Which do you prefer 1935 or 1936??

I have one of each ('35-'36). The '36 has a few mechanical refinements that the '35 doesn't have (larger radiator capacity, electric fuel gauge, heli-cut first gear) but my heart lies with the '35 with its' smooth flowing fenders.

Tom
 

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My avatar sums it up for me,but, maybe, just maybe if the '36 Roadster had wire wheels and '35 flowing fenders things could be different.
Gary
 
When I started loving cars I wasnt sure whether I preferred a 34 or a 36;Then I saw my first 35-wow,grille of a 34 with 36 style (and space!). Have a 36 now, and love it.I would love either as a convertible sedan, thats my dream car.I saved every picture in this thread,Thanks guys!
 
Tough call; like the wire wheels and exterior horns on the '35 but I prefer the '36 front end. (I'd take one of each).
 
I have three 36's, but I'm thinking of building my 3-window as a '35. I can't decide, definitely my two favorite years!
 
Without a doubt the most iconic/popular models of the Early Ford V8's is the '32, 36, & '40.. Ya I know some people think the '34-39 is where it's at.
For me the '36, and not just because I have owned one for almost 60 years is without a doubt the best looking car that Ford ever made.
The '35 does have a little bit more of a classic look with the wire wheels, external horns and flatter grille, however, the whole body, the shape of the rear fenders, grille, etc., on a '36 just flows together...
The mechanical improvements of the '36 is something that is hard to put in prospective because they are unseen..
The final difference is spelled out in the sales figures of the two vehicles.. The '36 Ford outsold the '35 by several thousand units, and in fact out sold Chevy for the first time since the Model A...
The public voted with their check books, not their hearts.
 
I like the '35 for the more mechanical look and the wire wheels, but overall the art deco look of the '36 does it for me.

I love the '36 grille, longer hood and longer taillight stalks. Also I love the way the cowl wraps around in the front on the Phaeton and Roadster.
 

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While we are all wishing, if I had my choice of all Fords ever made it would be a 1939 Deluxe Coupe. In my honest opinion it was the best looking Ford ever made, bar none.
 
My pile of parts included a '35 body and my choice of fenders. Even though I like the smooth transition into the wheel wells of the '35, I prefer the style of the '36's and that's what I picked.

So I it's '36 for me, but I wouldn't kick any model '35 outta my garage for leaking oil. They're all beautiful in their own right.
 

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Do your research. From "The Production Figure Book for U.S. Cars" by Jerry Heasley: 1935 Ford Calendar year production.... 942,439. 1936 Ford Calendar year production.... 791,812. 1935 Ford new passenger car Registrations: ....826,519. 1936 Ford new passenger car registrations....748,554. 1935 Chevrolet calendar year production.....793,437. 1936 Chevrolet Calendar year production....975,238. 1935 Chevrolet new Passenger Car Registrations....656,698. 1936 Chevrolet new Passenger Car registrations....930,250. Ford plainly out produced the competition in 1935 and didn't do it again until 1957. 1936 was a poor year for Ford sales compaired to the 1936 Chevrolet sales. 1935 Fords rule over the 1936 Fords. Always have. I own both years. I also have the book "The serial number book for U.S. Cars 1900-1975" by Grace Brigham. Both books are very good reading for production figures for body types too..
 
SSsssteamer-

Hummm... Not that it really matters that much but, production numbers for '35 and '36 differ slightly from your figures. Data taken from "The Early Ford V8" by George DeAngelis shows 1935 calendar year production as 1,151,554 units whereas 1936 calendar production was 706,185 units. Regardless, of the source, data suggests that '35 production was substantially more than '36.

Tom
 
According to Ford movies made at the time, the company was tired of being outsold by Chevrolet and vowed to sell a million cars in 1935. There was a big sales push and a lot of promotion.

For example, the Indy pace car in 1935 was the newly-introduced Convertible Sedan. Ford also entered the race with front wheel drive cars but did not do well; supposedly because the exhaust was too close to the steering box and cooked the lubricant out of it.

And they did sell over a million cars in '35

After 1935, they just slipped back into the old methods for selling and sales figures dropped.

I've often wondered how much influence Bob Gregorie had on the styling updates from '36 to '36.
 
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