The Black Ones

[ratamahata]

I would like to start a photo thread, the reference would be to add photos of models "A" black color, to have all the pictures together like an album and enjoy and tell a story related to the topic

Why Weren't Model A's Offered in Black in 1928-29?

It's a kind of a long story, but I will try to summarized, but first, I have to agree to said that black was a special order color, not standard, at least when the Ford Model A was introduced. Most of the high end cars were black, as a luxury item. When the 1928's came out, each passenger car body style was offered in a minimum of five color combos, black not being one of them. (Yes, black could be ordered, but wasn't included in the initial releases). Often this myriad of options on a low-priced car was achieved by simply reversing the upper and lower body colors. Nevertheless, there were color combinations offered. Why wasn't black one of these options? What happened to black? To answer that, we need to look back a couple years in FoMoCo history before the Model A was introduced. Black had been the only color available on Model T's from 1915 to 1925. Green, red and blue had been available on Model T's up to that time, as well as black. Why then were Fords after 1914 painted only black for the next 11 model years? - The pigmented colors of the day took longer to dry than black. Until better, faster drying proxylin colors came out in the later 20's, black was chosen by Ford as the only color. A dry car body was a car body ready to mount on a chassis and sell! That meant it had to be black. Until the middle 20's when sales alarmingly slowed down, Ford couldn't make Model T's fast enough as it was to meet the demand without being saddled with slow drying colors.

In an effort to get back into the sales race by updating a hopelessly out of date Model T design, Ford offered the new 1926 closed cars in colors: Deep Channel Green for coupes and Tudors, Windsor Maroon on Fordors. Other colors became available later, too, but that's not critical to this discussion. Letters to dealers from the Boss even stressed their need to talk customers out of wanting black on their new closed body Model T's. Open cars (the cheap ones in the line), however, continued to be black until late in the year. Possibly during the August year model change (not January, as with Model A's), open cars now became available in colors, such as Phoenix Brown and Gunmetal Blue. The point here is, Ford was trying to change the image of his cars only coming in black. By then, this was synonymous with driving an out of date car. When the Model T era ended in May, 1927, more new Model T's were wearing colors than black.

So jump ahead to the introduction of the Model A, which was to outdistance the Model T in every way. Mr. Ford, considered this new car so advanced that he jumped back to the letter "A" in the alphabet instead of calling it a Model X,Y,Z or whatever. When the cars were announced for public viewing on December 2, 1927, black was not one of the standard colors listed. This was yet another gambit to get away from the "any color you want as long as it's black" old saw that was hung on the Model T. The introduction of the faster drying proxylin pigmented paints made it once again possible to mass produce cars in colors. Black was retained for the fenders and splash aprons, however. In early 1929, the color black was once again available in some models. So were there black Model A's? Of course! And lots of them.

Model A coupe, John Dillinger made a getaway in this 1930 Ford Model A

[PC/SR]

Interesting stuff Ratamahata. I have a 1930 phaeton that was originally from Argentina that under the black was a light green that I have not seen in the color charts here. Were the cars painted there for assembly, or was the green just a later paint job?

[2manycars]

Here are a few photos of my 29 tudor. I bought it in 1975, in a barn in northwest connecticut. I don't like black, but that is the color it was when I bought it, so that is the color it is now. I painted the wheels red in '75, and added the red stripe.

[2935ford]

This is my Canadian "black" '28 Tudor. I owned the car up until 8 months ago. It was white with a gray band and gray wheels. I sold it and the new owner painted it black. He found another car he wanted more and I bought it back just last month.

[Aerocraft]

My April of 1931 40B has never been taken apart and had a Black lacquer respray in 1951 over the original black. The respray is cracking off in many spots exposing the original finish. Gar Williams

[steve s]

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Here's my dad's first A, a mightily accessorized 30 coupe.



Here's my dad in 1962 with his Canada-made 30 coupe, which he bought for old-time's sake after I got mine. It was same model as he had courted my mom in (above).



Here's my 29 town sedan during a trip home from college in 1964.



All three of these were originally black, although by the time these photos were taken dad had repainted his second one with a brush and Rustoleum (and added VW fender turn signals) and I had paid a friend's cousin $25 to spray mine. When I had a big date, I borrowed the Nash, another magnificent piece of machinery.

Steve

[ratamahata]

Originally Posted by PC/SR

Interesting stuff Ratamahata. I have a 1930 phaeton that was originally from Argentina that under the black was a light green that I have not seen in the color charts here. Were the cars painted there for assembly, or was the green just a later paint job?

I have a cowl with the light green paint to... under the dash, later I'll take pictures for compare!!

[ratamahata]

Great stories guys, this thread will have it a lot of fun...


1930 model A roadster

Link to picture gallery "How beautiful can be"

http://www.streetsideclassics.com/sh...rd%20Model%20A

[LSGUN]

Here is my factory black '30, it still has a WWII gas ration sticker on the windshield.

[ratamahata]

Some may not like the black color, but there's something in the depths of his darkness that attracts me, especially the Model A's with White Wall tires

[CHuDWah]

Sorry, no pix - just a couple comments. Dunno if it's true but I've also heard black paint was cheaper than colors. Whatever, no doubt it's use had to do with cutting production time and cost.

I have a black modern car and I'll never have another - too high maintenance. Nothing looks better clean but nothing looks worse dirty - and it gets dirty quick!

[ratamahata]

LSGUN that's awesome, that's sticker still there!!

The green 'B' sticker was for driving deemed essential to the war effort; industrial war workers, for example, could purchase eight gallons a week. Red 'C' stickers indicated physicians, ministers, mail carriers and railroad workers. 'T' was for truckers, and the rare 'X' sticker went to members of Congress and other VIPs. Truckers supplying the population with supplies had a T sticker for unlimited amounts of fuel.


By the end of 1942, half of U.S automobiles were issued an 'A' sticker which allowed 4 gallons of fuel per week. That sticker was issued to owners whose use of their cars was nonessential. Hand the pump jockey your Mileage Ration Book coupons and cash, and she (yes, female service station attendants because the guys were over there) could sell you three or four gallons a week, no more. For nearly a year, A-stickered cars were not to be driven for pleasure at all.

[700rpm]

The new JS do not allow for black, but in "The Ford Model A As Henry Built It," by de Angelis, Francis, and Henry, Tudors and Coupes were identified as being offered in black. So it is likely that cars restored before the new JS came out may have relied on the deAngelis book for paint specs. Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Here's my coupe, purchased already painted black.

[LSGUN]

Ratamahata thanks for the info! That's pretty neat, I wasn't sure what the "B" was associated with in regards to the ration.

[ratamahata]

Originally Posted by 700rpm

The new JS do not allow for black, but in "The Ford Model A As Henry Built It," by de Angelis, Francis, and Henry, Tudors and Coupes were identified as being offered in black. So it is likely that cars restored before the new JS came out may have relied on the deAngelis book for paint specs. Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Here's my coupe, purchased already painted black.

Not many business coupe for these lands, I have never seen one, yours is a beautiful coupe, 1928 model? I can't not see the ford inscription in the hub caps (Ford made in USA)

[700rpm]

Originally Posted by ratamahata

Not many business coupe for these lands, I have never seen one, yours is a beautiful coupe, 1928 model? I can't not see the ford inscription in the hub caps (Ford made in USA)

Only the 1929 Business coupes had the oval windows. Ford made something like 37,600 in '29, but they seem kind of hard to find. I had never actually seen one until I found this one, and I've been in the hobby for 50 years. And then this one showed up about ten miles from where I live!

Regarding the myths around Ford and black, I have heard that the Model T was painted black because that was the fastest drying paint at the time and so allowed the assembly line to move along at a better pace. By the time the Model A went into production, though, that point was moot.

[Jim Boehmke]

here's my daily driver

[John Stone]

Only picture I could find of my early 28 Business Coupe. Yes I painted it before the JS's said black wasn't standard. It did get a first place at the first World Meet. Sorry about the medium cream pickup.

[Chris in WNC]

MARC of Originality, 1987.
currently has 22,000 miles, 7,000 driven since I purchased in 2004.
repainted in mid-70s, the newer lacquer is peeling from the fenders and splashes.

[RcT]

Black coupes, with black wheels and black tires... like a fine lady dressed for the evening.I love black cars!