1934 Ford Model 40 DeLuxe

Ford had delayed the introduction of a replacement for the venerable Model F, and having learned their lesson, Ford wasted no time in bringing a new car to market to follow the popular Model A. On March 31st of 1932, the Ford Motor Company introduced the new Model 40 V8 which was largely a mild cosmetic redesign of the Model A. Its biggest advancement was technological and Ford's first-ever V-8 engine. It was aimed squarely at rival Chevrolet and a bit of one-upmanship to the brand which offered a mere six-cylinder engine.

V8 engines had been used for many years but they were expensive to produce and drove the cost of the vehicle into territory that only a few could afford. The cylinder block casting process was complicated. Ford, however, found a way to mass-produce the V8 engines making them the first low-priced V8 engines on the market. The cylinders were cast 'en block', meaning in one piece, which was a rather simple process resulting in inexpensive prices. The V8 engines went through their teething problems mainly because the engines were rushed into production. They were prone to over-heating, cracked blocks and piston, and bearing failures. Once these problems were corrected, the engines proved their potential and stayed in production for the next twenty years.

The monobloc eight-cylinder engine (ultimately known as the 'Flathead') displaced 221 cubic inches, had mechanical valve lifters, three main bearings, a Stromberg two-barrel downdraft carburetor, and delivered 85 horsepower at 3,800 RPM and 150 lb-ft of torque at 2,200 RPM. The block was cast as a single unit which helped keep the cost competitive, and used aluminum pistons and originally a single-barrel Stromberg carburetor. It was backed by a three-speed sliding gear transmission with a single dry plate clutch and floor shift controls. Mechanical internal expanding brakes were located at all four wheels. The 17-inch wheels had welded spoke drop center rims.

Ford produced vehicles that weighed less than a ton, meaning that with the V8 engine underneath, these vehicles were quicker than most anything else on the road. The V-8 symbol adorned the radiator grille and the hubcaps. From 1932 through 1934, the styling of the vehicle changed very little. In 1933 Ford added angled side hood louvers. The 1934 roadster was similar to 1932 except the shield-shaped grille that first appeared in 1933 was straightened and given bolder (and fewer) bars, and there were new hub caps, smaller headlamps and cowl lamps, and a revised V-8 ornament. The sleek, long-hood styling with its graduated hood side vents was complimented by the Veed and raked back grille and windshield. All contribute to the 1934 Ford's harmonious concept and execution. The skirted fenders in front and rear, a first for Ford, concealed most of the frame and added another modern element to the design.

Mechanical changes comprised a new two-barrel Stromberg carburetor, replacing the previous single-throat Detroit Lubricator component, and a redesigned air cleaner, with horsepower growing by ten.

Both four- and eight-cylinder body styles were identical, with the four-cylinder versions priced $50 lower than the V8s. The engines were backed by a three-speed sliding gear manual transmission with a single dry plate clutch and floor shift controls. Its wheelbase measured 112-inches (six inches longer than the 1932 Ford), had an overall length of 182.9-inches, and rode on 5.50 x 17 tires with welded spoke drop center rims. A solid axle was in the front and a live axle with transverse semi-elliptic leaf springs in the rear. Four-wheel mechanical drum brakes provided the stopping power.

The styling was courtesy of Henry Ford's son, Edsel, and was often compared to its senior, the Lincoln. Edsel Ford, President of Ford Motor Company from 1925 until his death in 1943, personally influenced design considerably. A true car enthusiast, Edsel was an accomplished artist with a passionate interest in design and styling, a skill that his father did not possess.

Edsel established Ford's first styling group, and in 1932 he chose E.T. 'Bob' Gregorie to head a small design staff. Gregorie, who had worked briefly under Harley Earl at General Motors, was himself an accomplished sketch artist and had a talent for translating Edsel's visions into reality. While the stylistic changes for 1934 were relatively minor, the attractive design of 1933 was further refined, making the 1934 Ford models one of the most highly sought-after and beloved classic cars today.

Among the list of body styles was the phaeton, originally applied to close-coupled and luxuriously appointed carriages and derived from classical Greek mythology. The name re-emerged during the 1920s and used by a number of automobile manufacturers and applied to majestic open cars with dual cowls, dual windscreens, elaborate accouterments, and simple side curtains for weather protection.

Ford offered a dozen body style choices for 1934, with identical bodies for both the four- and eight-cylinder line. The eight-cylinder models were priced at $510 to $660 and the four-cylinder counterparts were $50 less. Among them, available Ford models ranged from basic coupes, roadsters, and two-door sedans to more luxurious and well-appointed cabriolets, convertible sedans, and four-door sedans.

The name 'phaeton' gained an image of mystique while the 'touring car' name began to carry an image of low-cost impracticality that was increasingly difficult to sell. So Ford began adopting the name to restore some allure to their open four-door cars. While the concept remained the same, Ford's own revival of the phaeton name represented a paradigm shift that exuded an aura of class and style.

The Cabriolet (all-weather convertible) was one of the upscale body styles and came with roll-up windows, a snug cloth top, and a base price of $590. It combined comfort and complete appointments with the performance benefits of Ford's steadily refined 85-horsepower V-8 engine and sturdy yet lightweight construction.

The coupe and roadster cost less than the convertible, making them accessible to buyers, and weighed nearly 100 pounds less, giving it the best 'performance per dollar' value in the Ford lineup. By 1934, fully enclosed vehicles had made serious inroads into the market for roadsters and convertibles, and the Deluxe Tudor Sedan was gaining popularity, selling 121,696 units at $575 each in 1934.

Ford's first station wagon was built in 1928. A prototype on the Model A chassis, it was created for Edsel Ford's personal use at his summer home, 'Skylands' in Seal Harbor, Maine. The station wagon was conceived for exactly the purpose its name implies, to transport luggage from the railroad station, where Edsel and his contemporaries typically arrived with their families in private railroad cars, to their estates. The large cargo capacity of the station wagon made them ideal for transporting the many trunks full of clothing for the multi-outfit lifestyle of the day's elite society. The 1934 Ford Station Wagon was the most expensive body style, selling for $660 with the V8.

Early on, independent builders recognized the commercial opportunity and the adaptability of the Ford chassis. They were instrumental in the station wagon's development with companies like J.T. Cantrell in Huntington, Long Island thriving on the production of depot hacks. Edsel Ford recognized the potential for Ford's own factory line of similar vehicles and enlisted his friend and former teacher Clarence W. Avery at Murray Corporation, one of Ford's outside bodybuilders, to provide the detailed design and the custom metal stampings needed for the basis of wood-bodied wagons. Murray, in turn, farmed out the elaborate woodwork to Mengel Body company in Louisville, Kentucky, and assembly to Baker-Raulang, formerly builders of electric cars and the Owen Magnetic, starting in 1930.

The early station wagons were utilitarian with seats easily removed to maximize carrying capacity and side windows were rollup fabric curtains with flexible glazing. Typically, they were sparsely equipped, their appeal owed less to design and style than to the inherent elegance of tastefully integrated form and function. Station wagons worked for a living, constructed by talented craftsmen who used the natural beauty of the old-growth hardwood from Ford's Iron Mountain forests.

Along with the station wagon, Deluxe Roadster, phaeton, Deluxe Phaeton, and cabriolet, Ford also offered a 3- and 5-window coupe, a two-door Tudor and a four-door Fordor (in standard and Deluxe guise), and a victoria.

The V8 Ford was a tremendous value for the money and continued to power Fords for the next 21 years, as well as forming the basis of hot rods for years to come. It helped 'ordinary' Americans purchase high-quality automobiles with rock-solid reliability at low prices.

The calendar year Ford production from 1934 was 563,921 units.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2020