The Ford Barn

john charlton · 06-25-2022, 12:50 PM

David Bockman 2016 Technical MAFCA tells a Norwegian fordor owner that his leather interior and sliding sunroof are not original . The car is English built RHD with fender lamps it has a "A" prefixed engine serial number so it is a 24 HP car not a small bore engine which would have a "AF" prefix . Norway and Sweden did not have the protectionist "horsepower tax " as they had no motor manufacturer to protect . Two types of Briggs fordors were built at Fords Trafford Park factory in England the de luxe had full leather interior and sliding sun roof the standard was " Plain Jane" with USA style interior and no sunroof .
Model A sales were poor in UK as the AF engine had 28 BHP @ 2600 RPM so was
hard pressed to pull a heavily laden fordor . Commercial vehicles were exempt from the horse power tax so had the regular 24 HP so the grocers van would out drag the doctors cabriolet . This did not do much to enhance Fords public image !!! . Sadly some original leather interiors have been pulled out to fit a "correct" L/B interior .

John in warm evening Suffolk Couynty England .

jb-ob · 06-25-2022, 01:27 PM

John, there is at least one Briggs Fodor w/ Sliding roof in the States and was at our Dallas Joint National Meet. Very interesting design with it's leather interior.

nkaminar · 06-25-2022, 02:22 PM

John, How did the "horsepower tax" protect motor manufacturers? And, can the AF engines be hopped up by the use of a high compression head and other add-on's?

john charlton · 06-25-2022, 06:04 PM

The "horsepower tax" was an annual " road tax " which penalised vehicles over 15 HP . All USA imports were much higher than this . American imports were good value durable and were factory RHD and tailored for the British market and were hurting the British car makers . The car makers here lobbied the government for protection . In 1932 Ford brought out the model "Y" a small 8 HP car that was a smash hit designed in Detroit by Eugene Gregorie who also designed the 1933 model 40 just an upscaled version of the model "Y" . No nothing much can be done to add horsepower to the AF engine Ford engineers had done the best they could in this engine .

John in same place same weather .

Synchro909 · 06-25-2022, 08:05 PM

John, I realise none of the cars in England in the day would have come from the US but did any come from Canada, where they made some RHD cars. Ours came from Canada.
PS I bet you had a hand in our common friend in the US (who I won't name here) buying an English Ford!

john charlton · 06-26-2022, 06:50 AM

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Ford of Canada supplied all of the British Commonwealth a vast market one third of the world back then . They did not export to the British Isles or Europe . In South Africa big Fords came from Canada small Fords from England as I recall . Ford in England along with the German and French plants supplied Europe and the rest . Cars came into these plants as " flat pack " from USA and the bodies erected on a jig . USA bodies have waffle headed rivets whereas English bodies have plain headed rivets . These can easily be seen on truck cabs and tudors etc etc
Yes I know about the English import I think it is about to make landfall !!!

John in sunny afternoon Suffolk County England .

06-25-2022, 12:50 PM	#1
john charlton Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 1,304	English built cars . David Bockman 2016 Technical MAFCA tells a Norwegian fordor owner that his leather interior and sliding sunroof are not original . The car is English built RHD with fender lamps it has a "A" prefixed engine serial number so it is a 24 HP car not a small bore engine which would have a "AF" prefix . Norway and Sweden did not have the protectionist "horsepower tax " as they had no motor manufacturer to protect . Two types of Briggs fordors were built at Fords Trafford Park factory in England the de luxe had full leather interior and sliding sun roof the standard was " Plain Jane" with USA style interior and no sunroof . Model A sales were poor in UK as the AF engine had 28 BHP @ 2600 RPM so was hard pressed to pull a heavily laden fordor . Commercial vehicles were exempt from the horse power tax so had the regular 24 HP so the grocers van would out drag the doctors cabriolet . This did not do much to enhance Fords public image !!! . Sadly some original leather interiors have been pulled out to fit a "correct" L/B interior . John in warm evening Suffolk Couynty England .

06-25-2022, 01:27 PM	#2
jb-ob Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 635	Re: English built cars . John, there is at least one Briggs Fodor w/ Sliding roof in the States and was at our Dallas Joint National Meet. Very interesting design with it's leather interior.

06-25-2022, 02:22 PM	#3
nkaminar Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 3,889	Re: English built cars . John, How did the "horsepower tax" protect motor manufacturers? And, can the AF engines be hopped up by the use of a high compression head and other add-on's? __________________ A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past.

06-25-2022, 06:04 PM	#4
john charlton Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 1,304	Re: English built cars . The "horsepower tax" was an annual " road tax " which penalised vehicles over 15 HP . All USA imports were much higher than this . American imports were good value durable and were factory RHD and tailored for the British market and were hurting the British car makers . The car makers here lobbied the government for protection . In 1932 Ford brought out the model "Y" a small 8 HP car that was a smash hit designed in Detroit by Eugene Gregorie who also designed the 1933 model 40 just an upscaled version of the model "Y" . No nothing much can be done to add horsepower to the AF engine Ford engineers had done the best they could in this engine . John in same place same weather .

06-25-2022, 08:05 PM	#5
Synchro909 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 7,488	Re: English built cars . John, I realise none of the cars in England in the day would have come from the US but did any come from Canada, where they made some RHD cars. Ours came from Canada. PS I bet you had a hand in our common friend in the US (who I won't name here) buying an English Ford! __________________ I'm part of the only ever generation with an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood.

06-26-2022, 06:50 AM	#6
john charlton Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 1,304	Re: English built cars . Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Ford of Canada supplied all of the British Commonwealth a vast market one third of the world back then . They did not export to the British Isles or Europe . In South Africa big Fords came from Canada small Fords from England as I recall . Ford in England along with the German and French plants supplied Europe and the rest . Cars came into these plants as " flat pack " from USA and the bodies erected on a jig . USA bodies have waffle headed rivets whereas English bodies have plain headed rivets . These can easily be seen on truck cabs and tudors etc etc Yes I know about the English import I think it is about to make landfall !!! John in sunny afternoon Suffolk County England .

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