We prove the persistence of analyticity for classical solutions of the Cauchy problem for quasilinear wave equations with analytic data. Our results show that the analyticity of solutions, stated by the Cauchy–Kowalewski and Ovsiannikov–Nirenberg theorems, lasts until a classical solution exists. Moreover, they show that if the equation and the Cauchy data are analytic only in a part of the space variables, then a classical solution is also analytic in these variables. The approach applies to other quasilinear equations and implies the persistence of the space analyticity (and the partial space analyticity) of their classical solutions.