Classified Ad Dreaming
Daydreaming through decades-old classified ads can be a dangerous past time. Hours can quickly fly by, and finding $500 CCCA Full Classic after Full Classic can make one lose their grip on reality, at least when it comes to today’s collector car values.
The classified ads of the first issue of Old Cars, dated October 1971, are filled with rare bargains. There’s a $1,500 1933 Ford coupe, a $2,800 first-year Cadillac Eldorado and a pristine-sounding 1960 Lincoln for just $500. It was also possible to buy one-owner 1930s cars, as evidenced by a 1938 Chevrolet coupe offered by the person who drove it home from the dealership during that recession year.
In a sign of how the hobby has changed in 50 years, the classified ads of that first issue of are heavily weighted toward prewar cars with postwar cars in the minority, and there are a number of cars listed that are almost forgotten today. Ever heard of a Trumbull? One Wisconsin seller offered a 1914 Trumbull roadster, and a hopeful Connecticut buyer placed a want ad for a 1914-1915 Trumbull coupe.
