1932 Ford Special Speedster Roadster

Edsel Ford loved stylish, fast cars. In 1932, after hiring E.T. 'Bob' Gregorie as Ford Motor Company's first full-time designer, he and Gregorie collaborated on a speedster design. The result was this car, built in Ford motor Company's airframe building and finished in the Lincoln shops. The Model 18 had a short 106-inch wheelbase, which Gregorie was able to fashion a full-fendered, boat-tailed speedster that was similar to the roadster's appearance. The body panels were hand-hammered from sheet aluminum. It is believed that Lincoln Plant Manager, 'Robbie' Robinson was responsible for much of the work on the speedster. It had a hood that was longer than a stock 1932 Ford, which extended all the way to the windshield and incorporated two small cooling vents. The fenders were tapered and rakish, and adapted from Tri-Motor aircraft 'wheel pants.' In the front, the grille had a similar appearance to the 1932's at the top, but at the bottom, it was vee'd forward. The flared grille design would later make it way on the 1933 model Fords. The same was true for the Speedster's slanted hood louvers and handle-less suicide doors.

The Speedster was given a low, rakishly pointed, split-post windscreen. There was no top. At all corners were spun aluminum wheel covers over the wire wheels. There were no bumpers or running boards. In the front were bullet-shaped polished aluminum headlights.

Edsel drove the Speedster to work on several occasions. An updated Ford flathead V-8 was later installed for more performance. In 1934, when the 2nd Speedster was built, this car was sold to an Indianapolis mechanic Elmer Benzin.

By the 1940's it was in a Connecticut wrecking yard, where it was saved - but underwent extensive modifications by the new owners. He replaced the damaged alloy fenders with a set of four steel fenders, which were sourced from a 1935/36 Chevy. As a result, for several years, no one knew that the car still existed. No one knows how it got from Michigan to Connecticut and this is still a mystery.

The car was purchased by John Cox who had no idea what the car was, but thought ti to be a pretty cool aluminum-bodied car. Various parts from other cars were used to make the car usable. The speedster was then sold in the late 1940s. John Cox came upon the car again in 1984 and re-purchased it. He completely disassembled it. Shortly after this, it was realized to be Edsel Ford's 1932 Speedster. After Cox's passing, the car was sold to the current owners.

The current owner purchased the car several years ago unaware of its historic provenance. When he learned it was originally built for Edsel Ford he decided to return the car to its original condition. The restoration has taken over five years with attention to every detail of what it was in 1932. It has been repainted in 1932 Ford Tunis Gray, mated to a sample found on the underside of the cowl vent. The interior was redone in dark grey-brown leather. Power is from a period 1936 Ford flathead V-8, with a Stromberg 81 two-barrel carburetor, running through straight pipes that exit at the rear.