Model A Taxi Cabs -

DougVieyra

DougVieyra

Well-known member
The latest issue of the RESTORER Magazine (MAFCA publication) has a real nice article (page 37) about the donation of a 1929 Model A Taxicab to the Model A Ford Foundation Museum. The article mentions that 264 Taxicabs were built (by Briggs) in 1928; and 4,576 Taxicabs were built in 1929.
So who can tell me : How many Model A Taxicabs were built in 1930, and in 1931 ?

- Doug Vieyra, Eureka, Calif
 
The 1929 Taxi Cab that was recently donated to the Model A Ford Foundation Museum (MAFFI) was a gift of Bill & Sylvia Edstrom, of Presque Isle, Wisconsin. While the article was in the MAFCA publication, it does not specifically say that they were MAFCA members, nor do I know if they are FORD BARN members.

- Doug Vieyra
 
We have a couple of town sedans that are dressed up like taxis. One like NYC, one like Chicago. Neither of these were originally taxis, but they are both 30/31's. The Chicago one was dressed up & used in a movie "Untouchables" and the owner just decided to leave it that way. The NYC one was "restored" by the current owner to look like a taxi, but it's just that "looks-like".

Sorry Doug, this doesn't answer your question at all, now does it? Just a bit of trivia patter.
 
DougVieyra said:
The latest issue of the RESTORER Magazine (MAFCA publication) has a real nice article (page 37) about the donation of a 1929 Model A Taxicab to the Model A Ford Foundation Museum. The article mentions that 264 Taxicabs were built (by Briggs) in 1928; and 4,576 Taxicabs were built in 1929.
So who can tell me : How many Model A Taxicabs were built in 1930, and in 1931 ?

- Doug Vieyra, Eureka, Calif
Click to expand...

I read 10 in 1930 and none in '31 From the book Henry's Lady page 319 .
 
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Model A Taxi Cabs - 1930 & '31

Having had no success in finding data on the elusive Model A Taxi Cabs of 1930 and 1931, I 'read between the lines' of the MAFCA/MARC Restoration Guidelines .

In their (area 14) PAINT section they list all body types and what their original Ford colors were. This is done by both year of production and body type. While there is a listing for 1928 & '29 Taxi Cabs, there is NO LISTING for 1930 & '31 Taxis'.

While this certainly is not a definitive answer, it does give us pause to think that there may not have been any taxis' built for the 1930 & '31 years. Certainly not for public consumption, anyway.

- Doug Vieyra
 
DougVieyra said:
The 1929 Taxi Cab that was recently donated to the Model A Ford Foundation Museum (MAFFI) was a gift of Bill & Sylvia Edstrom, of Presque Isle, Wisconsin. While the article was in the MAFCA publication, it does not specifically say that they were MAFCA members, nor do I know if they are FORD BARN members.

- Doug Vieyra
Click to expand...

Mr. and Mrs. Edstrom should certainly be commended for their generosity. Their contribution will be enjoyed by many, many people for years to come ! Wayne
 
Lorin Sorensen's "The Commercial Fords" tells us that the taxi was introduced in December 1928 as a '29 model, and he gave no breakdown as to how many per model year only saying about 5500 total were built until the end of 1930. The body was unique as a Fordor in that the cowl was built like a Tudor or Coupe with the exposed door pillars. In addition there was no visor but the roof had a short overhang above the windshield. A jump seat was fitted for a fourth passenger and there was a metal and glass partition for the driver. Trim was imitation gray leather while the drivers seat had dark grain genuine leather. A Pittsburgh Taximeter and wiring for roof lights was also fitted.
Never reaching expectations Ford canceled the model for 1931, authorizing assembly plants in April 1931 to fit regular Tudors or Fordors with imitation leather headliners and door panels and genuine leather seating as the only difference for the taxi option.
 
Doug -
The few Taxis produced in 1930 were left over 1929 vehicles. Ford never sold all of the 1929 Taxis as evidenced by the NOS bodies that were discovered years ago.
 
Doug Clayton: reminiscing on Mark Twain's famous remark - The reports of your death are highly exaggerated.
__________________________________

Thanks Doug for your clarification about the '30 taxis - and for all your timeless efforts on behalf of authenticating the 'Real' Ford Model A. Some day, you and Marco and I will once again have to 'go stealing hubcaps' together

- Doug Vieyra, Eureka, Calif
 
I haven't received my issue yet. Does the article say anything about the history of this particular car? There was one taxi sold new about an hour south of me to a blacksmith who smoked cigars, and his wife refused to ride with him because of the smell. His solution was to buy a Model A taxi and let her ride in the back. I lost track of that car a few years ago and have often wondered what ever happened to it.
 
dlshady said:
I haven't received my issue yet. Does the article say anything about the history of this particular car? There was one taxi sold new about an hour south of me to a blacksmith who smoked cigars, and his wife refused to ride with him because of the smell. His solution was to buy a Model A taxi and let her ride in the back. I lost track of that car a few years ago and have often wondered what ever happened to it.
Click to expand...

I'm sure buying a coupe and putting her in the rumble seat would not have worked. Although it would have served the same purpose. I'm just imagining my wife in a rumble seat in the rain while I'm up front smoking a cigar. :eek::eek::eek:
 
jkcrosson said:
I'm sure buying a coupe and putting her in the rumble seat would not have worked. Although it would have served the same purpose. I'm just imagining my wife in a rumble seat in the rain while I'm up front smoking a cigar. :eek::eek::eek:
Click to expand...

Indeed. :D

Missed seeing you at the Talladega Speedway tour last weekend.
 
Did Ford really keep some unsold Taxi Cab bodies ? Seems unlikely, as they converted some Town Cars to Fordors to get rid of them. Even the Milestone cars got sold eg. the 20 mill. Ford [Town Sedan] .
Anyway, in their 1930 sales brochures, amongst the Commercial Cars, is listed a Taxi Cab converted from the Town Sedan; it has the partition & reversed seat like the 1929 Taxi. This brochure appears in Restorer ,March/April 1973, Vol. 17 Issue 6.
Maybe Ford had a binding contract with Budd to build them in 1929, as they could have also used the big 1929 Murray Town sedan as a Taxi ; the Budd all steel Fordor Taxi was probably a stronger built body?
 
Good Catch, Two Door Tom New Zealand. I'll have to pull that issue and find the 1930 Sales Brochure you mention. - Doug Vieyra
 
As far as I know Briggs made the Taxis
here is an original Briggs tag on the floor
they used the prefix 192 XXX
tom
 

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funny, picked up a title for a 31 yellow cab a few years back
doesnt say ford or chevy or? the serial number would be for a 29 engine, but no A prefix

pretty ambiguous....................
 
Yellow Cab was at some point actually a manufacturer, I believe, building purpose-built cabs, and I think eventually became part of GMC--? Don't have time to research that , but shouldn't be too hard to find out. If Yellow cab is the make on the title, I don't think it is a Ford or Chevy...
 
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