c1936 Oldsmobile F-37 Sedan

Through the 1930s the American chassis kept arriving and Holden kept bodying them, and for Oldsmobile that overwhelmingly meant the four-door sedan. It was the sensible choice — a family car, bought by families, used until it was used up. That is precisely why so few are left: neglect and plain disinterest through the 1960s, '70s and '80s sent most of them to the scrapper, and a fully restored one is now an unusual thing to find.

This car has been fully restored and has not seen much use since the work was completed. The interior is more sumptuous than the car would have been when new — a higher grade of leather was used in the retrim than Oldsmobile ever specified. Paint and body are equally impressive, and the car is believed to be mechanically sound.

Mechanically it is a side-valve six with a three-speed manual gearbox: no overdrive, no synchromesh on first, and nothing on it that a competent home mechanic cannot reach. Enough of a modern car in its proportions and its manners to stay usable as a weekend car for decades yet, which is more than can be said for anything a decade older.