In 1931, Chevrolet was celebrating a strong year, having overtaken Ford in sales. Across town, Ford was getting ready to retake the lead with the introduction of its new V8 for the 1932 model year. However, there was no time for either automaker to celebrate, with the Great Depression continuing to take to its toll and sending the country even further into economic decline. As the saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures, and just like ordinary citizens, the automakers had to figure out how to do more with less. For Chevrolet, this meant making several improvements to their only model, the Independence, rather than redesigning it from the ground up. In the end, the 1932 model, now the Confederate, included a total of 117 changes from the previous year. Built in a variety of body styles, including what would become known as a station wagon, there was a new Chevrolet for every purse and purpose. Our feature vehicle, located in Raleigh, NC, and found here on craigslist, is a popular 2-door, 2-passenger roadster that is in amazingly original condition. Thanks to Chuck Foster for the tip!

Powering the roadster is a 194 cu in Stovebolt six-cylinder linked to a three-speed synchromesh transmission. Rated at 60 hp vs the previous year’s 50 hp, the combination was advertised as being capable of a top speed of 70 mph. A strong attribute for Chevrolet was its pricing, with the slogan “a six for the price of a four.” A standard roadster such as our feature vehicle sold for $445, while the Deluxe model was listed at $485. The ad describes the car as running and driving, and from the pictures, the engine looks to be well maintained, with all the necessary parts present and accounted for. A good cleaning and replacing of hoses, belts, and other consumables would do wonders for the presentation factor, and some vintage speed parts would add a nice touch as well.

While the ad doesn’t include many pictures of the interior, what we can see looks to be in good condition. The fabric on the seat may or may not be original, but it appears to be in good shape. The door panels are missing, but that means we can see the wood framing inside the door, which is in good order as well. If nothing else, it can provide a pattern for replacement pieces. The original three-spoke steering wheel and gear shift are still in place, as is the dash and all of the gauges. This is great news because parts for a Chevrolet of this year will undoubtedly be harder to find than those for a Ford of the same vintage.

A vehicle like this always presents a conundrum for the next owner. As any fan of old cars will tell you, it’s only original once. As such, if you restore it, you lose that originality forever. Cars like this have a story in the patina; every scratch, dent, or imperfection tells a tale from the car’s time spent with a previous owner. Through the generations, those stories may be forgotten but the car still stands as a memento of history. However, if you don’t want to restore it, how much can a car deteriorate before a restoration is deemed necessary to preserve it for future generations? This brings us to the possibility of preservation, the process of rebuilding and replacing just enough to keep the vehicle running and driving safely. If you were lucky enough to be the next caretaker, would you preserve this well-worn roadster or fully restore it to make it last another 100 years?