96-Year-Old Survivor: 1925 Chevrolet Superior Model K
Chevrolet has been around for over 100 years, but this car was made when the company was only 14 years old! This 1925 Chevy Superior Model K is all-original, runs and drives, and is for sale in Oxford, Iowa. It can be found here on eBay with the current bid at $5,200 at time of writing, and the reserve not met.
The Superior Series was produced from 1923 to 1926, with the letter designation changing each year. Series F was 1925 only. As part of General Motors, Chevrolet was a lower-cost alternative to Buick, and a competitor to Ford. The Series K was powered by a 171 cubic inch four-cylinder engine that had 26 horsepower (compared to Ford’s 20 horsepower), and the Touring configuration like this would have cost $525 (the Model T only cost $290). Superiors also came equipped with electric starter and a 3-speed modern transmission, while the Fords still used a 2-speed planetary-gear transmission. This particular car appears to have its original engine, which the seller says starts and runs, although a small radiator leak has prevented it from being used recently. You can see some newer wires for the ignition system, but the engine otherwise looks untouched.
The interior of this Chevy shows some wear, in particular the seats and doors. The rear seat looks dry and cracked, but if the bottom seams could be re-stitched and the leather treated, it might be salvageable. The front seat and driver’s door are probably past being saved. The wood floors look to be in good shape, and other than some surface corrosion that should not be hard to fix, the dash looks good as well. The fabric top has some visible holes, so that is something for the next owner to address, but the original fabric side curtains are still with the car!
The exterior is worn but still in surprisingly good shape for the age. You can see almost all of the original dark green paint, and even the yellow pinstripe. The wood-spoke wheels are in fantastic condition and the tires, while old, still hold air. There are some paint chips and minor surface rust along the fenders, radiator, and bumpers, but no major areas of concern. Overall, this looks to be a solid survivor. Would you restore it, or keep it original and enjoy it as-is?
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Comments
Rather have this then the Chrysler that was 22k and I’m a Mopar guy…in the end they are all chitty chitty bang bang toys, worthless as drivers, fun once a year cars after spending 2 days getting it running just to go get ice cream w the misses….
Sure is a far cry from a Chevy Camaro, isn’t it?
What? No 1/4 mile stats??
Probably at least 2-3minutes for the1/4 mile. Maybe 45mph if it was downhill.
LS swap? LOL!!
I know of a guy near Des Moines that probably has one in his private museum and thought it might have been his till I saw the location. I agree a car of this type would be basically a parade car and not something you’d take out for long distance drives.
Yes, it will finish the quarter mile. Pack a lunch I would think. I have a photo of my great parents in front of what looks like the same model. My grandfather told stories of driving it in the snow with piles of blankets. It was still better than taking horse drawn buggy.
I would love having this in my collection. The write up says selling to the highest bidder. Yet the listing says reserve not met. So, I guess it is only selling if it meets a reserve.
Note this car has an overhead valve engine. I would think it would be a better high speed (!) cruiser than its side valve competitors.
There was nothing “superior” about these from when they were new forward. For a collector this might be great to find a complete one to restore and add to the collection. Every story I’ve ever heard or read included the need of a horse or two to get it back. They were in a dismal league of their own when compared to Ford, Dodge Brothers, and many others.