1931 Classic Cars for Sale

96 listings Median price: $34,495 Updated daily

Duesenberg Model J at peak production, Lincoln KB V12 in development, and the last year of full coachbuilding ambition

Duesenberg built more Model J cars in 1931 than in any other single year, with estimated production of roughly 100 chassis. This was not prosperity. It was the backlog of orders placed before the crash finally being delivered. The coachbuilders, working on chassis ordered a year or more earlier, were producing some of the finest bodies of the entire classic era: Murphy convertibles, Bohman and Schwartz sedans, Walker LaGrande phaetons. The cars leaving the shops in 1931 were built without the cost reductions that would arrive the following year.

Cadillac continued V12 and V16 production while adding the Series 370 V12 to give buyers a slightly more accessible entry into multi-cylinder luxury. Lincoln was deep in development of the KB V12 that would launch for 1932. And Franklin, Stutz, and Pierce-Arrow were all still operating independently, still building cars of genuine quality. This diversity of serious manufacturers would shrink rapidly over the next three years.

The 1931 collector market rewards patience and research. Many of the best cars from this year have known histories stretching back to original delivery. The CCCA Full Classic designation applies broadly to this era, which affects insurance, show eligibility, and to some degree pricing. Buyers should approach 1931 cars as historical objects first and transportation second, because proper stewardship requires a different mindset than owning a 1960s muscle car.

Notable 1931s: Duesenberg Model J Walker LaGrande Dual-Cowl Phaeton Cadillac Series 370-A V12 Convertible Coupe by Fleetwood Stutz DV-32 Super Bearcat Pierce-Arrow Model 41 Seven-Passenger Sedan Packard 845 Custom Eight Convertible Victoria Marmon Sixteen Production Sedan Franklin Airman Series 15 Sedan

1931 in automotive history

Marmon introduced the Sixteen in 1931, an aluminum-block 490-cubic-inch V16 producing 200 horsepower, competing directly with Cadillac and arriving too late to find a viable market in Depression conditions.
Stutz introduced the DV-32 engine with dual overhead camshafts and 32 valves, producing an estimated 156 horsepower from 322 cubic inches, making it the most technically sophisticated American passenger car engine of the era.
US auto production fell further to approximately 1.97 million units, the industry's worst year since before the Model T era, forcing consolidation decisions at nearly every independent manufacturer.

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1931 Classic Cars for Sale

1931 Ford Model A

1931 Franklin Model 11B

1931 Ford Model A

1931 Ford Model A

1931 Ford Model A

1931 Ford Model A

1931 Ford Victoria

1931 Studebaker Commander

1931 Ford Model A

1931 Ford Model A

1931 Ford Model A

1931 Ford Model A

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1931 Ford Model A

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1931 Ford Model A

1931 Ford Model A

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1931 Ford Model A

1931 Ford Model A

1931 Chevrolet Hi-boy