Pre-war vehicle
Vehicle from the era before the Second World War, usually up to the 1939 model year. The term is not officially defined; the cut-off varies by source.
A pre-war vehicle (also pre-war car or pre-war classic) is an automobile from the era before the Second World War. There is no official or uniform definition – the term comes from the general usage of the classic car scene. The most common boundary is up to the 1939 model year, i.e. up to the outbreak of war; sometimes 1945 (the end of the war) is used as well, because civilian car production largely ceased during the conflict. Some collectors even use pre-war to mean the period before the First World War.
What is undisputed is that the Second World War divides the classic car world into a pre-war and a post-war era. A clearer, internationally recognised classification is offered by FIVA's grouping by construction period: the pre-war era there covers Classes A (Ancestor, up to 1904), B (Veteran, 1905–1918), C (Vintage, 1919–1930) and D (Post Vintage, 1931–1945). Many organisers and clubs use this system for an unambiguous assignment.
Technically, pre-war vehicles are simple, robust and usually easy to repair. Electronics in today's sense do not exist; brakes were initially operated by cables, with hydraulic brakes only becoming established from the 1950s. Mixture and ignition timing were often set by hand, and starting was sometimes still done with a crank. Thermosiphon cooling without a water pump was widespread, in which the water circulates solely through the temperature difference – a challenge in stop-and-go traffic. Over the course of the 1930s, the initially angular, carriage-like shape increasingly gave way to a more aerodynamic, streamlined design.
In rallying, pre-war vehicles are sought-after rarities and shape the character of many classic events. Some rallies are aimed exclusively at pre-war vehicles. Running them requires experience and preparation, and the supply of spare parts often runs almost entirely through marque clubs – especially for German manufacturers, whose archives and parts stores were in part destroyed during the war. Driving a pre-war vehicle is at the same time a journey back into the early history of the automobile.
Sources: FIVA – Vehicle Categories; Wikipedia: Oldtimer; SHVF – Vehicle Definitions.
Glossary from A to Z
Related terms
Youngtimer
A younger collectible vehicle, usually around 20 to 29 years old – younger than an Oldtimer. FIVA lists Youngtimers as Class Y.
07er-Kennzeichen
Germany's red classic-car plate (rotes 07-Kennzeichen): one transferable plate for several historic vehicles, usable only for events plus test, transfer and workshop drives – never for everyday use.
Matching numbers
Collector term for a vehicle whose major components (engine, gearbox, axle, frame) still carry the original numbers that match one another and the factory records – an indicator of originality, not of identity.