During 1931 FoMoCo sent a message to all its dealers, informing them that
NO SALE should be lost because the customer couldn't get the color combination he wanted, whether it was a "standard" combination for that body style or not. The effects of the Great Depression were really cutting into new car sales, so to make potential customers happy, ANY color combination Ford offered in 1931 could be ordered on any body style. I don't know how many yellow Fordors/Town Sedans were ordered (yuch!), but it is documented that Deluxe Roadsters left the factory wearing Bronson Yellow and Seal Brown in 1931, although this combo was not part of the "standard" offerings for this body style. (It was available as a "standard" color combo on 400-A Convertible Sedans, though!) It appears that the roadster in Mike's Iowa photo is one of those animals painted yellow. Perhaps because this color combination was such an oddity, that's why this photo was taken, ignoring the rarer 400-A on the other side of the roadster. Of course, it may just be one of a series of photos taken that day documenting Model A's for sale at this dealership. That could explain why all those supposedly new Model A's are lined up in front of the dealership awaiting their turn in front of the camera instead of being protected inside the showroom. Who knows at this late date?
If the passenger is an owner of this car, he appears to be the type of chap who would order such a striking color combination on a flashy roadster, given the rakish tilt of his hat. He is NOT the town banker most likely.
By the way, the '31 Deluxe Roadster used early in the 1967 movie "Bonnie & Clyde" appears to be fairly original, including the fading factory paint. Guess what color it is! Yup - yellow and brown!
Marshall