I don't want to sound like a dumb**** but my father in law recently purchased a restored 28 Ford Model A Special Coupe-- Body #49A which is supposed to be very rare. In its restored state it more resembles a business coupe because of the trunk instead of a rumble seat possibly. What makes it a special coupe? Are there body or chassis features that are not available on other A models? What makes it unique? Thanks for helping the dumb**** that doesn't know much about the 28's....
I'll bet it doesn't look like this...This even surprises me... It may be a homebuilt or one of Henry's one offs heres a clue from the written text which is limited... Own work https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1928_Ford_Model_A_Special_Coupe.jpg
I am definitely not a know it all on these but I think its the vinyl top including the back and quarter window area that is the biggest difference and of course production numbers and rarity due to being less popular with the Hotrod crowd and perhaps the original crowd feels the same about them...Ugly is what I'm saying. I've seen many change these over to regular coupes because of the back detail. I'm okay with them. Anyhow have fun with it. Others will chime in with other details but Fordbarn may be a better resource for original info. http://model-a-ford.org/technical-reference/general-information/19281929-closed/ http://automotorpad.com/ford/210884-ford-model-a-special-coupe.html
The 1928 Business Coupe, 54-A has a soft top. The 1929 Business Coupe, also 54-A was slightly different in the roof quarters, as it has oval shaped windows in it. Your car is indeed a Special Coupe.
Here are a few pictures of one that followed me home. 1928 Special Coupe. They differ from a Standard Coupe in construction in that the roof is made of pieces that are nailed to wood that is bolted to the lower body at the belt line. Most folk prefer the Standard Coupe. Some of the photos were taken when I got the car prior to disassembly others taken after pieces came back from being dipped. The rear window piece on this one was cut off a tudor sedan and grafted on as the original rear widow and area was particularly ugly. Between the upper and lower sections is a raised beltline that is also nailed in place. I wouldn't think they qualify as rare. Have fun.
The Special Coupe was made in place of the standard Coupe for about 11 months in 28 and 29, aren't really rare. The tops rotted out so they didn't last as well as the steel backed coupe and not as popular. I live in a small town and have had 2 of them and there were 2 others here. My avatar is a 28 with a flathead and I still have a stock 29 Special Coupe.
So this is the thing. If you read the article on the mafca site closely it states that the special coupe was man natured with the coupe and wad produced in sick small numbers that they didn't keep note of how many specifically were made and that trey just counted it in the coupe numbers. Both were made on the same line with some being the Special Coupe. I have been hunting these numbers since the eighties thanks to my dad and simce 10 years ago myself. Mine is a 28 a343984 or something close stamped in October or December of 28. Rumble seat was originally a trunk in these. Not a standard or iron from what i understand. Most became rumble seats after WW2. Alot of coupes were also misidentified as 49a models when people looked the top and ran out down. One gentleman who worked for ford in the 20's and 30's as a numbers guy stated that they were special order and only about 550 were manufactured.
Per the MAFCA Coupe book. Standard (back of cab steel) 45-A Coupe $495 ended production August 1928. The 49A Special Coupe (back of cab top material) started production August 1928 $550. There was a 54A business Coupe that had a cloth top like the 50A Sport Coupe but no Landau Irons. The same model numbers continued for 1929. The Business Coupe had oval side windows added for 29. I think the Special is rare today because the rear roof section was wood and chicken wire so they were probably junked in high numbers when the wood rotted and the fabric tore.
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