Three door TUDOR

[German guy]

Any idea how I can find out how many three door TUDORs were made and what the interior layout specs were? Mine rolled off the assembly line in Berlin on Sat,28 June 1930 and was registered on 1 July 30. I have the original docs. It was a special order by a baker who wanted to use it to deliver bread and also use it as a family car. It had a fold-forward rear seat and bread racks that went in through the back door...according to the son of the original owner....who was born after the car was already in a barn....so his memory could be inaccurate. He would never have seen the car in delivery layout. Sadly the racks no longer exist and no photos either. It survived the war because it was registered as 'essential deliveries' and made it out of Berlin and into a barn where it slept from 1944-1997. In 97 restoration started and it won some prizes at shows (obviously lots fewer pre-war cars exist in Germany than the USA so competition in that category is less stiff). The post war owner who bought it from the son of the baker restored it as a standard Tudor Delux because the rear seat no longer existed. I would love to take it back to its bread delivery layout but lack any info on exactly how it would have looked...what the racks looked like...mounting points...how the seat folded...etc.


The Berlin factory closed in 31 and opened again in Cologne in 32 to start Model B runs. No records survived the Berlin bombed factory and Cologne has no records of special orders (sonderbestellungen) at the Berlin factory.


Is it possible that similar versions were built at US Ford factories and they might have the specs?

 

[Fullraceflathead]

Wow that's 1 really special and rare model A!!!

 

[1930artdeco]

I 'THINK' some were built here but I believe they were custom bodies. So Ford would have made a regular Fordor/Tudor and then shipped it to a coach builder for modification. After that it would have been up to who bought it as to how it was designed inside. So you essentially have a blank slate to fabricate it how you think it may have looked and functioned. That is my best guess but I am sure someone way smarter than me will chime in. I still love your car though.

Mike

 

[Tom F OHIO]

This man that belongs to one of the chapters in our club built his own. He
built the door by bending it to fit the contour of the body. I think he told me the door was off a two door sedan. Plus he cut the back of the car out for the door to fit. It really looked good in person. He considered it as a delivery sedan I believe and not a three door sedan.

 

[jb-ob]

The top 1930 Delivery having been built in Europe had it's rear door swung open to the right, while in the States & Canada it swung open to the left.

Way back at a Dayton National Meet, there was a '29 Tudor with rear windows & a rear door. Owner was promoting it as a pre-production Jewel Tea Co, delivery.

Lastly to be 'European unique' there was at the Dallas Meet, an English Fodor sedan with a sliding canopy instead of the fixed vinyl roof. With England's rainy weather one might wonder why a sliding roof ? (Sunshine so novel it shouldn't be missed ??)

 

[Brad in Germany]

That is a very interesting car you have and even more special is that you know its history. Here is an era press photo of your car (or one just like it). Note the German license plate:

...and here is an era photo of the 1929 version of it (also in Germany):

There were several companies in Europe (Germany, France, Denmark, Sweden, etc) that offered such a three door Tudor delivery......like this one in Germany for example:

Note that the Berlin, Germany Ford assembly plant assembled Model A's (from imported parts and kits) through early 1931 until the Köln Ford factory started production of Ford Model A's (mostly from German produced parts) on 2 June 1931.

Brad in Maryland (USA)



.

 

[Synchro909]

There is a 1928 or 9 sedan delivery in NZ. It has been quite a while now since it was driven as the owners are not up to it. Even though visibility out of the back of it would be terrible, I'd like to have one.

 

[1930artdeco]

Interesting that the two cars open to the right while the brochure opens to the left.

 

[Bick in New Zealand]

They were available her in New Zealand.

 

[ronn]

I have a Gibbons glass door kit, just waiting for this build.


someday...............

 

[katy]

Back in the mid '50s a friend's Dad had an A sedan delivery, don't remember if it had glass in the back door or not. We were out fishing, it got struck by lightening and burnt up.

 

[rotorwrench]

A lightning strike with resulting fire might have been affected by the poultry netting in the top. Lightning will do the strangest things.

 

[Oldbluoval]

I have replaced the rear door on a deluxe delivery with the rear panel of Tudor.
The window reveals are a bit different but “adjustable”

 

[Jeff/Illinois]

THAT is a beautiful car, love it!! Thank you for posting

 

[ModelA29]

I have replaced the rear door on a deluxe delivery with the rear panel of Tudor.
The window reveals are a bit different but “adjustable”

As I read it the door unit was a direct swap for the Tudor rear body panel?

 

[ModelA29]

I have a Gibbons glass door kit, just waiting for this build.


someday...............

Gibbon's sold their molds to JPM Hot Rods - https://jpmhotrods.com/parts/