Restored footage from 1930s America shows classic cars that would go for millions today
Published on Jan 28, 2025 at 9:45 AM (UTC+4)
by Daisy Edwards
Last updated on Jan 29, 2025 at 3:49 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Some restored and colorized footage of 1930s America has opened a portal to the past, showing what life looked like in the Big Apple back then.
Included in the footage are several examples of fabulous classic cars driving about on busy New York streets.
While these classic cars would sell for thousands or even millions these days, they were super commonplace in 1930s america.
From Packard cars to Chevrolets and Cadillacs, the footage highlights cars that are very much symbols of luxury to this day.
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Welcome back to 1930s America
The footage which was colorized, restored and posted on YouTube by the account NASS, shows 1930s America, specifically the streets of New York.
As well as portraying the architecture of the era and the fashion of people at the time, it also is a fantastic example of the types of cars that everyday people were driving.
While these classic cars are modern-day hot commodities and can be found on auction sites for thousands, if not millions of dollars, back in the 1930s, they would be people’s everyday run-around vehicles.
See this recovered footage from one of Concorde’s last flights.
Classic cars in their natural habitat
Amongst the unrecognizable cars, there is an overwhelming majority of Packard cars, a very popular brand back in the 1930s.
They are characterized by their luxurious interiors and signature radiator hood on the front of the cars.
Also found in the footage were multiple Chevrolets and Cadillacs, cars which are still symbols of luxury to this day.
There may also have been a Duesenberg, a very luxurious car model made exclusively for 10 years only between 1928 and 1938.
They sell on the modern market for up to $5 million.
It would be nice to see some classic electric cars, but by this point in history, they had almost completely died out.
This footage begs the question: what kind of cars will be recognized as classic 2020s cars when historians from the future look back at 2025?
