The Model A was the successor to Ford’s popular Model T. 1927 would be the transition year between the T and A, an automobile whose development costs are said to have set old Henry back $100 million for design and retooling of the manufacturing plant. The A would be a more complex car comprising 6,800 parts compared to about 5,000 for the T. This 1929 Model A coupe is said to be mostly original and never restored and is in running/driving condition. Located in Sacramento, California, this 92-year-old-car is available here on craigslist for $10,500 OBO. Thanks for the lead on this one, Pat L.!
Ford’s “Tin Lizzie” was getting long in the tooth by 1926, so Ford began work on its successor whose name would move to the front of the alphabet. The first Model A rolled off the assembly line in October 1927, with the number of body styles reduced to a more manageable seven, and its color choices went from black-only to four paint schemes. The cars ranged from $385 to $570 in price depending on passenger capacity and creature comforts. The standard coupe, like the seller’s car, was a big seller, accounting for one out seven Model A’s produced.
We don’t know the history of this car, but it’s said to have traveled just 44,000 in nearly a century since it was put together by Ford assembly workers. It’s said to be a running automobile that comes with some extra parts, whether or not they’re immediately needed for the functional health of the car. Under the bonnet should be an L-head 4-cylinder engine with a displacement of 200 cubic inches rated at 40 hp at 2200 rpm. These cars were quite economical for the day, achieving between 20 and 30 mpg depending on use and speed (the Model A could reach 65 mph). The transmission was a 3-speed sliding gear unit with one-speed reverse.
While the Model T accounted for nearly 15 million units over 18 years, the production span and output of the Model A was about one-third of those numbers. But the Model T was saddled with the Great Depression which would impact demand. Out of 4.3 million cars built overall, 1.7 million were built in 1929 with 179,000 being the standard coupe like the seller’s car. Since there aren’t many of these cars around today, Hagerty estimates a ’29 A to be worth between $8-23,000 depending on condition.
Got to give Ford credit for putting class and style into a car shaped like a big box. The built in body line accents all over them really sets them off by themselves. This is a nice old car.
Seems way too cheap.
Very unusual to see an “A” painted black these days. This has the look of an untouched survivor rather than a typical “two tone restored in the 70’s” Model A .
Funny you should say this as I attended a national meet in VA back in 1978 helped indoors with hundreds of cars most as you described over restored cars in bright two tone colors with every accessory know to man but among all these was one car that stood out a 1929 5 window coupe in black just like this. He came all the way from California to show it, I even went to visit him on one of my business trips. When the time came for me to buy one I was lucky enough to find one just like this one only mine was a roadster a car I used as our wedding car yes in the rain that I kept for 12 years collected everything you’d need to do a full restoration on but never did and happy I didn’t.
Joe
Here here
Its only an original once
Makes me think of the guy who took a beautiful bride ,,,got her to their honeymoon and she began removing her dentures ,wig ,big pretty eye lashes ,soft blue eyes rubbing off her rosey cheeks ….He ran for the door worried what parts were coming off next
If you got 65 mph out of a Model A you were going down a very steep hill!
50 mph is about tops for them unless you want to leave those babbitt bearing rods on the street.. This is very nice original Model A for reasonable price.
Many people forget or didn’t know that the Model T was available in many different colors in the beginning of the run and in the last few years of production. ” You can have any color you want as long as it’s black” was only done in the middle of the T’s production to aid in speeding up the building process. Having only one color simplified things and back then black paint dried faster than any other color due to its chemical make up.
I think back on all of these I could have bought for near nothing to $200,on the top end Only have one left here these days a pretty sad 28 leather back .
I suppose every family has loads of stories revolving around these cars .My daddy always enjoyed telling the story of two of his brothers one had a 27 T the other a new 28 A Uncle Ed in his T would leave uncle Marvin in his A eating dust every time On the other side of the family ( the wilder side) 3 uncles had been out hunting on a full moon night and the one driving was going pretty slow complaining of not being able to see for the glare on the wind screen So one of the others rose his shoot gun and proceeds to blow a huge hole and says now you can see better lets get on home Im sure drinking was involved …as I said the wilder side of the family
The A and AA were what built a lot of this country Had a AA with a centrifugal dump ..a real innovation Hit a dead end on that one the nut who had it before me welded the dual wheels on so they would nt wobble ,that sorta ran outta gas come the first flat tire ha ha