Antique Cars

Old automobiles generally have two main classifications, antique and classic cars. Antique cars are often defined as automobiles manufactured over 25 years ago, while classic cars involve newer vehicles. There can also be other categories and subdivisions including brass-era, veteran, Edwardian and vintage cars.

Early automobiles were individually constructed and hard to fix. They were powered by steam, electricity or gasoline, although cars with internal combustion engines were faster and could travel longer distances. In 1908, a great innovation in automobile manufacturing occurred. Henry Ford produced the Model T, which was inexpensive and had standard parts for building and repair. Model Ts were extremely popular, far out-selling their rivals. A few years later, in 1913, a moving assembly line for mass producing automobiles went into operation at the Ford Motor Company. This method changed manufacturing and was an important event of the Industrial Revolution.

Ford’s Tin Lizzie is well-known, but there were many other automobiles at this time, manufactured by companies still making cars today. These names, although not as recognizable as the Model T, are found at antique car shows. They are the beginning of a long history of automobile manufacturing.

• White Streak Buick’s Model 10 was its most popular early car. Nicknamed the White Streak, it was available in several styles and won many races.
• Cadillac V-8s “The Standard of the World.” This important Cadillac line had water-cooled V-8 engines. In 1912, the first production cars with electric lighting and starters were from Cadillac.

• Four-Ninety Chevrolet became a major rival to the Model T with this automobile. The car was called the Four-Ninety because it cost $490 when originally offered for sale.
• Chrysler Six It had six cylinders, hydraulic brakes, and was Walter Chrysler’s first car under his own name. The Chrysler Six was one of the fastest automobiles of the time.
• Model T Henry Ford’s car was nicknamed Flivver and Tin Lizzy. He was slow to add extras and new styles, so other automobile manufacturers overtook him. “The customer can have any color he wants so long as it’s black,” he said.
• Curved Dash Olds Oldsmobile built steam and electric automobiles as well as gasoline cars. The curved-dash Olds, a very popular early automobile, was mass-produced before Ford’s Model T.

The magnitude of online information about antique cars is daunting. The Antique Automobile Club of America is a fantastic place to start. Information here includes links to clubs and organizations in almost every state, flea markets to purchase car parts, museums and car shows.

• The Antique Automobile Club of America
• Hemmings Motor News
• Buick Club of America
• The Cadillac Owner and Enthusiast Website
• Vintage Chevrolet Club of America
• The WPC Club - Chrysler Products Restorers Club
• The Model T Ford Club International
• Ford Motor Company - Heritage
• General Motors - History - Timeline
• R. E. Olds Transportation Museum
• OCA, The Oldsmobile Club of America

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