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Old 08-24-2012, 03:37 PM   #1
RcT
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Default Model A Fords in the Military

Why is it that Model A Fords never show up "in uniform"? I googled it up and found some pictures of artillary vehicless. AA trucks, but have never seen any restored vehicles still existing... anybody know of any still around?
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Old 08-24-2012, 04:09 PM   #2
Bruce Adams
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Default Re: Model A Fords in the Military

Thre were VERY FEW Model A's "Tween the wars", particularly since the Army was cutting back big time in the Model A Period, using surplus WW1 vehicles, and the horse was still king.
You might see General Irwin Rommel reviewing his North African troops in a German made 400A looking Ford, with the top off, though. (Henry had a plant in Germany)

You can see movies of hundreds of AA's crossing the frozen lake to relieve Leningrad during the Nazi siege, though they were really ZZ GAZ trucks almost identical to the AA, but with Model B engines. The Soviets continued to manufacture GAZ "Jeeps" through WW2, and many were seen by Gi's in Korea, during the Korean war, belonging to NKPR and Chinese troops, with their Model B (Z) GAZ engines.
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Old 08-24-2012, 04:15 PM   #3
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Default Re: Model A Fords in the Military

Vince Falter at the Ford Garage has pics of Station Wagons used with an Army Artillery unit. Maybe that is what you referred to above. I also recently saw a Army badged 28 or 29 Roadster pickup on fleabay. Not sure if it was a mockup or not.
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Old 08-26-2012, 10:58 AM   #4
Brad in Germany
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Default Model A Ford of the US Army

RcT,

Here are some factory photos of US Army Staff Cars:







The Navy/Marine Corps also had some Model AA trucks. Several other armed forces had Model A's. The Germans used appropriated GAZ AA trucks during WWII in their retreat from Russia.

Fordially,
Brad in Maryland.....still active duty Army.
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Old 08-26-2012, 12:10 PM   #5
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Default Re: Model A Fords in the Military

When WWII broke out, the newest Model "A", was a ten year old car.
They were used by the govt. from 1931-1941, I'm sure, but the photos would be much more scarce than WWII photos.
MIKE
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Old 08-26-2012, 01:57 PM   #6
Ken Ehrenhofer
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Default Re: Model A Fords in the Military

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Great post most interesting thanks,
Ken
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Old 08-26-2012, 02:15 PM   #7
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Default Re: Model A Fords in the Military

Thank you Brad! What color do you think those A's are? Bob
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Old 08-27-2012, 12:02 AM   #8
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Default Re: Model A Fords in the Military

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Originally Posted by Roadster62 View Post
Thank you Brad! What color do you think those A's are? Bob
Yes, more great photos from Brad ; I would almost bet those Services Model A's have non polished paintwork on the bodywork, same as the Commercials. Fenders are normal enamel dipped, high lustre. Interesting topic.
Tom in NZ.
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Old 08-27-2012, 04:11 AM   #9
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Default Re: Model A Fords in the Military

I should letter, "FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY!" on my coupe doors! When asked what business I'm in, just reply, "MONKEYS!" Bill W.
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Old 08-27-2012, 06:02 AM   #10
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Default Re: Model A Fords in the Military

I saw one once about 20-25 years ago. It was at Larsen Ford in Lakewood. It had a two piece windshield. It was in a collection of Mod As that were waiting for restoration. Ft Dix is only a few miles away and there's a lot of ex-military stuff in the area. I always figured it came out of a "base Sale".
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Old 08-27-2012, 06:16 AM   #11
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Default Re: Model A Fords in the Military

Part of the reason for the scarcity of military hardware with Ford's name on it may be Henry's aversion to war.
During WW1, He produced almost nothing for the war effort. He also chartered the "Peace ship" The Christina. He and a lot of others banded together and went to Sweden to negotiate an end to the war. During the war, He produced "Eagle Boats", subchasers.
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Old 08-27-2012, 06:55 AM   #12
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Default Re: Model A Fords in the Military

I thought that he wasn't so much a pacifist but a German sympathizer. And by that I mean nationally and ethnically, not politically. He didn't want to go to war with a people that he respected....?
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Old 08-27-2012, 09:38 AM   #13
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Default Re: Model A Fords in the Military

Henry was somewhat the Anti-Semite and his portrait was in Hitler's library.
I understand a copy of "The International Jew" was given out with new Model T's.

Almost ALL B-24's were manufactured by Ford, though there was some kind of an FBI investigation early-on that Henry was foot-dragging in starting B-24 production.
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Old 08-27-2012, 10:44 AM   #14
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Default Re: Model A Fords in the Military

Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry, NJ View Post
Part of the reason for the scarcity of military hardware with Ford's name on it may be Henry's aversion to war.
During WW1, He produced almost nothing for the war effort. He also chartered the "Peace ship" The Christina. He and a lot of others banded together and went to Sweden to negotiate an end to the war. During the war, He produced "Eagle Boats", subchasers.
Terry

For WWI, Ford produced the M1917 Ambulances. According to some internet research, the first manufacturing contract was awarded to the Ford Motor Company in July 1917 and completed in September 1917. Ford Manufactured more than 2,400 1917 Ambulance bodies through the course of the War.




.....and if anyone is interested in the role of Ford Werke in Germany supporting the Nazi effort during WWII, here is the link to a research study conducted on Ford's role titled "Research Findings About Ford-Werke Under the Nazi Regime": http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/...caust/Ford.pdf. Ford Werke Germany produced many vehicles for the German Wehrmacht and even used forced labor in their factory. The Ford Motor company however denies that they had any control over what happened in their German subsidiary.


Here is the cover of the Ford Werke Germany news magazine (Werkzeitung = factory newspaper) from 1940 celebrating Hitler's birthday!:






...and a photo of Henry Ford receiving the Grand Cross of the Supreme Order of the German Eagle (from the German Consuls from Detroit and Cleveland) which included a personal congratulatory message from Hitler:



....sorry for the diversion in Ford history..... so back to Model A's, here is a Model AA that was modified for the Danish Resistance during WWII. It sits outside of the Danish Resistance Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark:





Fordially,
Brad in Maryland

Last edited by Brad in Germany; 08-27-2012 at 11:19 AM.
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Old 08-27-2012, 11:13 AM   #15
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Default Re: Model A Fords in the Military

I was aware of the political side of Henry Ford, having read quite a bit about his life, and it was not my intent for this to drift off subject, but thank you for that viewpoint also... maybe his feelings did have some affect on the lack of military Model A Fords. It just seemed odd to me that we did have a military after WWI, and I knew a bunch of T's were used for various reasons in the first war, but with the popularity and duriblity of the A, that we see very few pictures and I have never seen a Model A restored to military dress... Thank you, Brad in Germany, for taking the time to post your pictures. I had never seen a Model A in this configuration. Very interesting. Perhaps this could be a good subject for one of the Model A magazines...

thanks again,

Richard
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Old 08-27-2012, 02:52 PM   #16
Terry, NJ
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Default Re: Model A Fords in the Military

This ios my last post on thjis subject! Henry Ford and his feelings about Nazis, Gemans, Jews and Communists is a minefield and I have huge feet. Yes, Thank you, for posting this. I didn't know that HF built ambulances in WW1. What else would a pacifist produce. His Chartering of the "Peace Ship" and going to Sweden speaks volumes, to me anyway! When he had the manufacturing capacity to build and supply a huge amount of other Materiel' at a good profit. The ambulances were not weapons and the Eagle Boats were wooden and probably only projected to last 5 or 10 years. They were built for the English Channel and would probably not perform well elsewhere.
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Old 08-28-2012, 01:13 PM   #17
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Default Re: Model A Fords in the Military

Back to RcT's original question, here's a post from Pat in Santa Cruz on the Commercial Vehicles thread:



Vince Falter has some nice US military images, including a station wagon.

There are also good images on the Commercial Vehicles thread of "A's" in the 1930 Brazilian revolution, and mounted with a Maxim machine gun in South Africa.

As previously stated, there are many images of GAZ vehicles "on duty" for the Red Army in WWII.
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