1929 Ford Model A Tudor Sedan

Lot details
Registration No: SV 7994
Chassis No: A3174867
Mot Expiry: Sept 2006

Amid rumours that several States were preparing to ban his Model T due to its 'unsafe' hand-operated braking system, Henry Ford begrudgingly succumbed to pressure from his son Edsel in July 1926 and authorised the development of a successor. Introduced to the public on 2nd December 1927, the Model A was greeted with unprecedented demand. Longer and lower-slung than that of the Model T, its chassis still retained transverse-leaf front / rear suspension but proved significantly more refined. Designed by Howard Hicks, its 3285cc, L-Head four-cylinder engine developed 40bhp (twice the Model T's output) as well as boasting niceties like coil ignition and an integral water pump. Mated to a three-speed manual gearbox, it gave the new model a top speed of 65mph which in turn necessitated the fitment of four-wheel drum brakes.
Finished in maroon over black with fawn cloth upholstery, this particular example is variously described by the vendor as being in good (engine, gearbox, electrical equipment, bodywork, paintwork) or very good (chassis, interior trim, wheels / tyres) condition. Coming directly from the estate of the late Gerry Marshall, the two-door (hence 'Tudor') sedan was apparently "his pride and joy" being "used on regular short trips since its purchase in 2003". Thought to have begun life in Denmark (its bulkhead mounted chassis plate suggests that it was a Bogense municipality resident), the Model A was first UK registered in 1974 as WAA 952M. Reportedly treated to an extensive restoration during the 1980s, it was subsequently exhibited at the Lakeland Motor Museum but not MOT tested again until 1996. Judging by its continuous run of certificates from 1999 to the present, it was reregistered as SV 7994 between October 1999 and October 2000. Benefiting from a new speedometer at around the same time, it is believed but not warranted to have covered 81,460 miles from new (though, the new instrument reads just 2,035). Despite being SORN registered, the Ford was last "taken for a run just prior to going into pre-sale storage" in December 2005. Riding on cream painted wire wheels shod with Firestone 4.75 / 5.00 x 19 tyres, this appealing Model A also sports a windscreen peak, rear-mounted spare, indicators, Dunlop rear lamps, Ford Twolite Headlamps and a Ford Motometer. Eligible for a host of Vintage Sports Car Club events, it is offered for sale with a small tool kit, fire extinguisher, dust cover, mechanics handbook, Model AF instruction book, history file (old MOT certificates, various articles, sundry invoices etc) and MOT certificate valid until September 2006.