Vehicle Description
Up for sale in our Orlando showroom is an incredible pre-war 1941
Ford Opera Coupe Deluxe. This unique piece of Americana was an
overhaul in Ford styling. The body was widened over the area where
the running boards once were and lengthened by several inches.
Along with several suspension modifications and upgrades these
eliminated the rough and tumble ride of previous generations. These
cars not only served as the runabout of the day but were highly
prized by traveling salesmen for the extremely large trunk area to
carry their wares and as legend goes, crawl into the truck for a
quick nap while on the road. The Opera Deluxe was easily identified
by the abundance of chrome trim and folding jump seats in the back.
Another unique feature of the Ford Deluxe was the ability to
manually crank start the car in the event of a dead battery.
Looking straight on at the grille you will see a small opening just
below top of the front bumper for the hand crank to be inserted,
very clever. This feature remained on the Deluxe until the 1949
model year change, the first significant styling change post war.
With the brief background lesson over let's get to our beautiful
1941 Deluxe for sale. Standing proud in Henry Ford black, the
sporty and sweeping lines of this Deluxe begs to be driven and
shown off in all her elegance. Driving this 41 Ford for sale is
just as unique as the car itself. The flathead V-8 provides ample
pep in your step power and coupled with a three on the tree manual
transmission it gives you a fabulous driving experience no longer
found. Sporting a three piece front grille, fender mounted turn
signals and split front windshield with head lights integrated into
the front fenders, the Ford Deluxe ushered in a new era of styling.
With the wide whitewalls and fender skirts it's easy to imagine
yourself on the way to the Opera in nostalgic elegance. Sliding
behind the wheel you see the instrument cluster and hand pull knobs
all made from Bakelite, a precursor to today's modern plastics and
highly collectible. One of the coolest items in the interior is the
Southwind heater. A Deluxe only option, the heater operated
independently with the engine off, using gasoline and a small fuel
pump to keep occupants warm while at the drive in movie. The cars
also featured push button start and a bolt lock steering wheel not
releasing until the key was turned. Both of these items were very
innovative for the day and have resurfaced in the modern autos of
today. This blast from the past has received a mild interior
restoration with just enough done to revive the comfort and
elegance but preserve the nostalgia and innovation of the time.
Don't miss this opportunity to show and go in this iconic and rare
piece of American history. Options include; Deluxe package,
Southwind heater, new glass and rubber, new fuel pump, new brakes
and wheel cylinders, new clutch, and new reproduction interior. For
more HD video and pictures please go to Gatewayclassiccars.com or
call the Orlando showroom at 407-771-2000