There is something refreshing about shopping for cars that are 85, 100 or even 110 years old on the same website where people sell used refrigerators. Craigslist still has a surprising amount of prewar iron hiding in its listings, and you do not necessarily need collector-car-auction money to bring one home. Here are five currently prewar cars for sale on Craigslist currently listed (at the time of writing) below $15,000.
1914 Studebaker Roadster Hot Rod — $11,900
This one is technically the oldest car here, although very little about it still behaves like 1914. The Studebaker roadster in Sweet Home, Oregon, has been transformed into an old-school hot rod with a Chevrolet 327 V8, TH350 automatic, Holley four-barrel, Mustang front disc brakes and 1978 Camaro running gear. The seller describes the body as all-metal American steel and lists 34,000 miles, a clean title and an $11,900 asking price. Purists should probably keep scrolling, but as an inexpensive way to own something wearing a body more than 110 years old that can actually keep up with modern traffic, this is wonderfully strange. View the 1914 Studebaker Craigslist ad
1925 Buick Standard — $9,950
If you would rather experience something closer to the way prewar cars were actually built, this 1925 Buick Standard may be the most interesting car of the bunch. The two-door coach is an older restoration that still uses its original six-cylinder engine, six-volt starter-generator and three-speed sliding-gear manual transmission. Better yet, the seller says it starts, runs, drives and stops. It has reportedly been in the current owner’s hands for about a decade and comes with original sales literature, manuals and extra parts. At $9,950, this is not a pile of pieces waiting for a five-year restoration. It is a century-old Buick that appears ready to provide the full 1920s driving experience immediately. View the 1925 Buick Craigslist ad
1933 Chevrolet Master Deluxe Sedan — $12,500
The 1933 Chevrolet Master Deluxe is located in Kennewick, Washington, and looks considerably nicer than its current non-running status might suggest. According to the seller, the six-cylinder sedan was restored around 2010, spent the last several years largely parked after its previous owner became ill, and remains rust-free and in largely stock condition. The engine turns freely by hand, but nobody has attempted to start it recently, or so they say. The brakes, steering and rolling chassis reportedly work as they should, and it comes with a clean title and keys. At $12,500 or best offer, this feels less like a restoration project and more like a recommissioning job, assuming the long-dormant Chevrolet does not reveal unpleasant surprises once someone starts going through its mechanical systems. View the 1933 Chevrolet Craigslist ad
1938 Plymouth Pickup — $5,000
At $5,000, this 1938 Plymouth pickup is very much a project, but it is also the kind of unusual prewar truck that rarely turns up complete and cheap. The seller says the truck has a clean title and very little rust overall, although the bed needs replacement and the cab corners need patching. The big catch is that the engine and transmission are gone, and the tailgate is missing. On the other hand, good window frames and much of the rest of the truck remain. That creates an interesting blank canvas: restore it with period Mopar running gear, build a traditional hot rod, or install something modern enough to make it genuinely usable. For five grand, at least you are starting with an actual 1938 Plymouth truck rather than a reproduction body. View the 1938 Plymouth Craigslist ad
1941 Packard 180 — $8,750
The bargain with the fanciest pedigree is this 1941 Packard 180 in Anaheim. The 180 sat at the top of Packard’s lineup, and this long-wheelbase sedan stretches across a 138-inch chassis with Packard’s straight-eight under the hood. This particular car needs a complete restoration, but the seller describes the body as being in good shape with mainly surface rust and says the engine does run, albeit weakly. It also has a clean California title. At $8,750 or best offer, there is obviously a large financial gulf between buying this Packard and properly restoring it, but that is part of what makes the listing interesting. For less than ten grand, you can buy what was once one of America’s premier luxury automobiles. View the 1941 Packard Craigslist ad
None of these are bargains simply because they are cheap. Prewar cars can turn a $5,000 purchase into a much larger project remarkably quickly, and every one deserves an in-person inspection before money changes hands. But the listings are a reminder that the prewar hobby is not limited to six-figure Duesenbergs and concours lawns. There are still century-old cars, rare trucks and former luxury flagships changing hands for the price of an ordinary used car. Is this your chance to keep automotive history alive?
