Ford Model A
"Cabriolet
1930
Engine |
4 cyl. |
Assembled in |
Dearborn, MI |
Bore & Stroke |
3.875 x 4.25 in. |
Number Built |
25,868 |
Displacement |
200.5 cu in |
Transmission |
3 spd. |
Valves |
Side Valve |
Fuel Economy |
18 mpg |
Horsepower |
40 hp@2200 rpm |
Top Speed |
75 mph |
Weight |
2273 lbs. |
Cost new |
$645 |
Though born in adversity, the Model A was the "new car" that took
Ford from the ranks of the simple utilitarian Model T to the
zenith of an automobile with serviceable good looks. The elder
Henry Ford had been reluctant to bid farewell to the venerable
"T", but once he reached accord with son Edsel (who fought to
build a new car), Henry plunged headlong into the Model A project.
He designed the new chassis and engine himself, while Edsel oversaw
the styling. The Model A styline was sophisticated and derived
mainly from Lincoln, which was overseen by Edsel.
The Ford factory was idle for 6 months pending a change-over to the
Model A. The Model A was a 4-cylinder, 3-speed machine with features
that Henry had never envisioned in 1908 when he introduced the Model
T. The new engine displaced over 200 cubic inches and reached 40
horsepower, making it nearly twice as powerful as the T. Four wheel
mechanical brakes replaced the two brake system, and the new car had
over 6800 parts, far more than the Model T, which had fewer than 5000.
Despite the great depression, and the business losses stemming from the
down time at the factory, 4.5 million Model A's were sold between 1927-31,
with Ford outselling Chevrolet two-to-one in the peak year 1930.
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Donated by Dwight Sanford
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