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Edsel Ford's 1934 Model 40 Special Speedster
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MummyChunk
Apr 18, 2012, 6:38:57 AM4/18/12
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PEBBLE BEACH, Calif., Aug. 19, 2011 It has grace, style and a
77-year history shrouded in mystery that has intrigued automotive
collectors, enthusiasts and writers worldwide. Edsel Ford's restored
1934 Model 40 Special Speedster was unveiled today by Lincoln and the
Edsel & Eleanor Ford House at The Lodge, Pebble Beach in Monterey
County, Calif. It will appear again on Sunday August 21, at the Pebble
Beach Concours d'Elegance. Restored to its timeless elegance, Edsel's
personal roadster shared its story of a decades-long journey.
The Speedster's extensive restoration by award-winning RM Auto
Restoration in Ontario, Canada, revealed the stunning, custom made
"one off" as it originally looked in 1940 after its final
redesign by Edsel and designer E. T. Gregorie. The revelations
uncovered during a year-long restoration have resolved many long-held
assumptions about the illustrious vehicle's journey over time. But
more than a story of restoration, the vehicle provides a glimpse into
the early years of Edsel Ford's design and automotive styling as
President of Ford Motor Company and its luxury Lincoln line.
The Speedster celebrates Edsel's eye for design that began when as a
small boy he would take pen to paper to sketch cars as well as
everyday objects. "My grandfather was an early believer that
everyday objects - including automobiles - could be seen as works of
art," said Edsel Ford II, who unveiled the Speedster. "While
he wasn't a designer in the traditional sense, his eye for styling and
influence was apparent as he initiated and built the design department
at Ford Motor Company."
After Edsel's death in 1943, the Speedster crisscrossed the U.S.
making limited appearances, then it disappeared some feared it had
been destroyed. It was last seen when it was photographed in Hollywood
in the 1950s after which it was purchased by a U.S. Navy sailor in
Florida for $603 in 1958. It didn't appear again until Bill Warner
displayed it at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in 1999.
In 2008 it was sold to a Texas car collector for $1.76 million, then,
following the collector's untimely death in 2010, the Speedster
returned to Edsel's home, now operated as an historic site called the
Edsel & Eleanor Ford House. Over the years, alterations were made
to its grille, engine, paint and interior - it is these alterations
that have been reversed by RM Auto Restoration to take the famous car
back to the 1940 design and engine.
The Model 40 Special Speedster
Its rich history began in 1932 after Edsel returned from a trip to
Europe. He asked Ford's chief designer, E.T. "Bob" Gregorie
to design and supervise the construction of a personal sports car
similar to those he'd see "on the continent."
The first design reportedly disappointed Edsel because it wasn't lower
and racier. But Gregorie, who was adept at turning Edsel's visions
into tangible designs, went to work on a more dramatic, streamlined
design. This "continental" roadster may have started with a
stock 1934 Ford (aka Model 40) frame, but its subsequent chassis was
radically altered. The Model 40 Special Speedster was unlike anything
Ford Motor Company had built up to that time.
At 113 inches, the Speedster's wheelbase is approximately the same as
the standard 112-inch wheelbase of a 1934 Ford roadster. Yet, it
appears longer and lower. This illusion was achieved by modifying and
lowering the car's chassis, positioning the cockpit toward the rear of
the car and extending the tail section.
Gregorie, Robbie Robinson, supervisor of the Lincoln plant, and Ford
Aircraft Division personnel, fabricated a topless, taper-tailed
aluminum body with cut-down door openings and mounted it over a custom
welded tubular aluminum structural framework.
It was believed that the Speedster's fenders were modified Trimotor
Aircraft "wheel pants," but Ford's aircraft fabricators
undoubtedly fashioned them from scratch. The custom-designed front
cycle wings were mounted so they turned with the car's Kelsey-Hayes
wire wheels. The all-aluminum bodywork followed the best aircraft
practice light and very strong.
The Speedster was painted Pearl Essence Gunmetal Dark; the interior
upholstered in complementary gray leather. The flat, engine-tuned
instrument panel incorporated period Lincoln instruments. The
2,100-pound Speedster was powered by a stock 75-bhp, Ford Model 40
flathead, with straight exhausts that were enclosed by the bodywork
with only the tips protruding.
The Speedster had low-mounted faired-in headlights, an enclosed
radiator with a concealed cap, a starter button on the instrument
panel, minimal chrome trim and no running boards features that
didn't appear on production Fords for years.
The Speedster's shapely hood had louvered side panels that subtly
matched the angle of the radiator grille and the windscreen. A pair of
narrow vee-ed grilles with a single row of louvers (vents) running the
length of each side of the hood limited the flow of cooling air. The
Speedster had a tendency to overheat.
Two period photographs of the car show two different louver
treatments. One shows a single row of side louvers; the other features
two rows of louvers, one atop the other. It's reasonable to suspect
that because of overheating issues, the hood was modified between the
times these photos were taken.
Reportedly, a winter freeze in 1939-40 cracked the engine block; a new
239-cid, 100-bhp 09A Mercury V-8 was installed. This would have been
the most powerful version of the Ford flathead V-8 available at the
time.
By 1939, Gregorie had designed wider twin grilles for the
Lincoln-Zephyr, so it followed that he would take the same approach
for the Speedster. He redesigned the Speedster's front end by
shortening the upper grilles and fabricating a wide, horizontal grille
for improved cooling. The new design, which required extensive
modifications to the hood, was likely completed in 1940. The
instrument panel may have been updated at the same time with a 160-mph
racing type speedometer and matching Stewart-Warner accessory
instruments.
"The Model 40 Special Speedster was only enjoyed by Edsel for a
few short years before his death in 1943, but its journey was just
beginning," said Ford House President Kathleen Mullins.
"Ford House is proud to give life to Edsel's original vision for
a unique, continental roadster."
The Model 40 Special Speedster has moved through almost eight decades
of owners and modifications and has returned to its early design
elegance. After Pebble Beach, its journey will continue, ultimately
returning home . . . to Ford House.
To follow the Speedster's travels, and view the restoration process,
visit www.fordhouse.org. For video footage of the Speedster, go to
media.lincoln.com.
The Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, Mich., is
a place of inspiration and discovery where visitors explore
connections to art, design, history and the environment while
celebrating Ford Family traditions. The 1934 Model 40 Special
Speedster is part of its permanent collection.
View the attachments for this post at:
http://www.jlaforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=151457781#151457781
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif., Aug. 19, 2011 It has grace, style and a
77-year history shrouded in mystery that has intrigued automotive
collectors, enthusiasts and writers worldwide. Edsel Ford's restored
1934 Model 40 Special Speedster was unveiled today by Lincoln and the
Edsel & Eleanor Ford House at The Lodge, Pebble Beach in Monterey
County, Calif. It will appear again on Sunday August 21, at the Pebble
Beach Concours d'Elegance. Restored to its timeless elegance, Edsel's
personal roadster shared its story of a decades-long journey.
The Speedster's extensive restoration by award-winning RM Auto
Restoration in Ontario, Canada, revealed the stunning, custom made
"one off" as it originally looked in 1940 after its final
redesign by Edsel and designer E. T. Gregorie. The revelations
uncovered during a year-long restoration have resolved many long-held
assumptions about the illustrious vehicle's journey over time. But
more than a story of restoration, the vehicle provides a glimpse into
the early years of Edsel Ford's design and automotive styling as
President of Ford Motor Company and its luxury Lincoln line.
The Speedster celebrates Edsel's eye for design that began when as a
small boy he would take pen to paper to sketch cars as well as
everyday objects. "My grandfather was an early believer that
everyday objects - including automobiles - could be seen as works of
art," said Edsel Ford II, who unveiled the Speedster. "While
he wasn't a designer in the traditional sense, his eye for styling and
influence was apparent as he initiated and built the design department
at Ford Motor Company."
After Edsel's death in 1943, the Speedster crisscrossed the U.S.
making limited appearances, then it disappeared some feared it had
been destroyed. It was last seen when it was photographed in Hollywood
in the 1950s after which it was purchased by a U.S. Navy sailor in
Florida for $603 in 1958. It didn't appear again until Bill Warner
displayed it at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in 1999.
In 2008 it was sold to a Texas car collector for $1.76 million, then,
following the collector's untimely death in 2010, the Speedster
returned to Edsel's home, now operated as an historic site called the
Edsel & Eleanor Ford House. Over the years, alterations were made
to its grille, engine, paint and interior - it is these alterations
that have been reversed by RM Auto Restoration to take the famous car
back to the 1940 design and engine.
The Model 40 Special Speedster
Its rich history began in 1932 after Edsel returned from a trip to
Europe. He asked Ford's chief designer, E.T. "Bob" Gregorie
to design and supervise the construction of a personal sports car
similar to those he'd see "on the continent."
The first design reportedly disappointed Edsel because it wasn't lower
and racier. But Gregorie, who was adept at turning Edsel's visions
into tangible designs, went to work on a more dramatic, streamlined
design. This "continental" roadster may have started with a
stock 1934 Ford (aka Model 40) frame, but its subsequent chassis was
radically altered. The Model 40 Special Speedster was unlike anything
Ford Motor Company had built up to that time.
At 113 inches, the Speedster's wheelbase is approximately the same as
the standard 112-inch wheelbase of a 1934 Ford roadster. Yet, it
appears longer and lower. This illusion was achieved by modifying and
lowering the car's chassis, positioning the cockpit toward the rear of
the car and extending the tail section.
Gregorie, Robbie Robinson, supervisor of the Lincoln plant, and Ford
Aircraft Division personnel, fabricated a topless, taper-tailed
aluminum body with cut-down door openings and mounted it over a custom
welded tubular aluminum structural framework.
It was believed that the Speedster's fenders were modified Trimotor
Aircraft "wheel pants," but Ford's aircraft fabricators
undoubtedly fashioned them from scratch. The custom-designed front
cycle wings were mounted so they turned with the car's Kelsey-Hayes
wire wheels. The all-aluminum bodywork followed the best aircraft
practice light and very strong.
The Speedster was painted Pearl Essence Gunmetal Dark; the interior
upholstered in complementary gray leather. The flat, engine-tuned
instrument panel incorporated period Lincoln instruments. The
2,100-pound Speedster was powered by a stock 75-bhp, Ford Model 40
flathead, with straight exhausts that were enclosed by the bodywork
with only the tips protruding.
The Speedster had low-mounted faired-in headlights, an enclosed
radiator with a concealed cap, a starter button on the instrument
panel, minimal chrome trim and no running boards features that
didn't appear on production Fords for years.
The Speedster's shapely hood had louvered side panels that subtly
matched the angle of the radiator grille and the windscreen. A pair of
narrow vee-ed grilles with a single row of louvers (vents) running the
length of each side of the hood limited the flow of cooling air. The
Speedster had a tendency to overheat.
Two period photographs of the car show two different louver
treatments. One shows a single row of side louvers; the other features
two rows of louvers, one atop the other. It's reasonable to suspect
that because of overheating issues, the hood was modified between the
times these photos were taken.
Reportedly, a winter freeze in 1939-40 cracked the engine block; a new
239-cid, 100-bhp 09A Mercury V-8 was installed. This would have been
the most powerful version of the Ford flathead V-8 available at the
time.
By 1939, Gregorie had designed wider twin grilles for the
Lincoln-Zephyr, so it followed that he would take the same approach
for the Speedster. He redesigned the Speedster's front end by
shortening the upper grilles and fabricating a wide, horizontal grille
for improved cooling. The new design, which required extensive
modifications to the hood, was likely completed in 1940. The
instrument panel may have been updated at the same time with a 160-mph
racing type speedometer and matching Stewart-Warner accessory
instruments.
"The Model 40 Special Speedster was only enjoyed by Edsel for a
few short years before his death in 1943, but its journey was just
beginning," said Ford House President Kathleen Mullins.
"Ford House is proud to give life to Edsel's original vision for
a unique, continental roadster."
The Model 40 Special Speedster has moved through almost eight decades
of owners and modifications and has returned to its early design
elegance. After Pebble Beach, its journey will continue, ultimately
returning home . . . to Ford House.
To follow the Speedster's travels, and view the restoration process,
visit www.fordhouse.org. For video footage of the Speedster, go to
media.lincoln.com.
The Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, Mich., is
a place of inspiration and discovery where visitors explore
connections to art, design, history and the environment while
celebrating Ford Family traditions. The 1934 Model 40 Special
Speedster is part of its permanent collection.
View the attachments for this post at:
http://www.jlaforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=151457781#151457781
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