Features Coachbuilt early Fords

The picture on the right shows a German Ford with a Wendler body.
We show abother picture on our club's homepage:
http://www.fomcc.de/fordsetzung/06_1/06_1_4.htm

 

That's cheating a bit, leaving me to do all the work!

I am familiar with that site. With some exceptions it covers mainly American coachbuilders:

A dual-cowl phaeton by LeBaron on a Model A.


A '35 Sedanca de Ville by Brewster


A 1919 T by Albright

There are others, but you'll have to scratch around yourselves

 

Thanks ventilo.

From that page:

A Model A landaulet by Wendler.

 

Also from that site:

Hebmüller, coupé or cabriolet?

 

Ford Rheinland with Hebmüller body, belonging to Mr. Hebmüller junior himself:


Other known German coachbuilders for pre-war Fords were:
Hebmüller in Wuppertal and Wülfrath (V8 "Pullman" strech-Limos)
Ihle in Bruchsal (roadster bodies on early BMWs and Ford Eifel)
Alexis Kellner in Berlin (luxury bodies on Model-A chassis)
Deutsch in Cologne (convertibles)
Gläser in Dresden (convertibles)
Traut (Model-Y "Weyman" fabric body)
Baur in Stuttgart (only one V8 build)
Buhne in Berlin (V8s)
Hornig in Meerane (Ford Eifel convertible)
Ludewig in Essen (Model-A and others)
Neuss in Berlin
Schebera in Berlin (Model T)
Ambi-Budd in Berlin (steel sedans)
Karmann in Osnabrück (Eifel Roadster)
Stoewer in Stettin (Eifel Roadster)
Papler in Cologne (V8 army conversions)
Balzer in Ludwigsburg (unknown Ford conversions)

 

Ned asked me to post this info on the Buehrig Model "A" Ford;

Then there was a neatly done replica of a 1930 Ford Model A that famed designed Gordon Buehrig made. Owner Bob Waight explained, “This is a recreation – they don’t know where the original one is. The guy that started this in 1978 went to Gordon Buehrig himself when he was alive, and got blueprints on the car, because he wanted to build it. So he got the blueprints, which I have here now. He got this much done,” he said as he showed me a photo of the bare wood framing for the rear of the body. “And his friend chopped the top and did the cowl, and that’s where they quit.

Last year, a year ago, I took it to John Faulhaber up in Dubuque, Iowa and in seven months, he went from that skeleton to this. The chassis was mostly done, he didn’t have to do much to that, but he made this steel panel that goes around the back. He did it all in his garage. You won’t see a seam. The color is as close to the original color in 1930 as I could get. I like to show it off, and I’m not denying it.” So he should. The front of the car looks pretty standard, but the view from the rear is clearly a well done one-off. Bob opened the door and said, “There’s a jump seat in the back. The original car had a rumble seat. He took the whole back of the body off and threw it away, and made that wood framework similar to the original one. The jump seat was out of something else, I don’t know what it was out of. I’ve had up old cars for 40 years and I’ve had more fun with this one. It’s been the most fun, but the most work to keep it clean. I’m not good at that cleaning business. I don’t wash it, I’ve got to dry clean it.”

http://02a1392.netsolhost.com/mcvcg/...show-for-2011/

More on the Buehrig "A";

http://forums.aaca.org/f190/interest...ct-239293.html

 

There seems to be be two replicas of the Buehrig Model "A";

I have built a replica of a 1930 Ford Model A Cabriolet that Gordon Buehrig modified into a Victoria Convertible in 1930-32. He described he used 15” “experimental” Goodyear disk wheels and tires, I have attached a photo of the original car with these wheels mounted. See post 5126) I have been unable to locate any of these wheels for sale to use on my car, and have used 16” Kelsey Hayes wires with aluminum wheel disks instead to recreate the look.

Jack
Vancouver, Washington

http://www.restorodstogo.com/2011/03...or-gordon.html

 

Here are a couple of German coachbuilt Fords - sorry about the street roddish look, but it is based on a real car....

 

1937 Ford Eifel roadster....

 

Then there are the Matfords - a cooperation between Ford France and Emile Mathis in Alsace....

 

More Matfords....

 

Man, that is a great job. This car and it's story is an inspiration.
Thanks

 

And another....

 

English Model Y Ford body by Salmon & Sons Ltd.

 

In 1933 Ford Australia produced about 50 Sport Coupes using the short doors of the 4 door sedan - most Aussie bodied cars of that era were coachbuilt. One of these was hot rodded in the 1980s and painted white. I used to have a copy of Australian Street Rodder with a feature on it. All I can find now is some photos of a scale model. If anyone has any photos of the real deal please post them.

 

Does he have any proof that it is the original Buehrig Car???? The Original car is not believed to exist any more by ACD club historians.

Gordon built the Model "A" for himself as he couldn't afford one of the ACD cars while employed there.

I'm also curious about the "A" being called the "Baby Duesy" as the "Baby Duesy" I am familiar with became the prototype for the 1936-1937 810-812 Cords.

http://www.smcars.net/forums/finished-work/17358-baby-duesenberg-1934-a.html

"Baby Duesenberg" 1934 <hr style="color: rgb(48, 49, 53); background-color: rgb(48, 49, 53);" size="1"> This was a prototype of a car designed by Gordon Buehrig and built by coachbuilder Walker on an Auburn chassis. Originally the car was supposed to become a lower priced version of Duesenberg. The styling of the car was further developed in the design of the Cord sedan. However these are totally different cars, and apart from front bumper, this 3D model is completely different from the Cord I have done earlier.

"Baby Duesenberg" was a rear-wheel drive, had a straight-eight engine, and was built on a contemporary Auburn chassis. Cord was a front-wheel drive with a V8 engine and had a semi-unitary body construction.

"Baby Duesenberg" has not survived, and little data on the car is available. No blueprints whatsoever... There are three patents available at the US Patent Office website that contain some drawings of the car. I was also very lucky to get the archive photos of the car.

 

Brewster modified many 33-36 Ford cars.

 

Here's a link to info and pictures on the 1936-1939 Ford Eifels. I know a guy who has a '39 but have never seen it.

http://www.autogallery.org.ru/foreif37.htm

 

Yes they did. Since it was the depression, the wealthy did not want to be seen in their luxury cars, so they bought Brewsters. In my mind, the Brewsters would still say wealth during that era.

Here is a GREAT website on Brewster Cars

www.brewstercars.com

Even Edsel Ford Had A Ford Brewster

I've seen several of the Towncars but never one of the others pictured.

 

The 1936 Brewster station wagon was likely built on a lengthened Ford chassis. Brewster was a revival of the prestigious coachbuilder's name and manufactured about 300 cars from 1934-1936 in the former Rolls Royce of America, Inc. facility in Springfield, Massachusetts. The U.S. Rolls Royce firm had purchased the original Brewster & C. in 1926. The cars were expensive and easily recognized by their heart-shaped grille and flowing fenders.

Source: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the World's Automobiles,
by David Burgess Wise​

 

From that wonderful Russian site to which SUNROOFCORD linked:


A British '32 FHC very similar to the Salmon & Sons Y that Weasel posted.

 

1935 Ford Type 48 German Cabrio



This is a 1935 Ford Type 48, with a custom coach-built cabriolet body. Little was known about the car's past until the body panels were stripped to bare metal for restoration. It was evident from the modifications and previous damage that the car had been confiscated for use by the German military during World War II.

The current owner located the car in March of 2005, in Portland, Oregon, through an ad on E-bay. The auction reserve hadn't been met, but a subsequent phone call resolved the situation amicably and the car relocated to Jacksonville, Florida.

The bodywork is from Drauz of Heilbrunn, Germany, and the chassis was built by the Ford Werks A.G. Koln, Germany. This is proven by the red Ford/Koln emblem and the German data plate. Notable European features include suicide doors, louvered hood sides, landau irons and German instruments. This is one of two examples known.

This is one of four known 1935 custom coach built Fords. The body is 'metal-over-wood' construction and is the only one of this style from the coach-builder.

This is a classic German styled Cabriolet with the body channeled over the frame and the low side top with strong chrome landau irons giving the car a racy sleek European line.

There are several unusual features of this auto including: Ford of Koln grill emblem (in red), suicide opening doors, louvered hood sides, frenched in spare tire and German gauges.

http://aboutvehicle.blogspot.com/2007/06/1935-ford-type-48-german-cabrio.html

 

It's actually a '33 Ford Coupe built by Oliver Hines in the '50s but don't you think it could almost pass for an early coachbuilt Ford?

 

Is this the car that was at this year's Detroit Autorama? If so, does anyone know why the color change?

 

Yes, this is the car that was at the 2011 Detroit Autorama. I believe the color it is now (I'll see if I can find some pics) is the color it was when it was originally built. I have it on the cover of an old Cars and Clubs magazine from the '50s that is unfortunately inaccessible at the moment. Not sure if Oliver Hines or another owner painted the car the color in the above pictures.

 

Is that an original Brewster grille shell?

I don't think it really matters that it was built in the '50s, as rebodying cars at a later date is very much part of the coachbuilding tradition. I am reminded of a few 3-litre Bentleys similarly rebodied by, if I remember correctly, Corsica in the late '30s.

There's a Rolls-Royce Phantom II running around the Cape Town area that was fitted with a '38 Olds body - from the firewall back - shortly after WWII.

 

Cool thread! How about Edsel Ford's Model 40 Speedster, built on a "34 Ford frame, and designed by Bob Gregorie.
http://www.sportscarmarket.com/car-...edsel-ford-s-1934-model-40-special-speedster/

 

awesome thread

Dave..thats bitchin' what a vision and idea, nicely executed.

 

Sure looks like a Brewster grille to me.

 

Courtesy of Concept Carz;

Edsel Ford loved stylish, fast cars. In 1932, after hiring E.T. 'Bob' Gregorie as Ford Motor Company's first full-time designer, he and Gregorie collaborated on a speedster design. The result was this car, built in Ford motor Company's airframe building and finished in the Lincoln shops.

Within a few years, Mr. Ford had sold the car and by the 1940's it was in a Connecticut wrecking yard, where it was saved - but underwent extensive modifications by the new owners. As a result, for several years, no one knew that the car still existed.

The current owner purchased the car several years ago unaware of its historic provenance. When he learned it was originally built for Edsel Ford he decided to return the car to its original condition. The restoration is currently underway.

More on Edsel Ford and his Speedsters;

http://www.edsel.com/pages/edslford.htm

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-158143.html

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/...ord-speedster-pics-including-the-1932-version

http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z17516/Ford-Special-Speedster.aspx