1935 Ford Model 48 Eight

By 1935, the world was still suffering from the effects of the Great Depression but things were starting to improve. Ford used the slogan 'Greater Beauty, Greater Comfort, and Greater Safety' to describe its 1935 product. Ford continued to thrive on mass production of automobiles sold at modest prices to the largest possible low-priced market.

Ford moved the engine forward eight inches for the 1935 model year, increasing the size of the passenger compartment and re-located the rear passenger seat in front of the rear axle without lengthening the wheelbase. It was a noticeable improvement and described by Ford as 'Center-Poise Ride.'

The hood was noticeably shorter, even with the radiator grille moved to a position where it was nearly even with the front of the fenders. The shorter hood gave the 1935 Ford a more aggressive and pugnacious appearance, which Ford designer Bob Gregorie did not like. Nevertheless, the sporty appearance was more Intune with the sprightly performance that the flathead V-8 offered.

The 221 cubic-inch, L-head V8 developed 85 horsepower and was backed by a three-speed manual transmission. The wheelbase measured 112-inches with a length of 182.75. Total 1935 production reached 820,253 Ford vehicles with Model 48 prices ranging from $505 to $755. Most of the vehicles were the Standard Tudor bodystyle which sold for $505 and found 237,833 willing buyers. 78,477 examples of the Standard Coupe were sold and 31,513 of the three-window Deluxe Coupe. The Deluxe Fordor Sedan, selling for $660, was also very popular with 105,157 buyers sold. The top-of-the-line Deluxe Convertible Sedan and the Station Wagon had the highest prices and the least amount of sales, with fewer than 5,000 examples each.

The vast majority of automobiles built in the United States by this point in history had closed two and four-door bodies, but open cars were still popular, catering to the specialized desires of a wealthy group of loyal Ford V-8 owners. The new Convertible Sedans resulted in many prospective clients who were seeking the allure of an open car that was also weather-tight. The convertible sedan accomplished this with roll-up windows in all four-doors and removable pillars between the front and rear doors. The pillars, containing the window channels, were secured to the soft-top frame and the doorposts. They had 'tight fits' with the side windows and much-reduced noise than the standard convertible. Offered only in deluxe trim, the new Convertible Sedan was stylish, affordable, exclusive, and versatile.

The Triple A's Depression-era classifications, which included the Indianapolis 500 race, favored stock-based engines. Ford had abandoned direct participation in competition with its stock cars following the 1933 Elgin Road Race and a few subsequent road races on the West Coast. Privateers continued to employ the V-8 as the basis for Indianapolis entries; for 1934, Charlie Crawford's 16th place being the best result. Preston Tucker brought a proposal to Ford near the end of 1934 to build and race a team of ten Ford V-8 powered specials in the 1935 edition of the Indy 500. The work was performed by Harry Miller with backing was provided by Ford's advertising agency, N.W. Ayer and Ford dealers' cooperative advertising budget.

After the contract was signed in March of 1935, construction began on March 12th, just two-and-a-half-months prior to the start of the Indy 500 on Memorial Day. The cars built by Miller, known as the Miller-Fords, were front-wheel-drive with low, aerodynamic bodies with complex and compact parallel link four-wheel independent suspension. Four examples qualified for the race but had a shortened day due to limited testing and development. The main Achilles heel where the planetary gear steering boxes mounted to the V-8s' exhaust manifolds which boiled off their lubricant and seized.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2020