Striking Classic Cars of the 1930s
The 1930s was a truly difficult decade. The Great Depression brought the world economy crashing down and millions of workers were forced to live a back-to-basics lifestyle, with few of the daily luxuries that we now take for granted. But the cars of the 1930s didn’t reflect that all.
In fact, automakers kept pushing the design envelope and producing some iconic designs that were well ahead of their time. Here are some of the classic cars from the 1930s that we really love.
1932 Packard 902 Coupe Roadster
The handsome Coupe Roadster design was a classic at the time it was introduced. With its grand style, power, and fine road-holding, it remains so to this day amongst Packard enthusiasts.
1939 Lincoln Zephyr Coupe
Graceful streamlining at it’s best. Any car that looks like it’s moving at high speed when parked gets my vote.
1939 Ford Deluxe Coupe
Really clean, smart design. Might just be me, but I prefer the flush glass headlight more than the ’40 rings. How about you?
1937 Cord 812
Hidden headlights, ribbed grille flowing into the fenders, flush taillights. Pure design genius!
1939 Hupp Skylark Corsair Convertible
A reincarnation of Cord’s 5-passenger “Phaeton Sedan”, this Hupp Skylark Corsair is one of 31 built, and the only convertible.
1939 Graham Model 97 Convertible
Cool headlights and grille treatment made the whole car lean forward like it was trying to break the sound barrier while parked.
1936 Ford 3 Window Coupe
One of my 30’s favorites, and probably one of yours, too. What’s not to love here?
1935 Auburn 851 Speedster
Supercharged, super beautiful. Definitely deserving of icon status.
1933 Deusenberg Roadster
Big, bold, and build like a steel mansion on wheels. Many of the custom bodies (Murphy, Bohman, and Schwartz, etc.) had severely chopped windshield and low ride height.
1934 DeSoto Airflow Coupe
Polarizing design, yes. But also radical, and potentially game-changing if anyone would have bought them. I think Airflows are really cool, and the rare, short wheelbase coupes get bonus points with me.
1936 Chrysler Imperial Airflow Coupe
Even with a wheelbase that’s thirteen inches longer than the’34 DeSoto model above, this is still a very good-looking car.
1933 Graham Blue Streak
Killer split front bumpers, grille, and a mean-looking beltline. Works for me.
1933 Lincoln KB Victoria Coupe
In my opinion, the 1933 Lincoln KB Victoria Coupe had the most graceful and yet tough-looking design of the whole line up.
1935 Hudson Terraplane
The Hudson Terraplane was a low-cost, high-performance vehicle linked with speed, excitement, and the fascination of flight. Besides that, it had suicide doors, which always gets my vote.
1937 Lincoln Model K Coupe by LeBaron
A forerunner to the very popular Lincoln Zephyr Coupe, the LeBaron Coupe offered its owners the ultimate in intimate luxury transportation.
1937 Buick Century
Not only admired for its clean art-deco style and flowing lines, but this Buick also packed a full-size eight-cylinder engine in a mid-size body. A prototypical muscle car decades before the ’60s? Maybe.
1934 Chevrolet Master 4 Door Sedan
The 1934 Chevrolet Master was a very popular and versatile vehicle, with the four-door sedan being the most popular model. See more of this 1934 Chevrolet Master 4 Door sedan.
1931 Cadillac Model 452 Convertible Coupe
The most fabulous Cadillac of its time, the V-16 series 452. This sporty is an 18-foot-long convertible coupe fitted with a rumble seat and two golf bag doors — one on each side. 1931 was also the last year for the Model 452 convertible coupe.
1936 Oldsmobile L-36 4 Door Touring Sedan
Although 27,369 L-36 models were produced by GM in 1936, this is one of eleven known to survive!
You can read more of the great story behind this awesome Oldsmobile classic touring sedan in this article in Old Cars Weekly.
