finishing touch'. I'm talking about the (enormous) painted orange and yellow flames that cover the hood and snake up towards the front window. Wow.

But garish flames can be painted over, and the 1938 Chevy Tudor is a classic in the truest sense of the word. This model appeared well after the 1917 merger between Chevrolet and General Motors was finalized (so it's a true' Chevy, and recognizable as one) but before Chevrolet's American Golden Age- the 1950's and 1960's (it's estimated that in 1963, one in every ten cars sold in the United States was a Chevy). The Tudor is the creation of a company that was ABOUT to hit the big-time. Yes, a classic, and a slice of American history.

The 1938 Chevrolet Tudor has a 305 c.i V8 engine, running at 30 taxable horsepower (58 brake horsepower at 3500 RPM), Air-ride suspension, Aluminum bumpers, colored suede interior and an all-steel body with that iconic Chevy dent down the center of the front hood. Optional features available out there (for extra cost) include AM/FM stereo systems and of course- custom paint jobs. Make your Chevy your own. For an asking price of around $30 000 (that's for a 1938 Chevrolet Tudor in pristine condition) this iconic vehicle can be yours. The current Chevy's may be more streamlined- with drool-worthy performance statistics- but the '38 Tudor has old-world charm and rarity on its side, and will only become more desirable as time goes by.