Beschreibung:

In 1939 Ford continued the successful strategy it instituted in 1938 of making the previous year’s Deluxe the current year’s Standard. There were minor differences in the shape of the grille and hood side vents but the bodies were otherwise essentially identical other than the equipment details which went with the Standard trim level. Ford actually described a total of three models for 1939 with the Deluxe differentiated from the “V-8” which came with both 85hp and 60hp V-8 engines in Standard trim. If that seems confusing, keep reading, because the Hogan Collection’s 1939 Ford Model 91A Standard Tudor is even more confused. Its configuration strongly suggests that the Ford assembly plants didn’t always get it right, either, something that isn’t terribly surprising when considering that Ford built 532,152 cars in 1939. The big change in 1939, however, was that Ford’s marketers, salesmen, engineers and product planners finally managed to convince Henry Ford to get out of the way of progress and let them incorporate hydraulic brakes. It was something Ford’s competition had offered for years, the materials, methods and mechanisms were thoroughly proven, and the functional superiority of hydraulic brakes’ lighter pedal pressures and naturally balanced actuation had been amply demonstrated. Ford had lost countless sales to competitors’ hydraulic brakes alone. It had even offered them earlier in its medium duty trucks, for a while being in the incongruous position of proclaiming the virtues of hydraulic brakes in truck advertising while advocating the superiority of mechanical brakes in automobile promotions. It was a contradiction that couldn’t last and it finally met its long overdue demise in 1939. Jack Hogan’s 1939 Standard Tudor has just over 29,100 miles showing on its odometer. It was owned by a Catholic church where it was always stored inside and used infrequently and the indicated mileage is, based both on the car’s history and its condition, almost certainly all the miles it has ever covered in its 68-year life. Aside from a later filter bowl fuel pump, a replacement voltage regulator and the usual service replacement items, it is a complete, period correct 1939 Ford. Jack first spotted it during a trip across country and visited its owner, Adolf Blacksmith in Novinger, Missouri, to see it. He vacillated on buying it, recalling today, “I didn’t really need another Ford,” but upon returning home decided it was too rare and wonderful to pass up. He called Blacksmith to make the deal but was disappointed to learn the car had been sold. The buyer, it turned out, was in Portland, Oregon. Jack called him and persuaded him to part with the car to help fill Jack’s collection of Standard and Deluxe Ford “grilles”, noting that, “I didn’t have to pay the shipping, but I had to pay more for the car.” It has never been judged and is a candidate for Three Category Rouge award as an all-original example. While this is highly attractive on its own, the details make this car even more interesting. Its configuration turned out to be a mystery, because it was titled as a V-8 60 (“21hp”) and had the V-8 60 tubular front axle. Under the hood, however, was an 85hp V-8 and the installation was completely to 85hp Standard specifications, including the transmission, driveshaft and rear axle with the correct higher ratio 85hp gears. Even more telling, details like the splash pans, which no one would have replaced in an engine swap, are correct for the 85hp engine. The engine mounts for the much smaller V-8 60 have different attachment holes in the frame; this 1939 Ford does not have them. It thus appears that not only is the Hogan Collection’s 1939 Ford Standard Tudor Sedan an extremely rare low mileage original car, it also is a production aberration illustrating just how complicated Ford’s model strategy had become. That makes it a very important Ford, and one that is almost certainly absolutely unique in the world.