1939 Ford DeLuxe V8 Model 91A

The 1930s began in poverty and ended in prosperity. For Ford, the 1939 model year would represent a 'crossover' of sorts, representing the final year of several beloved features before the company turned to the future and embraced the new decade. This would be the first year of hydraulic brakes at Ford, and the last of the full-pane side windows with 'Clear Vision' draftless vent operation, rumble seats, and crank-out windshields. This was also the final year for the DeLuxe Fords to wear the pointed nose penned by E.T. 'Bob' Gregorie, the individual who penned the original Lincoln Zephyr. The headlights, for the first time, were recessed smoothly into the front fenders, but the final time they would employ the free-form lenses.

Body Styles

The 1939 Ford models consisted of the DeLuxe Model 91A Eight and the Standard Model 922A Eight, with the DeLuxe models priced approximately $100 higher than the Standards. The Standard model was comprised of four body styles and included a coupe, Tudor Sedan, Fordor Sedan, and a five-passenger station wagon. The coupe had a five-window design with a single bench seat for three individuals. It offered two luggage compartments, one accessed by raising the trunk lid, and the other from inside by lifting the seatback. A total of 37,326 examples of the coupe, of all types, were built in 1939, placing it third in sales, behind the Tudor and Fordor sedans. Bodystyles on the DeLuxe included a 3- and 5-passenger convertible coupe, coupe, Tudor Sedan, Fordor Sedan, and Station wagon.

The 1939 Ford Station Wagons

The wood-bodied 1939 Ford station wagons were built atop the passenger car platform, and most of their applications were for utilitarian purposes, many of which were for commercial application. In 1929, Ford became the first car maker in America to introduce a factory assembled station wagon, and by the close of the 1930s, they had perfected the trade. The 1939 Ford Wagons were the last to use bodied built by Murray Corporation of America with wood from Ford forests in northern Michigan. Murray would complete the wooden structure and then ship them via rail to the various assembly plants.

In 1940, the redesigned body production began at Iron Mountain, Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula. The 1939 wagons were very different than the 1940 wagons, with the latter having a forward-hinged rear door and a tailgate spare tire, rather than the rear-hinged and inside spare configuration of the previous years. 1939 was the first year for the hydraulic (12-inch) drum brakes and the final year for the floor shift transmission. New features for 1939 included optional roll-up door windows, side glass for the liftgate, and rear side panels.

Ford produced 3,277 Standard station wagons in 1939 and 6,155 examples of the DeLuxe Station Wagons.

Production

The most popular body style was the DeLuxe Tudor Sedan priced at $745 with 144,333 examples built. This was followed by 124,866 examples of the Standard Tudor Sedan, priced at $680. 38,197 examples were Standard Coupes, priced at $640, followed by 33,326 examples of the DeLuxe Coupe ($700). 10,422 examples were DeLuxe Convertible Coupe with seating for three and priced at $790. This made them over twice as popular as the five-passenger DeLuxe Convertible Coupe, priced at $920, which saw production reach 3,561 units.

Specifications

The base engine was the 90-degree, eight-cylinder unit displacing 136 cubic inches and offering 60 horsepower. It had a cast-iron block, a Stromberg two-barrel downdraft carburetor, three main bearings, and mechanical valve lifters. The 221 cubic-inch 90-degree flathead V-8 offered 85 horsepower and 155 lb.-ft of torque. The engines were mated to a three-speed floor shift transmission and Lockheed hydraulic brakes were located at all four corners. Engines were treated to new downdraft carburetors, giving the car increased torque while the horsepower remained the same.

The 1939 Ford's had a veed grille with horizontal bars, small side hood louvers, and headlights mounted inboard. The Standard Fords received a variation of the 1938 nose, had less exterior trim, and a single taillight. The DeLuxe models had headlights in a teardrop shape and the Gregorie front end with the chrome vertically slated grille positioned lower in the hood and accented by a V-shape outline and a 'V8' emblem extending toward the hood's center pinch. The 'alligator' hood did away with separate side panels making engine access and servicing easier. Additional chrome trim was used in place of the hood louvers, and they had two taillights. The 85-horsepower eight-cylinder engine was standard on the DeLuxe.

The Standard and DeLuxe had a 112-inch wheelbase and a 179.5-inch length.

Total production of both the Standard and DeLuxe reached 532,152 vehicles, an increase of over 122,000 vehicles from the prior year and enough to place it second in sales behind rival Chevrolet. Sales were strong for Ford, but the big news in the company was the introduction of the new medium-priced Mercury line, giving the Ford Motor Company a lineup that catered to nearly every need: Ford, DeLuxe Ford, Mercury, Lincoln-Zephyr, and Lincoln.

In 1939, Ford produced its 6-millionth V-8 engine and its 27-millionth vehicle.

by Dan Vaughan

Deluxe Coupe
Chassis number: 5222850

Henry Ford introduced his V8 engine in 1932 during difficult economical conditions of the Great Depression. In true Henry Ford fashion, it was to be produced in large numbers and at a low cost. A new version of the V8 was introduced in 1936; by now the teething problems had been resolved and horsepower rose to 85. In 1936 it was joined by a smaller 135 cubic-inch 60 horsepower version

The exterior styling was courtesy of Eugene ‘Bob' Gregory. He was hired by Edsel Ford in 1931 and soon was head of Ford's new design department in 1935. He became responsible for every Ford, Mercury and Lincoln Zephyr design produced up to 1945.

This Convertible Sedan was one of six bodystyles available on the Model 91A for 1939. It had the fewest numbers produced and came lavishly equipped with items such as Lockheed hydraulic brakes.

This car has been treated to a restoration since new. In 2007 it was brought to Carmel, California where it was offered for sale at Bonhams auction, An Important Sale of Collectors' Motorcars and Automobilia. The lot was estimated to sell for $65,000 - $75,000 but failed to find an interested buyer willing to satisfy the vehicles reserve.

by Dan Vaughan

Deluxe Station Wagon

This vehicle is a 1939 Ford Deluxe Woody Wagon painted in Washington Blue with a chocolate brown interior. It is an original 8 passenger woody with rear seats in excellent condition. It has been treated to a frame-up restoration with the entire wood original from the Ford plant. It has been driven a mere 21,249 miles since new. It is powered by a Ford V8 Flathead engine and mated to a 3-speed manual gearbox on the floor. This was the last year for the 3-speed floor shift controls.

This Woody is equipped with fog lights, side mirrors, banjo steering wheel, radio, clock, spare, wood grain dash, trim rings, wide whitewall tires, and a 12-volt conversion for easier driving.

by Dan Vaughan

Deluxe Station Wagon
Chassis number: 185024182

This Ford Deluxe Station Wagon is constructed of Birdseye Maple. The 'Birseye' is in reference to its grain patter, resembling a sea of tiny, swirling 'eyes'. It is not a species of tree, but a condition that arises from complex causes and known to occur in several types of trees, including ash, mahogany, beech, walnut and birch. The most common Birdseye is found in Acer saccharin, the sugar maple.

This 'Birdseye' formation is perhaps the result of low soil pH and a sugar deficit within the tree. It is believed that the 'eyes' are created from new shots whose growth has been aborted, leaving tiny knots, forming the birds' eyes, which become covered by the next year's grown ring. The full understanding of the process remains elusive.

The Birdseye Tree is highly prized for making fine furniture, automobile bodies, or trim.

Birdseye trees are often found in the forests of the Great Lakes region of Canada and Michigan. This was the location of Ford's Iron Mountain. Thus, it was commonly used in Ford station wagons. Some of the wagons had 'birdseye' wood, while others did not. It is even believed that Henry Ford may have retained a small inventory of Birdseye wagon parts, and used for orders from special customers or for presentation on a particular occasion.

The original owner of this wagon was a customer in the Hope Ranch section of Santa Barbara. Hope Ranch had become a residential community in the 1920s and remains a semi-autonomous section of the city today. In the 1930s, it had become an upscale community.

Later in life, this car became part of the Nick Alexander. It was given a freshening while preserving many of its original features. The roof is covered in new brown artificial leather. The glass is all original with Ford scripts. The bright-work is in excellent condition, but there is some wear on the tailgate handle. The seats are upholstered with brown leather and there are lap belts for two in the front. The spare tire is mounted behind the driver's seat under a matching cover. The dashboard is newly restored Mahogany woodgrain. The car has a radio, with windshield header antenna.

In 2009, this Ford Deluxe Station Wagon was offered for sale at the Sports & Classics of Monterey auction in Monterey, California presented by RM Auctions. The car was estimated to sell for $150,000-$200,000 and offered without reserve. The lot was sold for the sum of $209,000 including buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Deluxe Station Wagon
Chassis number: 18-5044477

Ford produced 6,155 DeLuxe Wagons in 1939. They wore lumber harvested at Ford's own timber mill in Iron Mountain, Michigan. This example has been given a ground-up restoration in Washington Blue. There are rubber running board covers, rides on wide whitewall bias-ply tires, and has painted steel wheels with stainless trim rings and center caps. Ford script bumper-mounted fog lights have been added. Inside is brown leather interior, banjo steering wheel, and exquisite gauges. The engine is a flathead V-8 engine displacing 221 cubic-inches and offering 85 horsepower. There is a three-speed manual transmission and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.

by Dan Vaughan

Deluxe Convertible Coupe
Chassis number: 185039262

The Ford Deluxe was placed above the Standard line and below the Lincoln division.

This particular Convertible has an older restoration and features a Banjo steering wheel, a factory radio and woodgrain in dashboard and moldings, Dietz driving lights, dual outside mirrors, whitewall tires, stainless hubcaps and trim rings, a locking gas cap and Ford script glass.

by Dan Vaughan

Deluxe Coupe

1939 was a transformative year for Ford. Retained from previous years were the 221 cubic-inch displacement engine, floor-shift transmission, wind-out windshield, bulb-type headlights and wide-bolt-pattern wheels. New, at last, were hydraulic brakes. For 1940, a column-shift transmission, sealed windshield, sealed-beam headlights and new no-draft ventilation system would be introduced. The coupe, available only with three-passenger seating, featured a bench seat with unique lift-up backrest, separated from the trunk area by a bulkhead. This apparently found favour with rum-runners, enabling them to hide their booty form in the inquiring eyes of the law. The relative scarcity of the coupes today was a result of their popularity with stock car racers in the 1940s and 1950s. Few exist today in factory stock form, like this example. Of the just over 82,000 original miles on the odometer, approximately 25,000 were enjoyed during the trouble-free and effortless touring its undertaken since its body-off restoration.

Deluxe Station Wagon
Chassis number: 18-4797275

The Ford Motor Company was known for introducing slight redesigns in every new model year. For the 1939 model year, the design took on a longer and more Art-Deco appearance, with the grille being vertically halved and the front end being given a more pointed forward edge that filled in where the grille was deleted. Hydraulic brakes were now standard in all vehicles, something that Henry Ford had opposed due to his belief that they were unsafe. As the 1930s were coming to a close, he reluctantly gave in to his engineers and gave the go-ahead with a Lockheed-designed brake system.

Ford offered the Standard series and the upscale Deluxe series, with the Standard series appealing to the commercial and fleet buyers. Ford had been the first American car maker to introduce a factory assembled station wagon back in 1929 and, by 1939, they were the wagon masters. Improvements for 1939 included optional roll-up windows plus side glass for the tailgate and rear side panels.

This particular 1939 Ford V-8 DeLuxe Station Wagon was acquired new by Mayor Geise of Calafon, New Jersey, from Swankhammers Ford in nearby Long Valley. The car remained in Mr. Geise's care until the late 1940s when he sold it to another Calafon resident, Rudolf Isak, who continued to drive the Ford until it failed its 1955 state inspection.

The station wagon resided in Mr. Isak's garage until 1975 when it was sold to Richard Sangiamo of Roselle, New Jersey. Mr. Sangiamo performed some mechanical and cosmetic restoration work, got the car working, and drove it sparingly in the 28 years that it resided in his ownership.

In October of 2003, the car was purchased by Mr. Holden with 57,235 miles on its odometer.

This station wagon retains its original seat uphostlery as well as correct Ford script side glass, original running boards, rubber floor mat, and the original woodgrain on the dashboard. Options and accessories include a radio, clock, heater, bumper guards, banjo steering wheel, locking Ford script gas cap, and a Columbia two-speed rear axle.

by Dan Vaughan

Deluxe Tudor Sedan
Chassis number: 185119279

This 1939 Ford Deluxe Tudor Sedan is currently powered by a Chevrolet 265 CID V8 engine from 1955 paired with a stock three-speed transmission. It has been switched over to 12 volt.

by Dan Vaughan

Deluxe Coupe

The 1939 Ford Five Window Deluxe Coupe is a classic car renowned for its elegant design and refined features from the late 1930s. Its sleek, streamlined body design includes a distinctive five-window configuration, which offers a stylish and panoramic view from inside the cabin. Powered by a flathead V8 engine, it provides smooth and dependable performance for its time, enhancing its appeal to drivers seeking both style and reliability. The Ford Deluxe Coupe's combination of classic design elements, such as the chrome grille and curved fenders, has made it a timeless favorite among collectors and vintage car enthusiasts.

This car is mostly an original survivor from 1939. Felicia Noto, a Caremelite native, owned and cared for the car for 49 years. The car was stored as is for 49 ears, the last 40 years in a Carmel, CA. garage.

The Ford DeLuxe was produced from 1937 through 1940. The styling was influenced by Edsel Ford and borrowed many cues from the Lincoln Zephyr. One of the more noticeable Zephyr influences was the oval headlights that were incorporated into the front fenders. Other front-end features were V-shaped grille and vertical bars. The 221 cubic-inch eight-cylinder engine was carefully hidden under the sweeping bonnet. The 85 horsepower that was produced was sent to the rear wheels through a three-speed manual transmission. The four-wheel hydraulic brakes brought the vehicle to a stop.

by Dan Vaughan