Model year dates?

Royce P

Royce P

Senior Member
When was each model year begun and ended for the Model A? Is there a definitive serial number for each model year's beginning and end?
 
I echo Royce P's question. Now a days the new cars are introduced in the fall for the coming year. (Remember when the new Chevy's were unveiled on Sunday night after Bonanza?) When were the new model A's introduced?

Marty
 
The only record I know of regarding Model "A" production is the foundry record of daily engine numbers. Steve Plucker may have a better answer to this question.
 
The reason I am asking is there is a fellow trying to sell what he calls a "1928" roadster. Engine block has a casting date that equals late October 1928. The car seems to be a 1929 from all the features that I can see.
 
Well, we can pinpoint the change from the 1929 to the 1930 models in November/December 1929...That is a given.

Now, the 1928 to the 1929 models, I guess one way would be through engine numbers.

Yet another way would be thru specific changes chassis changes such as a change from the Multiple Disc Clutch to the Single Disc Clutch in November of 1928...or maybe the addition of outside door handles in Roadsters and Phaetons in December 1928... others?

Changes for the 1930 to the 1931 models might include the changes in the radiator shell or maybe changes in the front fenders/splash aprons assembly (not sure of the dates here)...others?

Yes, there are the engine numbers:

1928 end: 810122

1929 start: 810123
1929 end: 2742695

1930 start: 2742696
1930 end: 4237500

1931 start: 4237501
1931 end: 4830806

1932 start: 4830807
1932 end: 4849340

But since 1928 engine numbers were assembled in vehicles built in 1929...I think that really does not constitute a "model" change.

Others????
 
I've heard from several sources that dating by the engine can give you a mistakenly early date for the car because the engines were built centrally and then shipped by rail to regional depots, where the body would be assembled. If the depot was far away (e.g., California) or if there were already a lot of engines in inventory, it could be several months before a given engine was assembled into a car, sent to a dealership, and sold. So a late-'28 engine in a '29 car wouldn't be that uncommon.
 
There are many differences between the 28s and 29s, you just about have to get a copy of the judging standards and study them and the "A". Over the years parts may have been changed. However, by use of the Judging Standards and looking at many of the parts and changes you should be able to determine the assembly date within a few weeks. You can not necessarily go by the engine number as many engines have been changed over the years. The number on the frame matches the engine number if the engine has not been changed and if you can find and read it is more accurate within a few months. The engine number will only tell you when the engine was built not the car.


One quick way that will generally work but not always is the type and placement of the tail lamp. If it has a drum tail lamp mounted on the lower rear drivers side of the body it is most likely a 28 however I have see some early 29s with the drum lamp. If it has a tea cup style tail lamp mounted on the fender it is a 29.


That being said, as I understand some states back then titled the car by the year it was first sold and not by the year it was assembled.
 
This site explains the numbers but it doesn't really tell the whole story. Ford put dates to the engine numbers but they could end up in a lot of different succession spots towards the end of a model year. I'm sure plenty of 1929 engines ended up in 1930 cars and so on. Title or registration can settle that sometimes but there has been a lot of water under the bridge since that era.
http://www.fordgarage.com/pages/ABenginenumbers.htm#C1

Ford sold model year cars by the date it was recieved at the dealers. They also sold them by characteristics to a certain degree. If it looked like a 29 after the 30 models came out then it was still a 29. Between 28 & 29 you could fudge a bit and same with 30 & 31. By 1931 sales were down so I'm sure some 30 models were sold as 31 cars until they sold them out. The dealers would have had some leeway on this at the beginning of a model year.

This always makes for a lot of discussion about models and years of manufacture and especially when they were cranking out near 1.5 million cars in 1929 alone.
 
This particular roadster has outside door handles which to me says 1929 and no question about that. My suspicion is that the engine block may be a replacement. Or it simply was not made into a car until after outside door handles were introduced.


Steve Plucker said:
Well, we can pinpoint the change from the 1929 to the 1930 models in November/December 1929...That is a given.

Now, the 1928 to the 1929 models, I guess one way would be through engine numbers.

Yet another way would be thru specific changes chassis changes such as a change from the Multiple Disc Clutch to the Single Disc Clutch in November of 1928...or maybe the addition of outside door handles in Roadsters and Phaetons in December 1928... others?

Changes for the 1930 to the 1931 models might include the changes in the radiator shell or maybe changes in the front fenders/splash aprons assembly (not sure of the dates here)...others?

Yes, there are the engine numbers:

1928 end: 810122

1929 start: 810123
1929 end: 2742695

1930 start: 2742696
1930 end: 4237500

1931 start: 4237501
1931 end: 4830806

1932 start: 4830807
1932 end: 4849340

But since 1928 engine numbers were assembled in vehicles built in 1929...I think that really does not constitute a "model" change.

Others????
Click to expand...
 
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