28 millionth Ford

D

Dave Mellor NJ

Well-known member
They should have used a convertible
 

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The 15 millionth was a four door (1927 T Touring), the 20 millionth was a four door (1931 A slant window Town Sedan), the 25 millionth was a four door (1937 V-8 sedan), so I guess there was a tradition to uphold.
 
Henry Ford may have been sensitive about appearances of photographs and what they might represent to the common customer. Using the Fordor cars doesn't present a car that is outside of common sensibilities that some may feel it show boating per say. They were family cars after all and he wanted to appeal to the masses.
 
Ford headquarters may have had a say in it, but it's also possible that this car may have just been routinely scheduled to be built following a normal customer order and it just worked out due to production scheduling that it happened to be the 28th Millionth unit. We'll probably never know why it was that particular model. Assembly plant records would know for sure why it happened to be a Deluxe Fordor. That information might be available at the Benson Ford Research Center.

As a side note, my father worked at the Dallas Ford assembly plant from 1948 to 1969 and when he placed the order for our new 1957 Fairlane 4 door sedan, he found out several days later from the production department the day it was to be built and was able to track its progress down the assembly line. There wasn't anything special about it, just another car in the production schedule going down the line based on orders received from dealers. It was the very first "new" car he ever bought, so it was a really exciting when he stood by to take delivery right after it came off the final inspection line!
 
What year is that ugly car? I've never seen one like it so I'm guessing somewhere between 1939 (start of the war) and mid 40's (end of war). Probably more towards the earlier part of that range.
 
Synchro909 said:
What year is that ugly car? I've never seen one like it so I'm guessing somewhere between 1939 (start of the war) and mid 40's (end of war). Probably more towards the earlier part of that range.
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It's a 1940 Deluxe fordor. (there's a clue on the front door!!)
 
I bet the guy who worked his butt off to buy that (or any other '40 fordor, deluxe or not) was as proud as could be to be to drive down main street USA in a brand spankin' new V8 powered ford automobile. I think to the majority of us it's considered bad form to call someone elses' car ugly.
 
Synchro909 said:
What year is that ugly car? I've never seen one like it so I'm guessing somewhere between 1939 (start of the war) and mid 40's (end of war). Probably more towards the earlier part of that range.
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I can and do respect your opinion as beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
However, I will add that your opinion in this case is in a very small minority.
The 1940 Ford deluxe models had been heralded as one of the most beautiful designs of that era.
Values even to this day when compared to other years, typically support the fact that many / most prewar Ford collectors continue to believe this to be a beautiful design.
 
Synchro909 said:
Oh, yeah. I didn't look that closely at it. Still ugly though.
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I've owned two '40 Fordors and they both great cars. Never thought they were ugly and always thought they were a great family car. Everybody that rode in it had a door for entrance an exit. Never saw an ugly 1940 Ford.
 
Edsel Ford head of the Design Department with Eugene'Bob' Gregorie as his top designer. (and best friend after Edsel hired him)
Despite, Edsel insisted that they view each other as equals.

Bob designed the '33 upon the question by both, what new design for 1933? (do read about it!)
 
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Thank God we don't all like the same things. In 1990 my brother went thru one of the nastiest divorces I've ever seen. He owned a decent 1957 Chevrolet Nomad. His wife didn't go after that because and I quote "old cars are stupid". He still has it and is almost finished with a ground up restoration. Coming from a background as a small-town Ford dealer I don't think Ford ever made an "ugly" car or truck. There were some that required much more effort to sell than others though. I had a salesman that started selling in the fall of 1957 at his family's new franchise. It was the Edsel. I asked him if that got lonley after a while. He said very much so.
 
I find something to like in about every pre-War Ford!

A few models, a couple years, aren't exactly my favorites but they are still neat.

Example and this is just me means nothing. A guy in a neighboring town did a frame-off on a '38 Ford PU. At first I thought,,, why? ... but after I saw what he did I said WOW!! Looked pretty cool!

Of course I'm prejudiced in the '35-'36 lines, for pickups and ton a and a half trucks :)
 
Anyone thinking a milestone car of any make could be random production is naive. Those cars were always scrutinized all through the assembly line, and scheduled for touring the lower 48 to various Dealerships. The Press coverage on such a tour would jump on any maintenance issues that developed during the tour, after which Old Henry would have caused heads to roll. There are build sheets that travel with each car through assembly, those destined for VIP's having special color coded paper. This one car random? Nope.
 
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