Coverage of the 32 Ford, how the new V-8 block was cast and a great video

[t-head]

The 1932 Ford was the long anticipated replacement for the Model A Ford. With the help of Edsel Ford’s keen eye for great automotive styling and the new V-8 engine, the 1932 Ford went on to become one of the most popular Ford models ever produced.

We have a very interesting post including a three page article found in the Automotive Industries, Nov. 5, 1932, as seen below telling all about the difficult job of casting the new block.

Also featured are original colored Ford illustrations and a very interesting film from the Benson Ford Research Center showing Henry Ford’s “Prosperity Drive” when the long anticipated new Ford was finally ready for the start of production. You will see the River Rouge Plant, new Fords being put to test, the assembly line and the full line-up of all the Fords offered in the landmark year of 1932.

You can see all of the 1932 Ford coverage here.

[VeryTangled]

Thanks for the post, very interesting stuff and I've accidentally learned something again!

The green 'Convertible Sedan' is an unusual body style. What was Ford's name for that configuration? Does anyone have any photos of one with the top down (or up for that matter, any photos)?

-VT/Jeff

[t-head]

Originally Posted by VeryTangled

Thanks for the post, very interesting stuff and I've accidentally learned something again!

The green 'Convertible Sedan' is an unusual body style. What was Ford's name for that configuration? Does anyone have any photos of one with the top down (or up for that matter, any photos)?

-VT/Jeff

Jeff "Convertible Sedan" is what Ford called it in the sales catalog that the photo came from. I believe that it may have been given the model # B-400 after the Model A A-400 it was styled after but the 1932 experts can tell us if it was different. Both of these cars had very low production numbers.

[VeryTangled]

Learning more about the B-400 model from this website. Scroll down several screens to get to the car stuff. http://texashideout.tripod.com/Ford.html

"Used as the backdrop to many of the popular photos taken by Bonnie and Clyde, it (B-400) was one of the three vehicles in use by the Barrow gang during the Joplin hideout raid. It was one of 1105 B-400 convertible sedans built in 1932. The Bonnie and Clyde B-400 was registered to R.F. Rosborough of Marshall, Texas. Stolen in March 1933 and believed to have been abandoned shortly after the Ruston Caper. After the Barrow gang's Joplin escape, Detective Ed Portley began an investigation into this fancy Barrow automobile. The sheriff at Carey, Kansas answered Detective Portley's all-points bulletin stating that at around six p.m. on April 13th, while making his rounds, he spotted a dark colored mud spattered 1932 Ford turn south off of the dirt road leading from Joplin. It was traveling through Carey at a speed of 40 mph and accelerated to 60 as it headed toward Oklahoma's Cookson Hills. After Mr. Rosborough got his prize vehicle back, it had an extra 3,000 hard driven miles added to it's odometer and was minus it's tags. He then traded it in on a new 1933 V-8 Coupe. Mr. Rosborough poses with his replacement car in photo below.

Obviously the photo with Henry Ford is Photoshoped.

I hate to say it, but as a Phaeton fan, that is not a flattering design with the top down.

-VT/Jeff

[DavidG]

According to Ford's production records, the world-wide production of B-400 convertible sedans was 1,296 with 154 of those being Model Bs and the remaining 1,142 being V-8s.

That photo above of a '32 deluxe roadster is from the Ford of Canada Archives (note the license plate). While it is not obvious from the photo, the Canadian deluxe '32 roadster and phaeton upholstery color and grain differed from their U.S. counterparts (briarwood brown versus copra drab and a more pronounced grain).

[Fordors]

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The four color illustrations show the original design of the hood sides having the raised surface around the louvers, something Edsel decided against. As a number of stampings had already been produced they were relegated to foreign Fords and when those panels were used up later production overseas '32's used the domestic hood sides as well.

[hotcoupe]

the "road test" scenes looked like something from Joey Chitwood`s Dare Devils!

[t-head]

Originally Posted by hotcoupe

the "road test" scenes looked like something from Joey Chitwood`s Dare Devils!

The whole movie is quite interesting and the "Road Test" scenes must have been done by professional racing drivers.... Did you notice them hold the cars in perfect high-speed four-wheel drifts?