1940 Ford Deluxe Deluxe Station Wagon

The first year Ford introduced their station wagons, nearly 5,000 examples were sold. These were initially open-air cars with side-curtains in case of bad weather. Roll-up glass front windows did not become available until 1935. By 1937, full glass enclosures could be ordered as optional equipment; the following year it became standard.

The first 'in-house' wagons built by Ford did not appear until 1929 when they were listed in their commercial line. They proved to be very popular and by 1947, Ford had become the leader in wood-bodied station wagons with 16,000 units being produced annually. Most automakers commissioned outside builders and suppliers like Cantrell or US Body and Forging to build their wagons. Henry Ford's obsession with efficiency led him to bring the task in-house.

Assembly of complete wagon bodies was moved to a newly created Ford plat at Iron Mountain in the summer of 1939. The initial intent was to produce 75 station wagons per day. Within a short period of time, the number escalated to 100 units per day and exceeding quality standards.

The role of the wood-bodied station wagons began to change during the 1930s. They became popular on the estates of wealthy customers which helped in gaining distinction. They could often be seen driven by the gardener, chauffeur or tradesman.

By 1939, Ford was offering the wagon as either a Standard or Deluxe model. When Ford introduced their new line of 1940 models on October 6th of 1939, they advertised them as 'the style leader in its price class.' The designs were courtesy of designer E.T. 'Bob' Gregorie who created the elegant streamlined look on the Fords.

Ford offered two powerplants in the 1940 station wagon line. Most of the Deluxe wagons were given the 221 cubic-inch v8 horsepower which had 85 horsepower on tap. This was a necessary unit as the wagons tipped the scale at 3,260 pounds making them the heaviest vehicle available in the Ford catalog. With additional payload and all eight seats filled, the V8 engine would get a very good workout.

A few cars were given a larger, 239 cubic-inch Mercury V8 engine which had slightly more horsepower, at 95 bhp. It is believed that just over 350 examples were outfitted with this powerplant. This 1950 Ford Deluxe Station wagon is one of those examples. It has a black body with varnished mahogany paneling. The inter features leather seats and plenty of room for up to eight passengers. It has an older restoration that still shows well today.

In 2007 it was brought to the Gooding & Company auction held in Pebble Beach, California and estimated to sell for $140,000 - $190,000. Those estimates proved nearly accurate, as the lot was sold for $132,000 including buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2008