1932 Chev Moonlight Speedster One Off Pattern Prototype

A 1932 Chevrolet Moonlight Speedster. Although 10 of these cars were made, this isn’t even one of them! This is the wooden prototype, known as a ‘buck,’ that was used to make the mold from which the actual cars were made. Like most prototypes, this buck should’ve been destroyed. Like many prototypes, someone decided it was too cool to destroy and it became ‘barn art’ until the seller and restorer purchased it. Find this one-of-a-kind speedster in Wisconsin with a $120,000 asking price and the option to make an offer. 

Above is a photo of the buck the way it was found; no more than the speedster rear attached to a frame and firewall. This car was produced for the Australian market and was to be built by Holden. According to the seller, “GM stole the design from their subsidiary Vauxhall in the UK from a car made called a Hurlingham Roadster.” Indeed, the resemblance is uncanny! This photo is after it was removed from the Ohio barn it spent most of the last 85 years in. Though it has been cleaned up, the wood has been left original and largely untouched to preserve the history of this car. After languishing for so long, this Speedster prototype has seen the love and appreciation it deserves.

The seller has spared no expense in restoring/creating this Chevrolet. The engine is a freshly rebuilt Chevrolet straight six with dual Edmunds Racing carburetors. Per the ad, “Radiator was re-cored and the shell was nickel plated, as well as the headlights.” The transmission has also been rebuilt. While this car was likely built with resale in mind, that probably means that no corners were cut. Sometimes when people build cars for themselves, they set a lower standard than when building a car for someone else! That is not the case here, as this Moonlight Speedster prototype is immaculate with no expense spared.

While normally this car never would have been assembled, the seller took the time to track down the correct parts in order to build this into a functional car. Painted in 1950s Porsche Ruby Red, this car really pops. This is a stunning color, and really suits the lines of this car. The red and wood really contrast, and this car will undoubtedly go on to become part of an impressive collection. To quote the seller, “This car is a remarkable piece of automotive history, and until recently no one knew it existed.” Now that we know it exists, hopefully it goes on to be appreciated for years to come!