How Many Model A's are left ?
 

I am wondering if anyone has come up with a recent calculation as to how many Ford Model A's are left.

Several years ago, I made my own 'Ball Park' guess-timation: MAFCA has about 14,000 members, MARC has about 11,000 members, with maybe, two thousand over-lapping members. That would be roughly 23,000 members of the two National clubs. Somewhere, long ago, I read a survey that indicated that there were an average of three Model A's per member. Some guys are sensible with just one car - others with less self-control - with 3, 4, 5 or more. But three cars was the average at that time.

Using those old figures, 3 times 23,000 would be somewhere in the 'ball park' of 70,000 Ford Model A's. Then there are all those Model A owners who have no club affiliation with either MARC or MAFCA. Just how many is anyone's guess, but less say another 5,000 who are just not 'joiners'. At three cars each, that adds another 15,000 cars to the previous 70,000, for a total of 85,000 Ford Model A's.

IF this number is anywhere close to the actual (forever unknown) number, then it would make for a fairly impressive survival rate of the 5 million or so Ford Model A's that were made between 1928 and 1931. (Yes, I know that production began in late 1927 and ended in early 1932).

Because my first 'old car' was a 1928 Chevrolet, and I am also a student of Automotive history, I am familiar with the fact that in 1928 Chevrolet sold significantly more cars than Ford; and for the four years of Model A production, Chevrolet had pretty much matched Ford production. So where are all those Chevrolets ? Dumb question - please don't answer.

So, I would like to get other opinions and input to this question of " How Many Model A's are left ? "

Re: How Many Model A's are left ?
 

247,133, in the book "The Legendary Model A Ford:..." it says 250,000, but I think he is a bit over optimistic.

Re: How Many Model A's are left ?
 

Someone posted a few months back that he did a search on the web and there were 3,500 Model A's for sale in the USA at that moment.
I see new finds showing up all the time. Some may be just a frame and cowl,so I think the number will keep going up.

Re: How Many Model A's are left ?
 

Hmm, if there were 3.500 cars for sale, I have to think that the number would represent more or less complete cars, mostly running. Say a selling average of 8,000 dollars each, that would be about $28,000,000 of available inventory at any point in time. Good thing to remember when you are out looking for one.

Re: How Many Model A's are left ?
 

i think your way short of 5,000 non joiners or just A's sitting in barns and fields. it's impossible to know but the figure would be suprisingly high IMO.

Re: How Many Model A's are left ?
 

I would guess that less than 10% of the Model A owners out there are a member of either national club. I bet if you took a poll of all of the Model A owners that currently have cars listed on Ebay you would find that virtually none of them members of either national club. I wonder how many Model A enthusiasts on this website alone are not members of either national group? I've sold a lot of Model As over the years to new collectors and even though you encourage people to join I am sure almost none of them have. In the old days (read: before computers) the only source of parts and information was through the national and regional clubs via listings in their publications and through personally connecting with other members. (Remember how we could not wait to tear the cover off The Restorer or Model A News to see what was for sale in the back? Remember when Hemmings really was the "Bible"?) Now, the information and parts sources are at everyone's fingertips, 24 hours a day. While I certainly feel that interest in Model As (as well as other prewar cars) is at an all time high, and will continue to grow, the amount of club members-in any of the cars clubs, not just the Model A clubs-will at best hold its own if not decline slightly. Personally, I would never give up my MARC/MAFCA (and other old car club) memberships but that is just me. Time will tell....

Re: How Many Model A's are left ?
 

Geez, this is hard to know! However, I've seen the estimated world wide population at 250,000. This does not seem unreasonable. I agree with Mitch, there are more non-joiners than joiners. About the Chevies, From what I've heard, they had more wood in them than the Fords. But mostly, the Fords got better gas mileage and were held back from the WW2 scrap drives.
Terry

Re: How Many Model A's are left ?
 

Wick-
Start a new thread on the rebuilding of the low mileage A! and close up shots!!

Re: How Many Model A's are left ?
 

I think there is more than people think left. At least it seams that way around here. I have a few insurance guys that find cars for me. And they tell me that they see quite a few of them in old barns or garages. And even out to pasture. The more these old folks die off. We will see more cars.

Re: How Many Model A's are left ?
 

I have a 2dr coup about two blocks from me.
Been there for years and will be form many more, if the owner has his way.

I'v been trying to buye it for the last three years since I found it in the garage.

He keeps saying that he is going to restore it.I have great doubts about this.

How many more out there like this ????

Re: How Many Model A's are left ?
 

Tons

Re: How Many Model A's are left ?
 

Good question Doug...... too bad the DMV from each state couldn't be polled with that info from the historic plates they issue or some other simple way of knowing our cars had a special classic/antique designation. But then that would include your 1928 Chevy too!

Re: How Many Model A's are left ?
 

Don't forget all the non USA A's as well. The A was a truly international car. I would just call the number 'lots'.

Re: How Many Model A's are left ?
 

Here is an article I wrote for our club's newsletter in October. Of the estimates and conjectures I have seen over the years; this is the one I like the best.

Have you ever wondered how many Model A’s still survive today? Of the Ford TriMotor planes built (199), there are 8 still in existence. Since the plane is 80+ years old (as is the Model A), and lasted longer than initially predicted (just as our Model A’s have); we can apply a similar ratio from the TriMotor to the Model A (since they were both built by Ford Motor Company). That would calculate there being approximately 190 to 200-thousand A’s still around. No wonder it’s been said there are more Model A’s than all the other antique cars put together.

Re: How Many Model A's are left ?
 

so many are hidden in garages , etc. I don't see how you could even guess .......

Re: How Many Model A's are left ?
 

I would guesse around 500,000 left taking into account nonrunning stored away complete cars and restored cars that have barely seen the light of day since the 70's. I know of 22 restored cars in the area that basicly have not moved in 40 years and nearly 150 complete nonrunning, but rather complete cars stored away for many years. To some my estimate would seem quite high, but I have to think the truth would suprise most. Rod

Re: How Many Model A's are left ?
 

The figure I have heard for years is one million world wide.

Re: How Many Model A's are left ?
 

I talked to several old timers who bought late '20s Chevrolets as used cars in the '30s, and they all said it was common even at that stage to put carriage bolts through the door framing to keep the doors workable.

Re: How Many Model A's are left ?
 

An older cousin of my father (now deceased) had a 28 or 29 chevy and said that year was notorious as an axle breaker.
Terry

Re: How Many Model A's are left ?
 

When I was a 'youngster' (oh, those were the dayzzz . . . ) the figure I most often heard was 'about a quarter of a million - 250,000. But I have since learned that that figure was/is a bit like that elusive Duesenberg that someone heard for someone, who has it on good 'authority' that a he once heard of a guy that had his ex-brother-in-law tell him that he saw a Duesenberg, covered with dust, sitting in a single-car garage, which had it's owner dead for low these many years - the car is out there 'somewhere'. But in fact, we just can't seem to find it.

After being in the 'hobby' for over 50 years now, and 'bumping elbows' with a great many Model A owners (and their cars, and their parts), I have since come to very seriously doubt that a quarter of a million Ford Model A's exist. At best, I believe that if we were to double my base number (85,000) to take into account all the 'nooks and crannies' of the existing Model A Stock, at 170,000, we would still fall short of having a quarter of a million Model A's.