Completely overhauled Mercury 8BA Flathead engine, dual Carburetors, 12 volts, 3 Speed Ford Transmission, Original Ford front and rear axle.
All new bearings, seals, brakes, clutch, gauges, electric harness, tires.
This vehicle has been handcrafted by Vintage Racing Car, using authentic FORD parts. The body has been manually handcrafted and the chassis modified as per Edsel Ford design.
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This is a tribute to Edsel Ford’s Famous Speedster built in 1934.
Description
1940 Ford Model 40 Speedster
This sport car inspired by Edsel Ford ……saw on a trip to Europe in 1932, through his work with collaborator E. T. “Bob” Gregorie on the design, to it’s careful fabrication by Ford master craftsmen.
The original 1934 design (seen below) was somewhat different. Although Mr. Ford used the car for personal transportation for six years, in 1940 he again consulted with Gregorie about modifications to improve engine cooling.
The solution, seen below on the left in a 1/25th scale model built by Gregorie, shows the modifications intended to increase air flow to the radiator. Clearly visible on the print is a handwritten note from Edsel Ford to Gregorie approving this reconfiguration of the grille and relocation of the headlights. The thumbnail on the right shows the completed car’s new look.
Built atop a heavily modified ’34 Ford Model 40 frame, the Special Speedster nonetheless appeared to be much lower and longer than the standard production model it was based on. Gregorie accomplished this neat trick through the use of a much longer hood line and correspondingly rearward-placed cockpit, along with wheels pushed to the extreme outer limits of the car’s bodywork. Said wide whitewall-shod discs were fitted underneath close-cut fenders which turned with the steering, and despite rumors to the contrary, these were not actually modified airplane spats.
But in the ensuing years, this unique roadster didn’t remain quite as visible as it was when Edsel cruised the streets of Grosse Point Shores in it. After Mr. Ford’s untimely death in 1943, this significant automobile changed hands several times in the next 67 years, undergoing some engine modifications, but thankfully none to it’s one-of-kind coachwork. Between 1958 and 1999, Earl and later his son, John of Sebring, Florida owned it. That last year, an article in Special Interest Autos led Bill Warner, founder of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, to the famous car. A deal was struck and Edsel’s beautiful speedster changed hands once again. While in his care, it underwent a sympathetic refurbishment that returned it to running condition
