1938 Ford DeLuxe Model 81A Eight

Despite the economic hardships and Great Depression of the 1930s, the automotive landscape changed drastically with many changes introduced year-after-year. Art Deco styling and streamlined designs were embraced by many manufacturers, and engine displacement, number of cylinders, and engine output continued to climb. Many automakers were forced out of business and those that remained had done so by diversifying their products allowing them to appeal to a wide audience of buyers. General Motors's six different divisions accommodated nearly ever customer through its vertically oriented business model called 'product policy,' from the economically priced Chevrolet to the top-of-the-line Cadillac. Chrysler had instituted a similar program with five separate lines, allowing them to achieve higher sales than Ford in 1933 and again in 1936. Ford offered its customers the V-8 and Lincoln K lines, leaving a significant price gap in between. Edsel Ford had improved matters with the introduction of the moderately priced Lincoln Zephyr, but more diversification was needed.

Rather than adding a new marque to its portfolio, Ford added the Deluxe in 1937 as a 'line within a line' offering upscale features and trim. To further distinguish the 'Deluxe' from the 'Standard' line, Ford gave them unique front-end sheet metal for 1938. The budget-oriented Standard Model 82A cars had a modified 1937-style grille and hood, while the DeLuxe Model 81A, the first to be styled by E.T. Gregorie's new design section, adopted a heart-shaped motif with a curved outline for the radiator grille and separate hood louvers. The sedan body styles wore new bodies with a curved fastback contour. Changes to the interior of DeLuxe models included a revised instrument panel with recessed control knobs and a radio speaker in the center. DeLuxe models added dual windshield wipers, a 'banjo' steering wheel, a vanity mirror in the sun visor, walnut wood-grain window moldings and dash panels, and a locking glove-compartment door with a factory clock.

The Standard models could be equipped with either a 60-horsepower or 85-horsepower version of Ford's 221 cubic-inch L-head V8 engine. The DeLuxe models came exclusively with the more powerful of the two. Body styles on the coupe included a coupe, Tudor Sedan, or Fordor Sedan. The DeLuxe came in three times as many variations, the second most popular of which was the Fordor Sedan. Ford continued to produce open cars well into the thirties, longer than most other automakers who had switched to closed-body cars as market preferences shifted. During the period, open cars with glass side windows, cabriolets and convertible sedans, gained market share at the expense of roadsters and phaetons, but Ford persisted, keeping the fully open cars in production. The last Ford roadster was built in 1937 and the phaeton lasted a year longer. Open cars were offered only in the DeLuxe model line in 1938.

The 1938 Ford station wagons were elevated from the commercial catalogue to the passenger car list. The spare tire on the wagons was moved inside and attached to the bulkhead behind the driver's seat and furnished with a canvas or artificial leather slip-over cover. The five horizontal panels of the 1935 to 1937 wagons were replaced by a two-panel configuration. The sliding glass windows in the rear had been optional in 1937 but in 1938 was made standard equipment. Although the 1938 Ford station wagon was not formally designated as a DeLuxe, it did have the new DeLuxe grille. A total of 6,944 examples were built.

Both the Model 81A and 82A rested on a 112-inch wheelbase platform that measured 179.5-inches in length and stood 68.6-inches tall. The 90-degree, eight-cylinder engine had a cast iron block, three main bearings, mechanical valve lifters, a two-barrel downdraft carburetor, and developed 85 horsepower at 3,800 RPM and 146 lb-ft of torque at 2,000 RPM. The transmission was a three-speed sliding gear unit with a single dry plate clutch and floor shift controls. Mechanical, internal expanding brakes on all four wheels provided the stopping power.

The Standard models were priced from $625 to $825 and the Deluxe listed for $685 to $900. Total Ford production was 410,048 units of combined Standard and DeLuxe models.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2022