Ford Model X ?

[kuhner]

Saw this on the Model Club of America web site. A Ford model "X" ?

Was there such a thing? Maybe "N"?

Car for Sale: Thank you for your suggestions. I have decided to sell the cars to highest bidder at auction on January 31st. I have had some interest shown by a local Ford Dealer, who is willing to take the cars in trade on a newer model. My neighbors son has arranged for an auctioneer, and says he has posted an announcement in the local paper. I have since learned that one car is a Model A, from the first series of model A cars before the T and another is a Model X (my late husbands handwriting is not easy to read), which is also supposed to be an earlier car. It is nice to learn that these old cars are still popular. Sincerely, Alison McDonald

Alison McDonald

Toronto, Canada - Mon Jan 9 22:06:20 2006

Even if it is a typo, have to beleive someone here would be interested in this auction. I have no connection to this just curious.

[Aanderson44]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Saw this on the Model Club of America web site. A Ford model "X" ?

Was there such a thing? Maybe "N"?

Car for Sale: Thank you for your suggestions. I have decided to sell the cars to highest bidder at auction on January 31st. I have had some interest shown by a local Ford Dealer, who is willing to take the cars in trade on a newer model. My neighbors son has arranged for an auctioneer, and says he has posted an announcement in the local paper. I have since learned that one car is a Model A, from the first series of model A cars before the T and another is a Model X (my late husbands handwriting is not easy to read), which is also supposed to be an earlier car. It is nice to learn that these old cars are still popular. Sincerely, Alison McDonald

Alison McDonald

Toronto, Canada - Mon Jan 9 22:06:20 2006

Even if it is a typo, have to beleive someone here would be interested in this auction. I have no connection to this just curious. </div></div>

I've never heard of any "Ford Model X", nothing like that in my reference library. The only reference I have to any Ford item bearing the letter X was the so-called "X-8" engine, an experimental idea, which created an aircooled small 8-cylinder engine with the cylinders arranged in a radial "X" pattern around the crankcase, as a possible replacement for the inline 4-cylinder Model T engine, in the middle 1920's. It wasn't at all practical.

Ford's letter series started, of course, with Model A in 1903, proceeding with Model C, K, S, R, N, and finally Model T in 1908. I suppose the missing letters were either experimentals or just drawing board ideas which never saw the light of day outside of their experimental laboratories or the fertile mind of Henry Ford and his rather small staff. With the end of Model T in mid'year 1927, Ford went back to "Model A" to dsignate the then "New Ford", to indicate that this was a new car, not just an extension of MOdel T. With the introduction of a 4-cylinder "backup" or "insurance policy" car (just in case the V8 was a total flop--which it wasn't!) in 1932, Ford characterized the new 4-cylinder as an "Improved Model A", which it was, designating that version as Model B, while the V8 cars were designated "Model 18". For 1933, Ford came up with an all new car once again, the V8 version carrying the factory designation Model 40, which term carried over through 1934, after that, there being no other letter designators for US Built Ford cars.

In late 1932, Ford introduced, in the UK, from their new Dagenham factory, the Model Y, which was the first of the subcompact Fords produced.

Art

[Guest De Soto Frank]

Floyd Clymer's book in the Model A has basic Ford company history, including some pictures of the Ford "X-motor", as it was known.

I don't believe there was ever a Ford car known as the "Model X".

There were "A", "B", and "C" models in the horselessl carriage era, the Model "K" of 1906, the "N" & "R" predecessors to the "T", and then the common letter models that we all know and love... (T, A, B, C, and V-8 )

[DizzyDale]

Dear Kuhner,A friend of mine has been trying to get a hold of this women in regard to a Model T collection.Her posting on the Model T site has a digit missing from the phone number and apparently her number cannot be found.Cars and parts are allegedly 30 miles North of Toronto.SOMETHINGS FISHY.....diz

[kuhner]

After I posted that I hoped I had not opened my mouth and ruined someones chance of getting a deal. But now that you mention it, it does sound a little odd that someone would have two pre-model T Ford cars.

Anyone on the board live in Toronto? Maybe have a copy of the auction listing?

greg

[nearchoclatetown]

Kuhner, as she said her late husband's handwriting was not good, perhaps the X is really a N. It would figure that you would hit on the X-8, an AIRCOOLED engine!

[Aanderson44]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Floyd Clymer's book in the Model A has basic Ford company history, including some pictures of the Ford "X-motor", as it was known.

I don't believe there was ever a Ford car known as the "Model X".

There were "A", "B", and "C" models in the horselessl carriage era, the Model "K" of 1906, the "N" & "R" predecessors to the "T", and then the common letter models that we all know and love... (T, A, B, C, and V-8 ) </div></div>

Actually,

Ford never officially designated any post-1927 car as a "Model C" from the factory. General wide public acceptance of Model A, coupled with the perceived "risk" of the V8 introduction led Ford to upgrade the Model A 4-cylinder into the Model B (changes primarily being the counterweighted crankshaft, automatic spark advance, mechanical fuel pump, some oil system revisions--elimination of the exterior oil return pipe--and revising the water pump from 4 mounting bolts to 3), then marketing the car aggressively early in 1932 production as the "Improved Model A", designated Model B (V8's were Model 18's) to provide "insurance" against a feared market resistance to the V8 (didn't really materialize), and the nasty production teething problems with the V8 (which did occur!). By the end of the very short 1932 Model year, the V8 was the engine of choice for most Ford buyers, so with the introduction of the all-new 1933 Ford Model 40 in late 1932, the "B" engine was simply termed the Ford 4-cylinder, and seems to have been relegated to the role of "You say you want only a 4, but wouldn't you really RATHER have a V8?". 4-bangers amounted to less than 10% of Ford production in 1933, and for 1934, only a few hundred were assembled into cars and pickups before the engine was quietly and unceremoniously dropped in early 1934--Ford not to produce another automobile 4-cylinder in the US until 1941, and that was a Model 9N/8N farm tractor engine adapted to car and pickup use, and itself in many ways a very clear cousin of the fltathead V8, using many of the same internal parts.

But, a Model C in 33-34? Nope, didn't happen quite that way--apparently a term coined by journalists.

Art

[1937hd45]

The "C" crank was the good counterweighted crank that was used in a "B" block, NOT the one with the press on weights. Easy way to convince doubters of the existance of the "C" crank it to drop one on the toes of a doubter and ask what type of crank it is one more time after they stop screaming.

[Guffin]

I have had an engine called a Ford C engine that looked like a B engine but with pressure fed oil to the bearings. It had a counterweight crank. I put it in an A-Ford I had. The A gearbox fitted exactly. The same engine was produced until around 1960 and was used for many different purposes. Ford used this block in a Marine engine in the 50is. I was going to buy this engine for my boat in 1966 as I was very familiar to the A and B Ford engines. It had a thick head gasket so it could run on kerosine. At that time they offered me there latest model instead, build around a Ford Zephyr (British) 6 cylinder engine. I still have that boat and the Zephyr engine. It runs very nice and quiet

Jan

[1937hd45]

There was a 4 cylinder engine built by Ford of Germany that is based on the B, it came from the factory with a cast aluminum oil pan. If anyone has one of these aluminum pans for sale please let me know.