Ford had two very successful cars in its stable before World War II. The first was the Model T, built between 1909-27 and the second was the Model A from 1928-32. The latter had the misfortune of arriving just before the Great Depression, so demand stymied production. This 1931 Model A is the Roadster version with the rumble or “mother-in-law” seat in the back. The seller has owned it for at least 20 years and won’t get around to restoring it, so someone will get the opportunity. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this old Ford is available here on craigslist for $8,500 and was discovered by our Barn Finder Pat L.!
The Model A replaced the Model T in 1928. Across five model years, 4.3 million of the cars would be sold and its successor would be the Model B. Comparisons are sometimes made as to the differences between the A and T, so here’s a quick snapshot of a few:
- The Model A had 3.5 more inches in the wheelbase, 24 greater inches in length, and weighed up to 1,000 lbs. more
- While the Model T was a very tall and upright car, the A was a lower-slung automobile
- Both autos had an inline-4 engine, but the Model As was larger in displacement and produced 20 more horsepower, making its top speed 65 mph instead of 45
- Model Ts had to be started with an external crank while the As had an electric start from inside the passenger compartment
- The Model T rode on wooden spoked wheels while the Model A had either wire-spoke wheels or conventional stamped wheels
As offered by the seller, this ’31 Roadster was one of 58,495 built that year. More than 90% of them came in Deluxe trim rather than Standard, so we’ll assume that description fits the seller’s car. We’re told that the 201 cubic inch motor turns over now and ran when he quit using the Ford some two decades ago. So perhaps some work on the fuel delivery system is needed to get the machine running again after being garage kept all these years.
We’re not sure of the original color of the Model A, but we’re guessing it’s not yellow over seafoam green. The dashboard is red if that’s of any help. The rumble seat in the back seems to open and close properly so perhaps some new upholstery is the primary need inside the car. Since it’s captive in a garage, we only see the car from one side and there is some rust in the running board, so it could be elsewhere, too. The odometer reading is just 24,000 and that could be accurate since these cars didn’t see hundreds of thousands of miles like today’s cars do. This would be a cool roadster once restored!
Sure don’t remember a swung brake pedal!
Electric starters were a $20 option first available on Model Ts in 1921. Standard equipment on ‘26-‘27 models. (Earlier models could be retrofitted)
Model A production was between October ‘27 and March ‘31.
Thank you Bunky for stating the correct Model A production history. This is the 2nd time in the past few months I’ve seen a BF writer refer to the Ford Model A as having being made in 1932. Wrong.
Bunky stated the correct production dates. 4 production years. 1928-29 were the first 2 years and are largely identical. For 1930-31, there were numerous design changes / refinements. It is true the earliest 1928 Model As were made in 1927, and contained a few notable late Model T parts. Also true that the late 1931 Model As had parts that would be standard on 1932 Model B.
There is no 1932 Ford Model A.
My mother’s first car was a Model A with rumble seat.
Nice candidate for a flathead V-8 swap.
Nice car !
I agree with the flat head swap in, and store the original engine for a future owner.
What’s with the brake pedal which looks like it came out of a mid 1960’s Chevy product? You can plainly see it hangs down from under the dash like a more modern vehicle. I would like to see some more photos of the engine compartment.
Hi Like to buy the green Model A. 8.500 Ed. 269-804-7394 or 269-9534190 call anytime. thanks. do you have other cars. trucks. i am in Hastings. MI. My E-mail tugriver1@hotmail.com