1939 Ford - Matford Convertable - Anyone recoginize this ?

Of all things I happen to have doors from a 37,38 and 40 club convertible in my rafters and from what i know the 37,38 have a reveal and the 39,40 is straight. So not that this helps but id say definitely 39,40

 

the tailpan is not a 40 coupe, would not have been in europe ww2 was going strong then, australian ford bodies are mostly like usa cars. with very few changes, except for the ute. the trunk lid is very different then the stock usa version.

 

The car was silver with [I believe] a tan top when it came to the states. The fellow that has it for sale sent several pics of it before it was taken apart. I do believe he is an honest guy and not trying to pull the wool over anyones eyes. I just could not live with the oddities of it. Still a good deal to the right person.

 

Here is an update if anyone is interested. I did some detailed research and back tracking and found that the car came from England to Northern Michigan. The person that brought it to the states said the car was originally built in Germany by a German Coach builder which I believe to be Emile Mathis, "MatFord Cars". He had a cooperative agreement with Ford Motor Co. and built cars during middle to late 30's. He halted production in 1940, I'm guessing WWII for the reason.

I also learned from the bodyshop that started the restoration and got it to it's current primer state, that there was no evidence of modoficatons, alterations or repairs in the rear area as others have suggested.

I'm still searching for photos of MatFord cars for reference. If anyone has any leads on this, I would be greatfull for the info. Thanks to everyone for the input so far.

 

any idea who in england had the car?

 

Not all Matford are scaled down US models. I have a 1937 Matford with 106 inch wheelbase and a 1936 Matford with 112 inch wheelbase. The '37 is the scaled down model . The '36 is the US model. BTW you have probably googled Matford convertible but try Matford Cabriolet. Another French /Ford model with the Flathead V8 was the Chenard & Walcker but i doubt you have one of those.

 

Here's mine shipped to the US from England in July 2000. It had a spoked steering wheel - but not a 39 wheel, with a Mercury horn ****on???

Whatever it is it's a rolling piece of European History or it was until some knob chopped it, much rarer than a US built 39. I'd have mine back in a heartbeat given the chance.

 

is it my imagination or is the door on bobbedt's shorter than the us version?

perhaps the length of a coupe door??

(i thought that american 39's and 40's have a door the length of a tudor sedan. )

correction.. heres a 39 usa built ford convert




and heres bobbedt's old car..



it would also appear that the top of the door at the rear edge is different..

looks like the euro version has a straight door? looks like the american version the top of the door (at the rear edge) is canted?

 

The pics I sent uoy BobbedT are not that one. I well try to post on here. Joe

 

Ok, see if this works.

 

I'll put big money that these 2 cars came from the same builder/factory. Same trunk, same smooth quarters, etc.

 

39/40 Ford's did not use any wood.

 

How cool would it be if these were the same car?

 

As far as I remember : Matford ( Emile Mathis factory ) built a few " full size " FORD 2door convertibles in `38 /`39 , using US "Convertible sedans" as a base . Your car is probably one of those few built ( The Matford Factory "died" in late`39 or Early `40 )

Klaz

 

BINGO! Viva la HAMB.

 

My guess it's an German Coach built body.
The 36 picture i lifted from the web somewhere. The Chevy is one out of four built.
And check out the from of the top, its similar on yours.
I will talk to my friend abd se if i can get a name of the coachbuilder.

 

Going to London's Chelsea Cruise sometime in the 1980's.

 

Yep thats when my mate clive owned it in about 1987?

 

well. well well.

this is awesome.. so can anyone confirm this is german? or???

and is the car posted by the original poster the same as have been posted later?

if its coachbuilt it should have some sort of identification????

 

Emile Mathis was French - from Alsace in Eastern France across the Rhine from Germany. Although Alsace has been invaded and occupied many times by neighboring Germany and some still speak a German derived patois called Alsacienne, they are French and consider themselves firstly to be Alsatians and secondly French. The Schlumpf Brothers were from Alsace, as was the Bugatti Factory in Molsheim.

Congratulations to the power of the HAMB for solving this car's origin - I would think it is quite valuable given it's provenance and rarity.

 

The silver '39 is coachbuilt but from only from about 25-30 years ago in England.

Its started as a rare 4 door convertible sedan hence the short doors. The then owner decided he wanted a cabriolet and had the rear of the body cut off and a cabriolet back made and fitted by a builder by the name of Brian Hews (Sp?) from West Drayton.

I believe the rear section is of aluminium construction.

 

very interesting.. anyone know anything more of this builder?

 

We are looking at two different silver 39's. Which one do you consider "coachbuilt" ?

 

Mine definately didn't have an ali rear.
Unless the panels were stamped in m*** production, I would consider them 'coachbuilt' by smaller factories/coachbuilders. I believe they are 2 different cars, & the work was carried out by the same person/coachbuilder. I think someone has their wires crossed about the history. Unless the two cars were side by side it'd be very hard to replicate the others complete rear section unless they had factory drawings or very detailed information.

I can tell the owner if they are the same car by the places I welded on the body & ch***is & the engine bay. The front bonnet/hood had 39 style 'cats whiskers' of Ali, hand made by me as they were missing. Again I can tell the owner how they were fixed to the hood as it wasn't by normal means.

 

The pictures "Bobbed T" posted above confirm that the car I have is the one he sold and delivered to the US in 2000. The dash photo with the girl decal on the glove box and the jewel lamp on the lower right of the steering column is still in place on my dash.

Thanks to everyone for the input and helping me find out that it's a 1939 ****ord Caborilet, not a hacked 4-door with an added convertable top.

Special thanks to you "Bobbrt T" for posting your pictures for me.

 

Here's a Matford ad from the period ('38, I think):

www.lovefordsbb.com/view_topic.php?id=706&forum_id=24

 

It would be interesting to know why they left body line on the 37's and 38's then removed it on the 39. Also, why they used the 40 top on the 39.

 

Can you tell me if the pictures posted by "JapCris" and "Scratch" are the same car as in the pictures that "Bobbed-T" posted? The rear turn lamps are in a different location. They could have been moved, but the trunk has the same gap on the p***enger side on both cars. Thanks, I'm trying to gather as much history as I can on this car. Very interesting - - Love the H.A.M.B.!

 

Keep in mind all those '38 images are mostly artists renderings, not photos. The actual vehicles may very well have been produced without the belt line detail on the rear quarters.

 

The pics posted by JapChris & Scratch are definately the same car. They aren't turn signals - they are reflectors, I should know as I took them off & they are in the shed somewhere. Clive - the bloke driving, owned it for sometime.

cheers

Bob