Vehicle Description
This 1932 Ford Model 18 Sports Coupe sports one of the rarest body
styles among '32 Fords and this particular one is quite handsome.
When Henry Ford introduced his latest creation in March of 1932, it
was a long time coming and would end up changing the trajectory of
American automobile design and history. See, Henry was beginning to
sense that his slowing sales were not entirely due the poor
economic conditions at the time but rather his competition at
General Motors (i.e. Chevrolet) and Chrysler (i.e. Plymouth) were
catching up to the lead his namesake Ford Motor Company had built
with the Model T and Model A. In particular, both Chevrolet and
Plymouth were selling 6 cylinder engines whereas the Model A was
still using the reliable Ford 4 cylinder. So, in the Summer of
1930, Henry Ford secretly sent some of his most talented
experimental engineers to his Greenfield Village shop in Dearborn,
Michigan to begin designing a small V8 that could be easily and
inexpensively produced for the masses. In fact, this covert
operation was so secret that not even Henry's son and then FoMoCo
president, Edsel Ford, was initially aware of Henry's plan.
Eventually, Edsel would see Henry's V8 in June 1931 and the Fords
would proceed with production. On December 7, 1931, Model A
production was stopped and the wheels on Ford's $300 million gamble
were officially rolling. By March 1932, Ford's new Model 18 was
available for public viewing and the new design was well-received.
From the new radiator shell with that iconic slight "V" shape and
the vertical bars on the grille to the new-look engine turned dash,
the 1932 Fords were gorgeous both inside and out. As the years went
on, the '32 Fords became desirable hot rod projects when the vets
returned from the War with their V8 engines, great looks, and, at
the time, relatively inexpensive price tags. Today, the '32 Ford
remains one of the most iconic hot rods which is why finding one,
like this one, still in its stock configuration a harder and harder
proposition. This particular 1932 Ford Model 18 comes to us from a
southern based collector who cared for the car for 15 years. Under
the hood on this '32 Ford Coupe is 221 Cubic Inch Flathead V8
engine paired with a single barrel carburetor that was said to have
created 65 horsepower back in 1932. The 221 "Flatty" is backed by a
3 speed manual transmission that is shifted using a floor mounted
standard shifter. Exhaust exits the Ford V8 via a single exhaust
setup that is outfitted with a chrome deflector tip on the rear
exhaust pipe. This all steel Model 18 rides on a set of wide
whitewall bias-ply tires that are wrapped around painted wire
wheels with chrome Ford V8 hubcaps that give the car a gorgeous
pre-war appearance. This '32 Sports Coupe is also equipped with a
matching rear-mounted spare that adds further to the classy look of
this early V8 Ford. The all steel body on this 1932 Model 18 Sports
Coupe has been refinished in Cherokee Grey with Winterleaf Brown
beltline molding accented by tasteful burnt orange pinstriping and
black painted all-steel fenders. Of course, this Sports Coupe is
outfitted with a beautiful light beige canvas fixed soft top with
black painted Landau bars, all of which are in wonderful condition
and complete the exterior look of this classic Ford. The interior
on this 1932 Ford is delightful! The front bench seat has been
reupholstered with brown vinyl, as has the rumble seat in the rear.
The brown vinyl door panels, painted dash with engine-turned
aluminum accented instrument panel, beige rubber floor mat, and
steering wheel all appear to be in their stock configuration and
are in fantastic condition. The dash is equipped with a 90 MPH
speedometer, oil pressure gauge, and amp gauge.
*221 Cu. In. Flathead V8 NOM
*Single Barrel Carburetor
*65 Horsepower
*3 Speed Manual Transmission
*Wire Wheels w/ V8 Hubcaps & Wide Whitewalls
*Southern History
*1 of 1,982 Sports Coupes Produced
*All Steel Cherokee Grey Body w/ Black Fenders
*Brown Vinyl Interior w/ Rumble Seat
*Rear Mounted Spare Tire
*Stock Instrumentation
*Odometer Reads: 279 Miles
