By 1948, Ford’s prewar styling was entering its final lap, but the flathead V8 was still very much in the game. This Lake City, Florida, coupe is offered for $7,500 or best offer here on Facebook Marketplace. The seller reports 80,000 miles, says the car runs and drives, and claims it is rust-free, a tempting combination for anyone hunting for an honest old Ford with strong hot-rod potential.
The heart of the car is its flathead V8: 239 cubic inches and a factory-rated 100 horsepower for 1948. Those numbers may sound modest now, but the flathead’s unmistakable look, low-end character, and deep roots in traditional hot rodding give it an appeal that goes well beyond the spec sheet. The postwar 59-series blocks are especially familiar to enthusiasts, thanks in part to their block-mounted water pumps and updated construction. The listing does not confirm this engine’s casting number, but simply having a flathead between the fenders gives the coupe genuine period flavor.
The body appears to be a Club Coupe, identified by the shorter rear side windows that separate it from Ford’s other coupe profiles. Unlike the three-passenger Business Coupe, the Club Coupe made room for five, giving it extra appeal as a practical weekend cruiser for friends or family. Its rounded fenders and flowing lines also mark it as one of the last old-shape Fords before the lower, cleaner 1949 models arrived and earned the “Shoebox” nickname. As the final year of the earlier design, the ’48 carries the end-of-an-era character Ford enthusiasts appreciate.
Production figures add another layer to the story. Ford records list just 5,048 Deluxe three-passenger coupes for 1948, compared with 44,828 Super Deluxe coupe sedans. That spread shows why the exact body style and series matter when rarity enters the conversation. This car appears to be a Club Coupe, but whether it left the factory as a Deluxe or Super Deluxe still needs confirmation. An important detail for any buyer who cares about provenance and originality.
There is a pop-culture connection as well. The famous “Greased Lightnin’” from Grease was built around a modified 1948 Ford Deluxe convertible. It is a different body style from this coupe, but the shared model year is a reminder of how naturally these late-1940s Fords fit into custom-car and hot-rod culture.
The seller says this Ford runs and drives through a “three-on-the-tree” manual transmission. If the rust-free claim checks out underneath, the coupe could be a compelling foundation—either for a sympathetic restoration or a traditional hot rod that keeps the flathead front and center. That is the real question for the next owner: preserve its late-1940s Ford character, or lean into the period-correct hot-rod attitude? Which way would you take it?
If the weed whacker comes with it, I’m in.
Call me a sentimental old sap, again, to some, just a frumpy old Ford, but this car was what GIs slogging through the trenches of France, ( or so it was told), dreamed of when getting back. A new V8 Ford coupe, with a radio and a little fan on the dash, yes sir, and auto racing was just the thing for action weary GIs. Once again, the ’48 Ford coupe practically defined this up and coming phenomenon called drag racing, and again, how this car escaped becoming a Gasser, we’ll never know. A ’48 Ford coupe defined the term “Gasser”, and where most ended up. An amazing find, for sure.
Nice car but the park lights say that it’s a ‘46. Ford used the type that’s on this from ‘42 to ‘46 and Mercury used it from ‘42 to ‘48. Anyway, I wouldn’t turn this one down if it showed up at my place.
Club coupe, flathead V8, what’s not to like?
High school friend came up with a ’46 like this one. Helped him change the transmission and put on dual exhausts. Dead simple and fun to drive. I’d probably make a modest street rod out of it. Bit of lowering, dual carbs, dual exhaust and good paint and the original hub caps. That would keep it in the era it originated in.
As of 11/1/2026 at 4:30pst the ad is no longer available, according to Facebook it has either been sold or the listing expired.
Steve R