Until it recently found its way to Florida, it appears that this 1941 Ford Super DeLuxe has spent the majority of its life in California. As a result, it remains well preserved, even after spending many decades parked in a barn. The owner has gone through the process of recommissioning the car, and it is now ready for a lucky new owner to drive and enjoy. Located in Naples, Florida, you will find the Ford listed for sale here on eBay. The auction has been set to open at $19,990, but there have been no bids up to this point. There is also a BIN option available, and this has been set at $26,000.
The 1941 model year marked the introduction of a new model for Ford, and it provided some major updates for the company. It was originally intended to serve as their mainstream offering for around 3-years, but the intervention of World War II meant that its replacement didn’t appear until 1949. During those years, the car received some minor updates, but production was largely limited to vehicles for military use between 1942 and the end of the war. This car is from that first year of production, and the body and paint are said to be original. The owner provides an impressive collection of photos of the car’s underside, and apart from a dusting of surface corrosion, it does look clean. The body itself looks to be nice and solid, although the paint is beginning to show its age a bit. That will leave the next owner to face a bit of a decision. Do they leave the paint original, or do they give it a refresh? The exterior trim and chrome appear to be nicely preserved, while all of the glass appears to be in good condition. One of the cool features that is still present on the car is its 1942 gas ration sticker. That’s one thing that I certainly wouldn’t be touching.
The interior of the Ford is as original and is as well-preserved as the exterior. The door trims are showing some deterioration, as is the rim of the wheel. The rest of the trim, the seats, and the headliner, all appear to be in good condition. The dash also looks nice, but the owner has removed the original radio to make space for the fitting of a 12-volt wiper motor. However, he has retained the original equipment, and the next owner can choose to return it to its original specifications if they should so choose. Personally, that’s the path that I would probably follow, especially if the Ford’s future was planned to include little to no exposure to wet weather. In reality, there really doesn’t appear as though there is much to do inside the car, and it could certainly be driven and enjoyed as it currently stands.
For the 1941 DeLuxe and Super DeLuxe, the standard engine was the 221ci flathead V8, and that’s what is fitted to this car. Its 90hp is sent to the rear wheels via a 3-speed manual transmission. After sitting for decades, the Ford did need some work to return it to a roadworthy state, and it appears as though this was done properly. The engine was pulled, given a thorough check, and any required repair work was completed. The brakes were given a refresh, many of the rubber components were replaced, the fuel system was given a good clean, the electrical system was updated to 12-volts, and a new exhaust was fitted. The car is said to now run and drive like a dream. One claim that the owner makes is that the car has a genuine 5,924 miles on the clock. I’m not sure whether he holds any form of evidence to verify this, but if he does, then that is pretty extraordinary.
If the mileage claim for this Super DeLuxe is accurate, then it is quite possibly the lowest-mileage example in existence today. Depending on when the car was parked in its barn, it is certainly conceivable. Even if we ignore that claim and just consider the Ford on the basis of it being an original survivor, it is still a nice old car. It is definitely possible to buy better-presented examples than this one today, but the vast majority of those have either undergone some form of restoration, or at least a repaint. This one is claimed to be original, and there are plenty of people who have a lot of respect for survivors like this.
I couldn’t get a price on this car from Hagerty, they started at ’46 on the Deluxe.
This body style is iconic in it’s own right, and this car looks pretty darn good. Maybe that 26K BIN isn’t too far off.
The plate on the front is 1941 and looks well worn. Maybe it was put up for the war and never restarted.
That would explain the condition and mileage.
Sorry, no way. Somebody drove this old Ford 105K miles, probably mostly desert. This was someones hobby car. You can get those ration stickers. Underside way too worn, and rattle can motor. It’s ok, though, it really is a great example, I think it did sit for a while somewhere. I hope it stays original, the temptation to hot rod will be great with this one.
In 1976 I bought a nicely restored Super Deluxe, just like this but burgandy, for $950. The mileage claim is hard to believe but if paint and interior is truly original (and interior looks it) then maybe it’s true.
Super nice for its age. I don’t believe the milage claim the reason being if you look close at the drivers out side door handle you will see it says down a bit. Sign of lots of usage. FYI the starter solond is mounted upside down. The contract plate goes to the bottom to keep it from bouncing while driving. Found this out the hard way.
Mass produced Ford door handles sagged from the factory. Leno even did a video showing a restored Duesenberg which displayed its flaccid-ness. Don’t know that flatheads from 1941 were painted Ford blue…fella that detailed that motor may just be a big blue oval fan. Still, a great specimen.
I won’t speculate on the miles on this beast. If everything is original then I would have to go along with the claim. I have a preserved original Chevy (‘49). The ‘41 was a transitional year. Ford made some major changes then made a bunch more for’42. Unfortunately the ‘41 became the ‘red-headed stepchild.’ Not nearly as popular as the ‘40. If they were going to rattle-can the engine they should’ve used dark green; blue didn’t come out until ‘45. Actually I’ve seen that vintage engine painted a more seasick green as war production had already begun (for the lend-lease agreement) and a lot of civilian engines got painted light green.
1941s were almost the last cars available before the war (a few 1942s, of course) and anything with 4 wheels was driven steadily for the next 4-5 years, at least. Even after the war cars were hard to get. They didn’t sit idle for 7 decades . . . .
Mileage claim ridiculous, unless they parked the chassis underwater.
Truly a Fabulous Find.
I love it
These are not really very attractive to me. Hopefully someone disagrees and picks up this rare car.
Oh you skeptics! LOL . I have never seen a blue pre war ford block BUT according to this website its possible…………
https://fordclassics.com/engine-paint
Nonetheless the car is pretty sweet and you dont see a lot of ’41’s
Howard A has it right – probably 105K miles. John D explains, accurately, why. Also the “upholstery” appears to be nothing that Ford ever put on cars. More like quality J.C. Whitney stuff from bygone days. IMO of course, as a former owner of Fords of that vintage when they were just a few years old.