This beautiful 1936 Ford Phaeton was displayed in the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Living History Museum in Sandy Spring MD. The museum built the car about 34 years ago to match the car in Franklin Delano Roosevelt Library and Museum in Hyde Park NY. It's almost an exact copy of the museum car except for the hand control. During its time at the Sandy Springs Museum, this car racked up over 16,000 miles of mainly ceremonial use
The restoration of the car featured many original parts such as an open car radio, a banjo type steering wheel, a greyhound hood ornament and late 1936 LB type engine block displacing 221 cubic inches. These late 1936 blocks marked the switch from Babbitt to removable insert bearings. The engine also boasts a set of fairly hard to find aluminum cylinder heads. Aluminum heads were produced to keep these warm running flatheads cool, but they still gave trouble in some cars and the replacement you got from Ford was cast iron. A good set of aluminum heads properly dated to your flathead is a valuable feature. Also notable is the second windshield behind the driver’s seat; this is a rare accessory.
This Phaeton comes with every option Ford offered plus the car has a complete set of side curtains and a 100% operable top and both look like new. This car is in excellent mechanical and physical condition; every single gauge works except the radio but that can be easily upgraded to a modern internal unit that looks original.
The museum stated that the car was an AACA champion in the mid to late 1990s. This is a difficult award to attain, and it basically means the restoration was done to a high standard with correct parts and materials overall. The car is a real beauty that runs and drives great.
Mechanical brakes rebuilt in 2025
