Hemmings Find of the Day – 1926 Chevrolet Roadster

Published by Mike on December 2, 2014

This sporty two-passenger 1926 Chevrolet Roadster, for sale on Hemmings.com, was the automaker’s entry-level car that year, available for a base price of $510 (or $6,858 inflation-adjusted dollars).

Alongside a five-passenger touring car also priced at $510, the roadster anchored the bottom end of Chevrolet’s six-model Series V lineup, which made its debut midyear, 1926.

Ford’s T was nearing the end of its production life and Chevrolet was chipping away at Lizzie’s sales, but the Bowtie’s total model-year 1926 production of 547,724 cars was still dwarfed by the 1.5 million Model T’s that Ford cranked out. A Ford Model T two-passenger Runabout roadster was considerably cheaper, too, at about $360.

Chevrolet’s advanced overhead-valve six-cylinder engine wouldn’t arrive until 1929, so these Chevys relied on a 171-cu.in. overhead valve inline-four that made 26 hp. They also also used a conventional sliding-gear three-speed transmission with a floor shift.

Prewar Chevrolets are not as common as Fords today, due to lower production and a high attrition rate, but this example looks to have survived nicely. From the seller’s description:

1926 Chevrolet Roadster, All original 1926 Superior “V” Roadster, older restoration, perhaps 1970s, purchased from the late Don Rossi, a well-known Chevrolet expert. Has NOS clutch, new tires, starts and runs great, came with optional solid disk wheels (an option this year). All wood is solid, new top at time of restoration. This is a rare car by all standards. Serious purchasers only, no brokers or resellers, please.