Hot Rods A one of a kind stock 1929 Ford 3 door delivery???

I wasn't looking to buy another car, but this one almost fell on my laps, since it was cheap and I like everything wagon/delivery/pickup, I felt it was too good to pass.
So I did what I've never done in my life and said I would never do : I bought it sight unseen. I took a gamble and I do believe that I struck maybe not gold but did really good.

So this is a French Ford Model AF from June 1929, the previous owner bought it in 1976, he was the 4th owner and wanted to restore it, he is now 83 and obviously didn't restore it but kept it in dry storage : No rust whatsoever, all the wood is perfect.
It's a coachbuild limited run of 40, possibly 50 of this style, only the hood, front fenders and cowl are Ford factory, the body has a wooden frame.

It's kind of odd for a delivery because there are some luxury items : chrome grille, chrome windshield frame, electric wiper, funky rear bumpers, a flower vase holder, leather upholstery and all the garnish moldings and the dash rail are wood, but not any kind of wood it is marquetry, every piece of wood as wood inlays. A relly beautiful velvet with a wave design cloth is used for the headliner.
On the other hand it has painted bumpers and pickup running boards.

Another odd feature are the disc wheels they are Michelin 450mm : 17.71", I don't believe they have been replaced because the chrome hubcaps fits perfectly over the hubs.

I believe the rear fenders have been replaced because the craftmanship doesn't match the body and are bloody ugly. The tail lights are 1952 and up Citroën Traction Avant.

Now the pictures
Clam shell tail gate

I have no clue what this hole under the windshield is for.

Ultra rare emblem that says in French : Imported from the United States of America

Yep it's a 3 door delivery, never seen that before on a car that old.

An aluminum molding that goes all around the cowl, also the belt molding is an added aluminum molding, it's not stamped, the rain gutter is also aluminum.

The very beautifully crafted sun visor. The A pillars are so heavy because they are wood.

The funky rear bumpers. No that fender is not dented. Yes it's a trailer hitch.

The steering wheel is pristine





Yes it's the Michelin Bibendum.

The punny 14hp 2.1L AF engine.

Parts that are missing have been stolen in the 70's after he bought it are : the head, the water pump and the headlights. They are the only missing parts. He still have to provide me with 2 spare wheels that he has somewhere in his home.
I didn't know it was a 3 door body and I thought it was probably based upon a 4 door, I didn't pay attention to the belt molding when I first saw the only 2 pictures I had and they were taken from the left side only. So much stuff is specific to this body and in such a great shape, I'm absolutely stoked.

 

To quote @anthony myrick , I’d drive it.

 

That is load of unique-ness.
Those bumpers are cool to these eyes.
Any how Congratulations on a 1 of a kind
Looks to be a great treat, putting back the life in it.

 

Perfect

 

Special order through a coachbuilder possibly.

 

It seems there was a very small production run of 40 or 50, I've seen the pictures of another one but with barn doors in the back.

Me too.

 

Fantastic! That has to be a custom built body, the doors don't match any Fordor doors I've ever seen. Rear fenders don't look like standard Ford items. Really like that radiator badge, never knew they existed. That has the small displacement engine, could you order both the normal size and the smaller size when they were new. Restoration or modified plans? Start a build thread, this unique car needs to be followed. Bob

Just noticed the wheels is there a makers name on them? Have you looked for a coachbuilders tag or name on the door sills?

 

The37Kid didn't read what I wrote in my first post
As far as what to do with it, for now I will do like the previous owner : store it. But if I ever get to it, I was thinking juice brakes with wide five ( I have rear drums, a couple of juice backing plates and 4 wheels), dropped axle (I have one), soupped up 201ci (I have one that needs rebuild), F1 box (I have one), maybe a Jeep T5 or a regular one with an open diff banjo (I have an original one), dropped head light bar with '32 headlights, some sedan rear fenders (I have a pristine set) and modify them if needed, '29 tail lights (I have a set). Chrome grille and maybe bumpers. Uphostery. Try to fix the hood (it's badly dented on top) and try to match the patina for the rear fenders and hood.
But I have other cars to finish first.

 

That may have been a hearse? Especially considering all the fancy woodwork and trim.

 

Great find!

 

I also wondered if it might be a hearse but then I saw the folding back seat. My brother used a hearse for a push car for his FED in the early 60's and both of them he had used jump seats beside the passenger side door.

 

In France commercial vehicles up to the 50's had specific markings and as far as I know not hearses, ambulances or fire and cops.
One of the marking was on the left front fender it was a black rectangle with the name of the department (kind of a state) in white letters, here it's Loiret, other markings were on the bottom left and maybe right, they are the total weight transported inside and total weight I guess pulled, here it's painted on the splash shield toward the rear fender and it's 500kg and 1000kg.
Also the 3 tone paint job is original, it's primer then Steel under the paint. It was never black.
Another element is the other one I saw had the exact same 3 tone paint job : black, beige and Brown.
The previous owner before the guy I bought it from was a farmer, he owned from 1954 to 1976, and before that someone (I don't have a name) registered it in 1945. Since we are not allowed to search the archives, I will mostlikely never know, but the owner told me it was sold new in that Orléans region.

 

I wonder if that might have been a refined version of what was called a "Depot Hack", the forerunner of the station wagon. Passenger door on the 'curb' side, luggage space in the rear, upgraded upholstery and fittings. Possibly the type of customer service vehicle that would be used by upscale hotels or resorts.

 

Appears to be a Limousine body(Not Ford) grafted to a Model A cowl and chassis.Here is a 32 Limousine that was found in Spain.

 

Hello Sheldon.
That wouldn't explain why the left side has no door and is one piece, nore the lift gate, the pickup/delivery running boards or the windshield that is not standard Ford and the wooden dash rail with the same marquetry.
There's an antique car club near Orléans that seems to know these bodies because they're the one who claim a 40/50 car production of this body style. So it's most probably a coachbuilder from Orléans.
Also the car is a june 1929 it seems it was first registered in 1930, that could be the time to build that body. On the other hands Fords were not selling like hot cup cakes so that also could explain it.

 

Indeed our mate Sheldon could be onto something. So if it,s a limo body grafted to a Ford my first thought was Chenard & Walcker. This make also used wooden window garnish and had doors opening every way you wanted. Actually most French makes were,nt shy to offer a tailgate either. So what did google turn up ? Heres a few Chenard & Walcker pics. Also a few examples of their fancy stuff for those who had never heard of the make. The first two sedans look similar to what Chrisp has.

 

Nothing to add other than that’s rad and I don’t think model A’s had water pumps

 

Hey, chrisp;
Hmmm... I like it. I can see reasons for curbside-only doors, & the horizontally-opening split-rear-panel is quite practical. Could even carry a large something-or-other on the lower panel used as a tailgate or floor extension when both are open.
Gotta say though, after I read the description, the 1st thing I thought of was, a taxi or "spl-delivery-service for the high-priced/high-society ladies of the night". .
Since the mill needs a head anyways, I'm seeing a perfect "Opportunity to Upgrade" to a homemade hi-po head(I'd do a 2-piece). Back story could be that it was a one-off, as a test for future production. . May as well add the other usual hop-ups, including a period supercharger(??? ) - might get to a screaming tire-shredding 45hp! . Nothing like extra-rare... .
Glad you're going to save it. Hope the effort is posted here.
Since France has become as bad as the STATES for chasing info, I guess you could use info from the guy you bought it from to find the previous past owners' family, & maybe the Orleans club could help dig further. IDK if running some ads in newspaper(s) would help, guess on social-media a pic or 2 of the car "looking for past info about car incl owners" might help???
Thanks for posting pics.
Marcus...

 

Unobtainium for sure....Contact Ford Executive office,,they mighr be interested in the car...Make bank on it...

 

VERY cool!

 

Very cool car!

 

Very kool car . Great find

 

The car has all the mandatory legal markings of a commercial vehicle of the time and the title says it's a commercial vehicle with a commercial body.
I don't believe in a limo body swap, it's way too nicely done and other than the fenders, the paint is all original.
The way it's build is 100% typical french of the era. It's entirely possible that the coachbuilder was buildings bodies that he could adapt easily on other chassis, it has a roof insert so the width is easily adapted and since the doors are 2 separate pieces assembled at the body line and the window frame are 4 pieces, you can adjust the length of the body here.
But the only other 3 door of that era I've seen is another AF with the same paint scheme and barn doors in the rear, not clam shell like mine.
The only 3 doors I know are the chevy suburban and some modern era compact cars.

 

They did, it's a gas pump they don't carry.

 

Maybe it’s early T’s that didn’t have a water pump. My mistake

 

Suggestion : envoyez une photo au magazine LVA pour demander de l'aide pour identifier la voiture. Les résultats sont généralement époustouflants !

 

Translated:
send a photo to LVA magazine to ask for help in identifying the car. The results are usually stunning!

 

From the Ford Barn :





It seems to be the same coachwork but they talk only about the "Parisienne Commerciale" available in 2 door 4 windows and 4 door 6 windows. But since at that time it was still very common to order a custom build body, it's possible that mine is one build for a wealthy farmer based on their 4 door.
On the inside of my car everything, even the upholstery looks like a 4 door, except there's no door handle.
On a side note, the Michelin wheels I have are metric wheels (450mm) from a '30's Citroën C4 or C6. I suspect they have been replaced during or after the war because of tire availability, 450mm (about 17.7") where mounted on many popular French cars, 21" not so much.

 

As my daughter is so fond of saying," My daddy is a cornbread eating Southern white boy and can barely speak English much less any other languages"

Can anyone translate the brochure's? HRP

 

Thank you for posting the French sales literature, looking forward to the translation.

Bob (Southern Connecticut English speaking)