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Story by Tim Sharp • Photos as Credited
If you are a fan of History channel’s “American Pickers,” you have heard Mike, Frank and Danielle talk about collecting “smalls.” In their world, smalls are vintage items like old oil cans, wind-up toys, hood ornaments and weathered driving gloves. The pickers love these items because they take up very little space and typically require a lower financial commitment, but have excellent profit potential because they are super accessible and appealing to buyers.
We like small classic cars for many of the same reasons. They’re easy to store, fun to drive, and usually don’t cost much to maintain.
What qualifies as a small? We queried Louis Hudgin, one of the top authorities on small classic cars. He is a pioneer of the oldest small car show in America, the Southwest Unique Little Car Show. It has been celebrating small, yet fun, cars for nearly 40 years.
Louis says that the basic qualification for smalls is that they feature engines displacing less than 1500cc. He also prefers them tiny and rare. This group would include everything from affordable 1950s Fiat 500s to multi-million-dollar 1930s Bugattis. That means there’s a small car to appeal to just about every type of buyer. It also explains why they’re likely the next big thing.
