It was the summer of 1931. Henry Ford had just built his 20 millionth automobile, a four-door Model A sedan and send it on a cross-country tour, escorted by other cars in the stylish Model A line. The milestone ford attracted big crowds as it visited cities large and small along the way. States were so proud to be a part of the car's route from the east to the west coasts.
that special license plates were presented. Mayors and governors signed the car's logbook. Helping Ford celebrate the great achievement was a show of admiration and respect for the most popular nameplate ever. Nearly four years since it came on the market to replace the legendary but obsolete Model T, The sporty Model A had won the hearts of America.
It had stylish good looks, dependability, and a quick four-cylinder engine that made it the snappiest performer in the low-price field. But buyers were changing, and Henry Ford, who had ruled the automobile industry for two decades, was worried. The stock market crash of 1929 was hard on the auto industry.
Competition was keener than ever. Ford's old nemesis, Chevrolet, had been closing the sales gap for some time. Then in 1929, Chevy came out with a new six-cylinder engine, and its sales skyrocketed. The new Chevys were not only faster and smoother, but had the styling to go with it.
They were beating Henry Ford at his own game, domination of the low-price field. By the middle of 1931, Chevys were outselling the Fords, and the king of the automakers knew he had to do something about it. On July 29, 1931, he made his decision.
If it was cylinders the public wanted, he was going from four to an eight. But he didn't tell anyone about his plan, not even his closest associates. Instead, he abruptly announced the closings of 25 of his 36 plants, laying off 75,000 men.
They would stay closed, according to Ford, until conditions improved. But in his heart, Henry Ford knew it was all over for four-cylinder cars. His ace in the hole was the work being done in secret for over a year in this quiet building on the grounds of his Greenfield Village Museum. It was Thomas Edison's historic old invention laboratory, brought here from his home in Fort Myers, Florida. For years, Ford had tinkered with an X-8 engine that he hoped one day would power his cars.
But it was heavy and complicated. Road tested in Model Ts, it was found that the bottom cylinder banks were too close to the ground, and the spark plugs fouled easily. It was an idea that didn't work.
But Henry Ford seemed to find inspiration in failure. Why not design a simple, lightweight V8 engine with the block cast in a single piece? A one-step, low-price V8 would be a breakthrough in engineering, an accomplishment to rival anything he'd ever done before. The experts said it couldn't be done, but after nearly a year, his men had made some amazing progress. Working on the secret V8 engine design was Henry Ford's personal engineer, Charles Schultz.
Assisting him on the complex ignition system was Emil Zorlein. Longtime Ford engineer Eugene Farkas was given the task of designing a chassis for the new engine. The men had been told to do the impossible, build a complete V8 engine from a single casting, and test it.
It was an engineer's nightmare, something many had dreamed, but none had dared. Yet, the standard V8 engine was nothing new to them. Henry Ford had been building V8 engines for his expensive Lincoln line of automobiles for nearly a decade.
But the Lincoln V8 engine was like all the others in the industry. industry cast in complex sections machined and bench assembled it was a system too expensive to consider for a low-priced car. Ford drove his elite engineering team to unlock the secret how to cast the block in one piece.
To test their ingenuity he forbid them from consulting with other engineers and forced them to use Edison's old belt driven tools instead of modern equipment. many geniuses Henry Ford's mind worked in strange ways not more than a few hundred feet from Edison's old laboratory where the men were laboring on the new v8 engine with obsolete tools was the Ford engineering building it was the creative soul of his company and the place Henry Ford spent the most time a place where hundreds of skilled engineers were at his personal beckon call but he wouldn't tell any of them about his v8 engine idea until he knew he could build it. Henry Ford could afford to be somewhat peculiar.
During this time, he was considered the richest man in America, the symbol of American know-how. He owned his own airport and built the famous Ford Trimotor airplanes, which took off across his industrial empire in Dearborn, Michigan. Over his immense River Rouge plant, the largest automobile manufacturing complex in the world, it employed thousands and was a place where people came from around the world to marvel at the sheer spectacle of raw materials going in at one end and finished cars coming out the other.
Glass, a mixture of silica sand, limestone, soda ash, etc. is dumped into a furnace and comes out molten glass to be rolled into a 400-foot ribbon, then cut, ground, and polished to make safety glass for Ford car windows and windshields. In the Spring and Upset building, we see springs in process of manufacture. This is how they are tested.
Now we move into the pressed steel building. Here we see a giant press responding to the touch of a man's finger on a button that exerts tons of pressure in stamping out the section of a car body. Everywhere about the plant are interesting mechanical scenes. In this department we find machines which automatically make small parts almost uncanny in speed and in accuracy.
Henry Ford had tested a V8 engine and by now had let his son Etzel and top production men in on the project. Etzel at 38 was the soft-spoken president of the company. Ford was even more convinced that his engine idea would work. The secret V8 engine project was now moved into the big engineering building under the supervision of chief engineer Lauren Sheldrick. Sheldrick had been the one Ford man most certain that casting a V8 engine in one piece was impossible.
His fears weren't completely unfounded. Men were thrown to the job of engineering, casting, and testing the new Ford V8 blocks. For every success, there were a hundred failures. Edsel's talent was in styling. This was well proven by his work with the Ford V8.
with the Model A and his luxury Lincoln line. He had been pressing his father all along for a more competitive car. So his father put him in charge of styling an entirely new body to go with the lightweight V8 engine. Executing on his ideas would be veteran stylist Joe Galam, who had designed all the Ford bodies since the first Model T. Their first clay models would be an attempt to streamline the existing Model A look.
with a wide lower body and a racier front end with a sweeping grill and headlights fared into the fenders. But as the design developed, the front end treatment would follow along the more traditional lines of the company's big, elegant Lincolns. In the first week of December 1931, Henry Ford ordered all Model A passenger car production stopped. From now on, he was committing...
all the resources of his company to building a V8 powered replacement for his famous Model A. Until further developments, he would leave the press and the public in the dark about his V8 engine. The first prototype shows the evolution of Ford's V8 engine design. The starter was mounted above the bell housing, and the exhaust manifold wrapped around to the front. It was now January 1932. Millions had been spent, and the casting problems with the V8 engine were still not solved. Finally, production boss Charles Sorensen rolled up his sleeves and personally directed the first successful casting.
From that day on, the men would call him Cast Iron Charlie. Meanwhile, the entire Ford organization was edging toward the brink of disaster. Dealers had no new cars to sell.
Many were barely getting by selling parts and used cars. A lot of them went broke. In the first week of February 1932, Henry Ford broke his silence. He announced to the public that he was launching a brand new low-priced Ford V8, along with an improved four-cylinder car called the Model B. By the end of the month, men were returning to the plants to learn how to build the new cars, and the big Rouge plant began gearing up again for production.
At last... After millions spent, came the day the company was waiting for. On March 9th, 1932, the first Ford V8 came off the line. As his son Edsel and members of his staff gathered for the event, Henry Ford triumphantly stamped engine number 18-1. The 18 stood for Model 18, the V8 passenger car.
A new era was dawned. Ford's trademark low price and dependability was now blended with the smooth power of an economical lightweight V8 engine. The House of Business beats faster as the great 1100 acre Ford plant takes on a new life.
It's a different place now from the old days when Henry Ford brought out his first bone shaker, the atom of the millions of flivers that have covered the face of the earth since then. Whoa, Lizzie! But Mr. Ford revives her and she gallops away, hitting on all two. That was 40 years ago.
Now a quarter of a million men are back on the job to create the latest member of the family. And you're looking at them, getting out a new number one. This eight-cylinder descendant of the old 1882 bus represents $624 million being spent to help revive business.
A marvelous example of faith in the future. Here she is, and she and her brothers and sisters seem to be tickled to death out in the fresh air, galloping around the lot. stomping all over the place like Colt sent out to pasture.
Boy, she can take it. But it would be nearly a month before any of the new Ford V8s were available to the public. In the meantime, the new models were road tested on the rough back lot of the Rouge plant.
It wasn't a very sophisticated test track, but it did the job. A flooded Dearborn Street was made to order for giving the ignition the waterproof test. As assembly plants across the nation from Buffalo to Seattle geared up for Ford V8 production, crowds of interested spectators, dealers, newsmen, and job seekers gathered at the factory gates for any new word from Dearborn. To gain time and build dealer enthusiasm for the new V8, the Ford sales department sent out an introductory film.
This new V-type 90-degree engine develops 65 horsepower. Like all other Ford engines, it is simple in design and construction, and it is remarkably smooth in performance. Now we shall see how parts for the new V8 Ford car are inspected and checked.
First, the crankshaft. This Ford developed machine measures the static and dynamic unbalance of the crankshaft. Once the unbalance is is obtained, it is a matter of only a moment to determine the amount of metal necessary to be removed from the throws of the shaft to bring it into balance, and it must balance within three tenths of an inch ounce, an exceedingly close limit.
This machine, operating somewhat differently, also checks the static and dynamic unbalance of the crank shaft. The cam shaft is carefully checked for accuracy. On this specially developed gauge, the spacing of the cams and bearings is checked. They must be in their proper position within 10 one-thousandths of an inch. This gauge checks the rear bearing flange and this one the location of the fuel pump plunger eccentric.
Both are held true within 10 one-thousandths of an inch. Still another inspection of the camshaft. Here the contour of the cams is gauged. They are not permitted to vary more than two one-thousandths of an inch. Connecting rods, vital parts of the engine, are closely checked.
The diameter of the piston pinhole must be held true within 3 ten-thousandths of an inch. Here, the big end of the connecting rod is weighed as a check on the dynamic balance. This is the gauge used to check whether the bore of the big end bearing is square with the face. Take little things like the piston pins. Here's where they are inspected.
In this gauge, the pin is checked for length, 2 and 13 sixteenths inches. The location of the ring groove is also checked here. The diameter of the piston pins is held true within 3 ten thousandths of an inch. And no pin can be off weight more than 2 grams, the 14th part of an ounce.
In this room we find an inspection of the pinholes in the piston. The diameter of the holes is held to a limit of 3 ten thousandths of an inch. The weight of the piston is held within 2 grams.
Now here's an interesting machine which removes the overweight. A scale on the machine is set to the overweight figure. The piston is placed in position. The machine started and metal chips bored from the inside drop into a cup. When the weight of chips equals the amount to be removed, the machine automatically stops.
Now for a little assembly. You've seen a set of connecting rods, pins, and pistons. This is how the pin, piston, and rod are assembled and checked for alignment. And these assemblies are then carefully weighed and matched in sets.
Flywheels are statically and dynamically balanced. On this machine, the operator determines the amount of unbalance in the flywheel. Drills out the necessary metal to bring it into balance and then gives it a final check.
The limit is two-tenths of an inch ounce. Split valve guides are made in perfect half circles, making them interchangeable. Here the halves are being lapped and gauged to bring them in half circles. Cylinder blocks coming from the foundry go to the big milling machines.
And this one? The surface of the cylinder bank is milled. First a rough cut and then a finish cut. And the surface must be true flat within a limit of 5 one thousandths of an inch.
We move to the motors building again and to the assembly line. Assembly of parts into the block begins here. Valves are ground and are properly seated.
The crankshaft is assembled in the block. Pistons and connecting rods are assembled. Rings are fitted on the pistons. Connecting rods from opposite cylinders are attached to the same crank pin throw and oscillated in special floating double area bushings. Valve chamber cover plate with manifold integral and cylinder heads are soon assembled.
Next comes the oil pan. Then the transmission and the clutch are attached. The completely assembled engine comes off the line and moves on to the dynamometer department where it is tested. As the frame with axles attached arrived at the right place on the line, the engine was lowered in.
Running changes would be constant. as the year progressed. The earliest engines had a two-blade fan and a cast aluminum oil pan. Later ones had a four-blade fan for better cooling.
A tall distributor coil was another mark of an early 1932 Ford V8 engine. The distributor, coil, and condenser are combined in one unit at the front of the engine. The distributor rotor operates directly on the end of the camshaft with no interposing gears, so there is perfect timing all the time. Here we have the distributor cut away so you can see the mechanism.
Full automatic spark control is provided by the action of the centrifugal governor. But a new feature is the vacuum controlled brake on the governor, which controls its action and ensures perfect timing even when the engine is suddenly accelerated under heavy load. The plugs are connected with the distributor by heavy insulated cables, which are carried in waterproof conduits from each cylinder bank.
The distributor also is waterproof. You will be interested in the way the engine is mounted in the chassis. It is completely cushioned on rubber.
It is mounted on rubber at two points in front and is attached to a rubber insulated plate in the center crossmember. An easily accessible cup provides lubrication for the clutch throwout bearing. Gear shifting is easy. The transmission has a silent second, helical cut gears in constant mesh. And the synchronizing device permits quiet shifting between first and second gears up or down with no possibility of clashing gears.
The rear axle is a three-quarter floating type, the advantage of which is that the weight of the car is carried on the axle housing. Axle gears are forged integral with the shafts. Roller bearings are used throughout as the most efficient. The double taper roller bearings on the pinion shaft assuring perfect alignment of gears. The drive shaft is the tubular type.
The sturdily constructed front radius rods run from the front axle to the center cross member where they are joined. They are attached in a rubber insulated ball socket. By the use of the rubber insulator here in the socket, a new element of quietness is introduced. Metal-to-metal contact is eliminated, and lubrication is unnecessary.
Here again in the new car is another basic Ford principle, the transverse cantilever spring. In this car, we find the rear spring mounted back of the rear axle housing, a low flat spring with full flexibility. Rear springs are made in several sizes to meet the riding requirements of the various body types. The shock absorbers, when installed on the car, are set to provide the proper cushioning effect from normal driving conditions on a smooth road.
After that, they automatically adjust themselves to all roads. Here's how the shock absorbers perform. This machine was built to test them out, and the wheels are jolting more violently than they would on any road over which the average driver travels. Yet you have only to look at the glass of water to see how the shocks have been absorbed and how steadily the frame rides. Brakes are of the four-wheel mechanical type.
The service brake has a braking surface of 186 square inches. The brake drums are of a special cast alloy iron and tests show that they will not easily score. The brake cross shaft is a nine-inch shaft mounted in oil-less bearings at the rear of the center cross member, so designed as to ensure positive action.
The brakes are simply constructed, are self-centering, and designed to bring the car to a stop quietly, quickly and smoothly with the least effort. Steering has been made almost effortless with the new Werman sector steering gear with three-tooth sector. Another feature is that the thrust bearings are automatically adjusted.
On the line right along with the V8s went the four-cylinder engines that went into passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Henry Ford had taken a big gamble in bringing out a V8 but the trusty four-cylinder engine that had served him so well in the Model T and Model A was still available for those customers who wanted it. Installing the firewall and dash on the chassis before the body was unique to the 32 Ford model.
It was an idea that hadn't been used since the Model T. In theory, it made installing the instruments easier. But in practice, the body was harder to fit. and slowed down the assembly line.
There were other features unique to this model. The frame side rails now formed part of the body, and the spare tire hanger doubled as the frame rear crossmember. The 1932 Ford wheels also had some new changes. Steel spoke wheels are used on the new car.
Here's how the spokes are electrically welded to the rim, making one-piece construction. There are 32 spokes in the wheel. The large hub cap is of rustless steel.
All wheel retaining nuts are concealed inside the wheel hub, yet are easily accessible when a wheel change is necessary. Drop center rim is designed for the large tire. Tires on the new car are large, 525 by 18, and add measurably to riding comfort.
The valve stem comes through the wheel rim at an angle and is easily accessible. The 1932 model pioneered many firsts in Ford design. It was the first to have a fuel pump and the first to have the gas tank at the rear of the car. Here we have the fuel tank.
It is made of turn plate, electrically seam welded into one piece, and is unusually strong. It has a capacity of 14 gallons. The pump and gauge tubes running forward are electrically welded together for strength. Now we come to the bodies of the new car.
They are of steel built to the high qualities of workmanship characteristic to all Ford manufacture. An interesting feature of the fine mesh wire used in the soft roof construction of the sedan bodies is that it is completely insulated and so may be used as a radio aerial. This panel shows various coats applied in painting the bodies.
A primer, two servicer coats, three double header coats of peroxyl in lacquer, and a finished coat of lacquer. There is a choice of several beautiful color combinations. Fenders are beautifully finished in enamel. Underneath it, quality you do not see, is a coat of bondurite, which helps preserve the enamel and prevents rust spreading if the fenders are scratched.
Running boards are long and wide. They are made of steel and the rubber covering is vulcanized to the metal. Another feature of the running board is that it is attached directly to the side member of the chassis frame. There's an inviting beauty to the interior of the Deluxe cars.
Bodies of all the cars are roomy, seats are deeply cushioned and restable. Appointments are attractively designed and upholstery is rich. The Turkish style piping enhances the restfulness of the seats.
The front single seats fold flat and permit easy access to the rear compartment of the car. Driving Comfort. adjustable driver's seat.
It has a four inch range of movement. The angle of the windshield reduces headlight glare and windshield pillars are narrow to aid visibility. There are two inside sun visors and being mounted on double jointed brackets may be easily adjusted to the desired position. Mechanism of the vacuum windshield wiper is concealed.
Instruments are conveniently grouped on the attractively designed oval instrument panel. The panel is indirectly illuminated. The steering wheel is of three spoke design, permitting easier visibility of the instrument panel.
The throttle control button is on the instrument panel. The coincidental steering and ignition lock is built integral with a steering column bracket. The ignition must be turned off before the key can be removed.
When the key is removed, it releases a plunger which locks the steering shaft. The car may be locked with the wheels in any position, but if they are then turned into a straight position, the plunger immediately locks them in that position. There is beauty in every detail of the car. The streamlined effect is carried out throughout.
From the radiator, back along the hood and cowl, up and over the windshield, and along the roof lines, and down the rear panel. March 31st, 1932, three weeks after the first one came off the line, the new Ford V8 was at last unveiled to the public. The company's official introduction of the long-awaited cars was at the Big Highland Park showroom on Woodward Avenue in Detroit.
Many Americans were out of work because of the deepening depression. Yet nearly six million of them across the nation turned out to see the cars in the first two days of their introduction. The beautiful styling of the new 1932 Ford V8 was a big hit with critics and the public alike. Yet, the eight-cylinder engine was the subject of hot debate among skeptics.
Some contended that twice the cylinders of Henry Ford's old four meant twice the gas consumption. Others feared that the pistons fired at an angle like the Ford V8s would wear out on the bottom side. In San Francisco, the cars made their debut at the Civic Auditorium.
Here too, the new Fords with their compact V8 engines, talk of the town. 30 years, Henry Ford had at last built an automobile, not just for utility. engineering, ride, and beauty that customers were now demanding. Let us enjoy the beauty of the details for a moment.
The front has an impressive distinctiveness, a richness of design. The single bar chromium plated bumpers have been designed for good appearance and stability. A double corrugation provides strength. Design is such as to minimize possibility of locking bumpers with another car when parking. Front license plate brackets are on the front tubular crossmember of the frame.
The license plate is easily visible, but it neither mars the beauty of the front, nor does it interfere with the airflow to the radiator. Headlamps have been designed to harmonize pleasingly with the lines of the car. To ensure permanent brightness, the headlamp shells are of rustless steel.
There is further attractiveness in the outward curving lenses. Cowl lamps give a touch of smartness to the deluxe cars. Individuality of the new Ford car is expressed in the beautifully designed V radiator shell, which is finished in the same color as the car. Its appearance is further enhanced by the grille, which is finished in a French gray color. and set off by a rustless steel molding.
The top hood hinge is entirely concealed by a rustless steel molding, a bright strip which gives the car a spirit of dash and speed. There is good appearance in the windshield, which is set at a 10-degree angle in a frame with concealed hinges. And here's an outstanding feature. All the new Deluxe cars have safety glass throughout as standard equipment.
Windshields in the other cars are of safety glass, but these cars can be fully equipped with it at a small additional cost. Window openings are designed to provide full vision, yet they blend pleasingly with the lines of the car. And the gracefully curved back reflects a spirit of fleetness, a final emphasis to the beauty of the car itself.
Now we introduce a few of the body types. First, the two-door sedan. Now the deluxe two-door sedan.
Here is the four-door sedan. And this, the deluxe four-door sedan. All wonderful closed cars for the family. The Victoria, another beautiful car. Now for the young folk, the roadster.
And look at this, that it looks roadster. Another open type, the Phaeton. Here's the Deluxe Phaeton with curtains up.
and with curtains off. For the man who wants an individual car, the coupe. The coupe. Or...
the sport coupe. An additional type offered was the deluxe coupe, also called the three window coupe, with front opening or suicide doors, and no side quarter windows, both styling first for a Ford. The convertible sedan was a design carryover from the Model A and featured a soft top that folded back, leaving the body sides and roll-up windows. The Cabriolet was an all-weather convertible. Unlike the Roadster that had side curtains, this model had roll-up windows and appealed more to buyers who wanted a little extra luxury.
One of the most beautiful of the 1932 Ford models was the deluxe Phaeton, yet relatively few were sold, except to the wealthy and mostly fair-weather states. Unfortunately, comedian W.C. Fields made a star of one of these rare models for his zany film, If I Had a Million.
Good work, Rondo. Nothing really. Is everything all clear? All clear.
You should have let me kill him, Emily. The man is worse than a murderer. He's a roadhog.
All our lives we've worked and saved for this one thing. And then this had to happen. Roadhogs. A constant menace to society. They should be wiped out, Emily.
Hear, hear? Wiped out. Just for good measure, Fields did it again.
This time with a new 1932 Model B two-door. Everything clear, my little chickadee? All clear.
Are you hurt, dear? No, dear, but oh, Rallo, look at your hat. Yes, my sweet, I must have it re-blocked. During the introduction of the new V8s, four dealer showrooms were jammed with crowds of curiosity seekers, but few buyers that had money. To stimulate sales.
Dealers were told to get the cars out on the street where people could see them in action. Celebrities like child actor Jackie Cooper were pictured with the cars when they visited Ford plants. Here, young Cooper admires a classic Victoria model at the Rouge plant.
Fresh from his victory in the 1932 Indianapolis 500, race car driver Fred Frame stopped by the Rouge to pick up his new Ford V8 Roadster, outfitted with dual side tires and all the extra trim. It was a gift from Mr. Ford and Frame showed his appreciation by taking it out on a quick spin. Boxing champ Jack Dempsey bought his wife a new deluxe coupe, and when they stopped by the Ford assembly plant in Long Beach, California, they too were the subject of the publicity camera. The Ford sales department could make an event out of almost anything. When the Detroit Police Department ordered a fleet of new V8 patrol cars in May 1932, the company made the most of the publicity.
They staged a parade, and on hand to lead it was the chief of police, and his lieutenants in the department's big Lincoln staff car. For entertainment-starved Detroiters, this was a big thing. There were Fords for every duty, from open roadsters and Phaetons for investigators, to big staff Lincolns and closed sedans for street patrol. The day Henry Ford and his men watched that first V8, a Victoria model, coming together somewhat awkwardly on the assembly line, many of the production problems had been worked out. For the price, the cars were as good in fit and finish as anything on the market.
The passenger bodies were built by Ford and two of its longtime suppliers, Briggs and Murray. The bodies arrived on the main assembly line from overhead storage and were lowered onto a chassis as it arrived on the line below. It took 11 men to line up the body and a system of teamwork to quickly attach all the parts and bolt it down. Henry Ford was fussy about the workmanship and the men were required to use fender protectors and fill out inspection tags.
Fitting the hood was one of the last assembly operations before the car rolled off the line. In the 32 Ford model, it was found that one man could do it better than two. The men had to be versatile.
Trucks were built on the same line right along with the cars. Finished Fords were checked into the delivery yard, where they were held for dealers to pick up, or for shipment out by truck. rail or ship.
In May, the company opened a new plant in Seattle, Washington. It was the first with an assembly line designed specially for the new V8. Enthusiasm was high and the speakers eloquent at the opening ceremonies. Company officials and local dignitaries looked beyond current troubles and the Great National Depression.
They spoke of the wonderful opportunities that lay ahead to sell cars and build the Seattle economy. Unfortunately, the Pacific Northwest was hit harder than most with the calamity of unemployment. Ford production was based on buyer's orders. Entire month of May 1932, only 250 cars were ordered by dealers for all of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and the territory of Alaska.
Still, Expectations were high as Ford officials took VIPs on a tour of the plant and a pair of its classy products, a fancy open Phaeton and a sporty Roadster model. Little would the plant manager know, as he proudly pointed out features of his state-of-the-art facility, that come November its doors would close forever, another victim of depression. In many parts of the country, hard cash had all but disappeared. No, officer, I didn't run that light.
That light changed when I was right in the middle of the street. Why did that light change when you were half block down the street? Oh, no, it didn't. No, I don't think it did. Because we're taking care of the police for running these red lights.
What's your first name? Collins. What's your first name?
Roy H. Roy H. Alright, sir, I'll have to order you in court. And it'll probably cost you some potatoes. Well... Because that's what we're finin'these fellas.
What's your number, please? Three, six, seven, five, eight, five. Alright, sir.
Bring this bag in tomorrow and we'll go and bring some potatoes with you because it'll probably cost you plenty of them. Hear ye! Hear ye!
The Honorable City Court of the City of Marion, Indiana is now in session. Lloyd E. Moore, charged with reckless driving. Stand up here, please.
What's the matter, sir? Charged with reckless driving. You drove through a funeral procession.
Yes. You know better than that. Yes, sir. Are you guilty or not guilty of the charge?
Guilty. Julie. Well we've been finding potatoes. Have you got any potatoes? No I haven't.
The fine, uh, the usual fine for this is 10 bushels of potatoes. What have you got? Give me some flour, chickens, and then potatoes. All right then you bring in a sack of flour and two chickens.
All right you got them here? Yeah. All right bring them in. I must excuse you this time. Be very careful and all right, you may go now.
It was a long, slow summer for the automobile business. Four dealers had two engines to sell and the most exciting styling in the low-price field. And yet, it was growing harder to get customers to come in for a look. Still, life went on. People had to have new cars.
By July, a new trend had been established. The V8s were now the most popular Fords and were outselling the four-cylinder Model Bs 3 to 1. Easily the best-selling open Ford for the year was the sporty deluxe V8 Roadster. The price was $500.
It came with a rumble seat, folding windshield, genuine leather seats, and a full set of tools. To make the sale, the dealer was... more than happy to throw in a full tank of gas and a complimentary servicing after it was broken in.
The best-selling Ford for 1932 was the two-door sedan. For the price, it was the top choice among young families, businessmen, and traveling salesmen. Many who bought some of those earliest Ford V8s, however, real trouble lay ahead. Soon, owners began complaining about excessive oil use.
Then, dealers were getting cars back from customers with worn-out engines. Some of the V8 engine blocks had pinholes from bad casting, and nearly all of them suffered from a faulty pan design that caused the oil to surge away from the lubricating points on hard turns. Ford dealers had to repair or replace many engines, while the company worked hard to counter the bad publicity.
It was decided to sponsor a new Ford V8 on an endurance run through California's hot Mojave Desert. The run would feature veteran race car driver Eddie Pullen and start with all the incidental publicity and official good wishes at the desert town of Rosamund, California. The starting date was the 6th of June 1932. Co-sponsor was Pennzoil Motor Oil. The car was a stock 1932 Ford Victoria model.
It was Pullen's job to prove to the automotive world that the Ford could take it, that its quick V8 engine could stand up to the worst kind of punishment under the worst kind of conditions. Timed by Western Union and running at all-out speeds, He would circle the desert course For the next 33 days, a thousand miles a day around the clock. Pullen and his relief drivers would spell each other in four-hour shifts, stopping only for fuel and water and sometimes a little oil.
Pullen's Desert Dash was a big event for the mining town along the route. There was no use complaining about the heat though. It was just another nice day out here in the Mojave.
Pullen drove the Ford Victoria, switching drivers often. In all, 155 different drivers. Take a turn at the wheel through the desert heat day and night for over a month the car finally finished the highly publicized Endurance run back at Rosamund, but the stunt was more than a publicity story reported nationwide Pullens car was actually testing a new engine oil pan design a a baffle had been added to keep the oil from surging on turns.
That the run was successful proved to Ford engineers that the problem was solved and that the V8 engine had finally passed the test. After the Mojave run, Pullen took the Marathon Ford on a publicity tour of the West at Marysville in Northern California. The car was put on display at a local Pee Wee golf course with nightlights.
Here, the public was invited out to see the famous V8, along with the rest of the Ford line. The open-air salon was the main Ford promotional event of the summer. At the company's Louisville, Kentucky assembly plant, the open-air show was held under lights at night so people could come out after work to see the new cars. Ford's official open-air salon was held that summer at the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit.
Here in the main building were all the Ford and Lincoln models on exhibit. It was a free show and a good place to spend the afternoon with friends. Off the main hall, a big circus tent held more exhibits.
and a place where people could rest and be entertained. This was Ford's best chance to drum up interest in its cars during the long, hot summer. The big top were more cars and manufacturing displays showing how things were made. Ford trucks played a big part in the success of the company.
One of the new model BBs was cut away to show its quality engineering and heavy-duty construction. The 50 horsepower four-cylinder engine was the only power plant available in the 1932 Ford trucks. In cutaway detail, a potential buyer could see how smoothly all of its parts worked.
Safety glass was a big selling feature of the new Ford. All the new cars had safety glass windshields. All but the standard models had it in the other windows as well. A Ford man gave a convincing demonstration to show what a thrown rock did to plate glass compared to the new shatterproof safety glass.
The heavily chromed polished V8 rollover chassis would become a regular feature of the 1932 Ford shows. The fascinating interaction of all the Ford's moving parts was always a crowd-pleaser. Highlight of the show was the outside track where visitors could take a ride in one of the beautiful new Ford V8s.
The V8s were good in the hills, and to show how much power they had, the driver sped up a ramp, then gave a braking demonstration. Passengers were impressed. impressed with the car's short turning radius, easy handling and comfortable ride.
It was fun for the whole family. One stunt guaranteed to leave an impression was the three-man body rock to show how safe the Ford cars were from rollover when driven on a sharp incline. Carload of girls and an open Phaeton is particularly relished by the men who give them a thrilling demonstration of the Ford's road-hugging qualities. If that didn't make them want to buy a Ford, nothing would. A deluxe coupe showed what it could do on the two-wheel ramp and rocking demonstration.
Before leaving the show, visitors could sign up to win a new Ford. Times were hard, but there was still hope to win the car of your dreams. The car Henry Ford had bet his whole fortune on, with an engine they said couldn't be built. It would go down in history not only as an automotive milestone, but as the car that saved the company from its competition, and made the flathead V8 engine synonymous. With the name Ford for the next two decades.
For the money, fastest car in America. It had everything. Youthful styling, durability, economy, and an appeal that would make it the most popular car ever to hot rod.
The 1932 Ford opened a whole new chapter in the romance of the automobile. that continues to this day.