Milwaukee Model A's

reggiedog

reggiedog

Well-known member
HI;
A few years ago I was doing research on the Milwaukee Ford Plant and the (R) symbol that is stamped on many model A's in the Milwaukee area and some of you had factory bill of sale as to what year that car was sold to you, and in the car on the front sill brace right under the drivers seat there's One Letter and five Numbers and in your car.

You have the letter ( R ) what I'm looking for is the bill of sale as to what the date is on it as I have a Model A with the ( R ) and it's a late 31 and I know there's about ten or twelve Model A's around the Milwaukee area that have the letter R the thing is what I want to know.

Has anyone figured out what those letter and numbers all stand as there is five numbers for it as I have been told the R would be the month it was made and my car no way as the plant was closed by then and the numbers I can't figure out as to the month and day the car was made as that is what those all mean.

And my car I think I have it dated to August or early September haven't got that far as of yet but I just thought if the R will give me the month that would be great, and the numbers telling me the day and year would be even better but this might be all wrong also as I have no clue as to how to de code that and getting a hold of the Benson is imposable to do now and there still closed.

But if you think you know something on it please let me know: Reggiedog
 
The (R) is the designation given to the Ford Milwaukee Wisconsin Assembly Plant. Ohio was (G), Portland Oregon (PO) etc. etc. Numbers I need a picture of those with the letter.?
 
Can't get a picture of them as the car is on the frame and on blocks and you can get in the car at all, but here are the letter and numbers that I have and you try and figure it out as I know I can't been trying to do that for years now.

My letter and numbers are ( R ) 18418 the reason why I can't figure it out is because there's five numbers as the number are suppose to represent the month, day and year the car was made and there is no 31, in there at all and the ( R ) is suppose to be the year or month can't ever remember witch the ( R ) is suppose to be.

Reggiedog
 
But you have to realize something here the Milwaukee Plant was a manufacturing Plant for a while and I have spent years to find out as to how long that was, as the Benson Research center has it down as a assembly Plant only and that would mean those letter and numbers shouldn't be there in the cars that where made in the Milwaukee Plant.

As the ( R ) symbol was the Richmond, California's plants code when that opened in August of 31 but the Richmond Plant didn't make Model A's in that Plant for very long as the Government took the plant over in 1942 to build tanks as the Richmond Plant was on the water and big ships could get to it so the Government wanted that Plant, and Ford gave them the Plant as it wasn't a assembly plant for very long and yes they made Model A's in there to the end of them and a few 1932 cars and trucks all the way up to 36 I believe but I know it was 1942 on the take over.
 
Last edited:
According to Steve Plucker's book on Model A production data, the Milwaukee plant started Model A production on June 11, 1928 after being closed for some time. (used for Model T production?). It continued production until December 1931. It used code R.
The Richmond plant started production on August 1, 1931 and continued until November 1931. This plant also used code R.
 
The numbers following the letter plant code are unknown in their meaning. It is thought they may be some sort of sequence code, whether by day, or body type, or?
 
Herb;

What do you mean as you can figure it out either as I have spent months trying to figure just that out and I always come up empty, as it to me don't have a meaning to the numbers now if there were four numbers then I might be able to figure it out but it don't.

I even thought maybe you have to read it backwards but that still don't work as those numbers just don't make any since to me at all, and that's why I gave them to you in thinking maybe you could figure them out once and for all but now you can't figure them out.

Reggiedog
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top