1941 Ford Special Deluxe Convetible

[Matt Harwood]

It's official, I need a flathead Ford in my life. Every time one of these awesome Fords shows up, I get all giddy and can't wait to slide behind the wheel and take it for a ride, and this lovely 1941 convertible coupe is no exception. The owner built it for his daughter, who intended to run the Great Race with it. That explains the floor-shift 1939-vintage transmission, which is apparently more durable. Every detail was attended to and everything works. This is a VERY nice car.

Ford had a bunch of blue/gray colors in '41, and my best guess is that this is Sheffield Gray. But whatever it's called, it was probably applied 5-8 years ago and still looks great. It's not two-stage urethane, so the shine looks right to my eye, and the color is subtle and sophisticated, particularly when combined with the red leather interior and black top. There's no rust, no damage, and few signs of road use. The chrome is all excellent, with almost all of it restored to show standards, and those pieces that were not restored appear to be excellent originals.

The red leather interior is as comfortable as it looks, and with fresh springs and padding in the seats, the driving position is ideal. As I said, the column shifter was removed and a standard 1939 transmission was installed for durability reasons, but the original transmission, clutch, linkage, and shift lever are included with the car. All the gauges were rebuilt and are fully functional, the woodgraining on the dash and doors is gorgeous, and all the plastic components are in first-class condition. And as I said, everything works, including the radio, wipers, foglights, and power top. The top itself is black canvas that is showing a little age-related stretching, but nothing major, and it includes a matching boot.

I believe the engine is the original 100-horsepower 221 cubic inch flathead, although there's really no way to be certain. In 1941, Ford changed the ignition system four times, the location of the fan and generator twice, and numerous other things along the way, so it's hard to say that anything is non-stock on these cars. There are cast iron log-style manifolds, a single exhaust that sounds great, and durability upgrades like braided stainless brake lines and a freshly rebuilt steering box. It runs on the original fuel pump, the original generator makes electricity, and it idled throughout the photo shoot without going above 160 degrees, so there's no "Flathead Fever." This is a very well-sorted car that was built to hit the road reliably.

With the 1940s still commanding a big price premium, the '41 is arguably a superior car for half the price. This one includes all the spare parts, and is 100% ready to tour this summer. $44,900 and we're always open to reasonable offers. Thanks!