The Ford Barn

Seth Swoboda · 02-26-2026, 01:37 PM

Karl is right on with his assessment on the economy of the mid to late 1930's. I have studied this to a small extent. 1938 saw a significant decline in the US economy, a recession, while trying to recover from a major depression. Sales of durable goods tanked. Cars sales for every brand were down. That is why you see few 1938 models today.
In my opinion the improvement of sealed beam headlights on all 1940 Ford models was a major improvement over the 1939 and earlier models.

Kube said it best when he described the "cult" following of 1940 Fords. Just like the 1932 Fords. A '32 Ford is a vast improvement over the Model A. However each model year forward provided improvements. Some model years just seem to have a "cult" following. I think a '33 Ford is better looking than a '32, but a '32 Ford will always have a slight edge.

Wick, I also happen to like the '39 DeLuxe Ford styling and would be proud to own one.

02-26-2026, 01:37 PM	#7
Seth Swoboda Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 4,211	Re: 40 vs 39 Karl is right on with his assessment on the economy of the mid to late 1930's. I have studied this to a small extent. 1938 saw a significant decline in the US economy, a recession, while trying to recover from a major depression. Sales of durable goods tanked. Cars sales for every brand were down. That is why you see few 1938 models today. In my opinion the improvement of sealed beam headlights on all 1940 Ford models was a major improvement over the 1939 and earlier models. Kube said it best when he described the "cult" following of 1940 Fords. Just like the 1932 Fords. A '32 Ford is a vast improvement over the Model A. However each model year forward provided improvements. Some model years just seem to have a "cult" following. I think a '33 Ford is better looking than a '32, but a '32 Ford will always have a slight edge. Wick, I also happen to like the '39 DeLuxe Ford styling and would be proud to own one.