Ford Model B (1932)
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- See also Ford Model B (1904)
| Ford Model B | |
|---|---|
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| Manufacturer | Ford Motor Company |
| Also called | Ford Model 18 Ford V8 |
| Production | 1932– 1934 4,320,446 made |
| Predecessor | Ford Model A |
| Successor | Ford Model 48 |
The Model B was a new Ford automobile produced in the 1932 model year. It was an updated version of the Model A and remained largely unchanged until the 1935 model year, when the updated Model 48 was introduced.
Strictly speaking the Model B was a four-cylinder car, but it was at this time that Ford began producing a very similar car with Ford's new Flathead V8 engine. The V8 car was marketed as a Model 18, though it is commonly called the Ford V-8 today, and was virtually indistinguishable from the Model B. Until this time, Ford had always produced only one basic car at a time.
Today, the 1930s Model B is a highly collectible car that people will pay thousands of dollars to restore to exact original style. During the WWII period, when they were first getting old, the Model Bs and V-8s were frequently altered into hot rods. This continued into the 1960s on a large scale. Since about 1970, 1932 bodies and frames have been expensive. This has reduced the sheer number "rods" being created, from the seventies on. Those that are made, however, are quite evolved and always expensive. A typical auto-show hot rod is a $60,000 proposition or much more, in a few cases.
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[edit] Deuce coupe
Deuce coupe is a slang term used to refer to the 1932 Ford coupe. In the 1940s, the '32 Ford became an ideal hot rod. Hot rodders would strip weight off these readily available cars and soup-up the engine. They came in two body styles, the more common "5-window" (two door windows, two quarter panel windows, and the rear window), and the rare "3-window" Deluxe Coupe that featured front opening (Suicide Doors).The very snappy looking 3-window is an unusually well executed stylish example from the Ford Motor Company.
[edit] Modern hot rods
Most newly built hot rods use fiberglasses or more expensive, newly minted, custom steel bodies. Occasionally an old hot rod body is recycled, with all new running gear. The classic model B, 1932 lines are usually closely followed with new bodies.
[edit] In popular culture
In 1963, The Beach Boys band released an album titled "Little Deuce Coupe." The band's song with the same name only heightened the popularity of the car.
The song Blinded by the Light, originally written and performed by Bruce Springsteen and later Manfred Mann, also contains lyrics that allude to a 1932 Ford coupe.
In 1973, George Lucas filmed "American Graffiti." The character John Milner (played by Paul Le Mat) drove a yellow deuce coupe. This film is credited for introducing the old style hot rod to a new generation.
The legendary duo, Bonnie and Clyde, was ambushed and killed in a Ford V-8. The car, which took approximately 130 rounds and shells of shotgun, pistol, and automatic rifle, is now on display along with the shirt Clyde died in at the Primm Valley Resort in Primm, Nevada.
[edit] 1933 Ford
The 1933 revision of the car was substantial, especially considering how important the 1932 change had been. For its Sophomore year, the Ford's wheelbase was stretched from 106 in (2692 mm) to 112 in (2845 mm) on a new crossmember frame. The grille was revised, gaining a pointed forward slope at the bottom which resembled either a shovel or the 1932 Packard. Both the grille and hood louvers curved down and forward.
Power from the V8 was also increased to 75 hp (56 kW) with a revised ignition system. The four-cylinder engine continued unchanged. Total sales for the model year were up to 311,113. 1933 Fords are also popular starting points for hot rod construction.
[edit] In popular culture
ZZ Top's emblematic car, Eliminator (featured in the painting on the cover of the album of the same name and in several related music videos), is a 1933 Ford three window coupe.
- A 1937 Ford V8 was featured in the Tintin book, King Ottokar's Sceptre.
[edit] 1934 Ford
The 1934 Ford (called the Model 40A) was not as substantial a model year change as the previous two years had been. Noticable changes included a flatter grille with a wider surround and straight hood louvers. V8 output was again upped, this time to 85 hp (63 kW), and the four-cylinder Model A engine was in its last year as was the Victoria body style.
[edit] Sources
- David L. Lewis (2005). 100 Years of Ford. Publications International, 81–89. ISBN 0-7853-7988-6.
- Generations: Ford Model T to Crown Victoria. Retrieved on August 21, 2006.
[edit] External links
