A 1931 Chrysler is heading to auction to help fund the preservation of historic aircraft at the War Eagles Air Museum in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, which has kept the car in its collection for about 30 years. The CD-8 Deluxe Sport Roadster is selling on Bring a Trailer with no reserve, with the auction scheduled to end on October 5, 2026. The museum will also receive the buyer’s fee along with the winning bid.
Rare 1931 Chrysler CD-8 heads to auction after 30 years in a museum
The five-digit odometer shows about 73,000 miles, although that reading alone cannot establish the car’s complete mileage history. Another clue to its past remains on the grille, where a 1986 Great American Race medallion recalls its participation in the vintage-car event.
Behind the two front seats, the Chrysler hides a folding rumble seat. It opens from the rear and provides open-air seating with upholstery that matches the main cabin. A fold-down luggage rack sits farther back, while two spare wheels occupy the front fenders on either side of the hood.
Burgundy paint contrasts with black fenders and a tan convertible top. Red 17-inch wheels wear Firestone Deluxe Champion whitewall tires, while Trippe driving lights retain their red covers. The windshield tilts forward, and small glass wind wings complete the roadster’s period equipment.
The CD Eight occupied the middle of Chrysler’s lineup between its cheaper six-cylinder models and the Imperial. Under the long hood sits a 282-cubic-inch, 4.6-liter inline-eight fed by a Stromberg carburetor. Output reaches roughly 100 hp, and the listing notes engine service completed in July 2026.
Its Multi-Range manual transmission deserves some explanation. Chrysler called it a four-speed, but it did not arrange four forward ratios like a modern gearbox. Drivers could choose between two different first gears depending on conditions, followed by second and third. Power goes to the rear wheels, while hydraulic drum brakes handle stopping at all four corners.
A body-color dashboard houses the speedometer and gauges for the car’s mechanical systems. The museum will transfer the Chrysler with a clean New Mexico title in its name.
The CD also has an interesting motorsport connection. A Chrysler from the series competed in the 1931 24 Hours of Le Mans, while another Chrysler Eight finished third in the 24 Hours of Spa only three weeks later.
