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Buying a new Chevy in 1925


TerryB

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Here in photos and papers I found at a local estate sale is the tale of buying a new 1925 Chevrolet from the local dealer in Lititz PA.  The trade in was a Ford, no model given, and of course ordering desirable options like a moto-meter and front bumper.  Notable in the paperwork is the pre delivery inspection sheet.  Hard to believe these documents and photos are still around after all these years.  It took some detective work to put all the pieces together as the were found in various old cigar boxes, the storage box of choice at that time.

Terry

 

 

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8 minutes ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

Well preserved history is always satisfying to see.

Are you from around Lititz?  If some Shue family members

still live there, they might like to see what you've assembled.

The woman who owned these items was the end of the family line.  She wanted to get them to a good home before she passed.  I hope I am doing that by sharing them with you, the folks on this forum.

Terry

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28 minutes ago, TerryB said:

The woman who owned these items was the end of the family line.  She wanted to get them to a good home before she passed.  I hope I am doing that by sharing them with you, the folks on this forum.

Terry

 

Well, I'd say you definitely ARE!  I love seeing vintage documentation like this, Terry ... thank you for sharing the images here.

 

 

Cort, www.oldcarsstronghearts.com
pig&cowValves.paceMaker * 1979 CC to 2003 MGM + 81mc

"You can't see what those shades of gray keep covered" | Jamey Johnson | 'In Color'

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1 minute ago, CarlLaFong said:

That Chevy coupe sure looks like a sedan, to me. The Ford trade in was probably no more than 3 or 4 years old to get 200 bucks for it

 

Looks about right for trade in price?

 

From Wikepedia,

Year  Production  Price for
     Runabout
   Notes
1915    308,162            $390              
1916 501,462    $345 [46]
1917 735,020 $500  
1918 664,076 $500  
1919 498,342 $500  
1920 941,042 $395 Production for fiscal year 1920, (August 1, 1919 through July 31, 1920)
Price was $550 in March but dropped by Sept
1920 463,451 $395 Production for balance of calendar year, August 1 through Dec 31
Total '1920' production (17 months) = 1,404,493
1921 971,610 $325 Price was $370 in June but dropped by Sept.
1922 1,301,067 $319  
1923 2,011,125 $364  
1924 1,922,048 $265  
1925 1,911,705 $260
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Tyres were not cheap in those days. Today a new tyre costs about a day's wages. Back then $19.50 represented several week's wages for most people.

 

The 12 prefix in the serial number says it was built in the Buffalo plant. 1925 production there went 12K1000 to 12K36081. Makes this one about a third the way into the year.

 

Notice on the invoice for the car the typist hit the wrong key for the P - got the O instead. I bet there are few out there who have not done the same thing

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Seems HIGH for trade in. Just like today that's probably where some markup went. The above reflects the new sale price of the T but 1925 was lower! Hard imagine car prices falling. But just like today I'm sure real trade values reflected what a new model cost today not what it cost when new.

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20 hours ago, Larry Schramm said:

With an invoice date of 1925,  when all Fords were Model T (except a few before 1909 and I do not know of any of those that were coupes), who knows what year the coupe was though.

It could have been a 1914 Coupelet. Here is an ad for a coupe from 1914.

WM1_001.jpg

Edited by Brass is Best (see edit history)
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