Jim Richardson

The Deuce’s

clean,

handsome,

form-follows-

function

design

still looks

great today,

too.

The Ultimate Classic?

Ihave been obsessed with cars from as far back as I can remember. In 1948, when I was five years old, a fenderless, hoodless 1932 Ford roadster rounded our corner and hove into view on our street, rumbling menacingly. Its doors were welded shut, and it had no top. It stopped at the curb, and my uncle Benny popped out wearing a T-shirt, Levi’s, and a sailor cap. A Lucky Strike dangled from his lips. He was a little younger than my father, and he and that car were the coolest things I could imagine. I wanted to be just like him. I still do all these years later.

Truth is, I think the 1932 Ford is the ultimate classic. Don’t laugh…. Before smirking, keep in mind that I know full well that the Deuce only came out late in April of its model year and not many were built because it was the depths of the Depression. The company only produced 225,000 cars that year, and more than a third of them were Model B four-bangers. The ’32 was not a phenomenal success when it first appeared.

The V-8 engine had teething problems, too. The complex monoblock casting was one of Ford’s great achievements, but the new engine was — shall we say— less than ideal to begin with. It was prone to overheating despite having two water pumps, because the exhaust port runners ran down through the block instead of out the top, as with Cadillac’s flathead V-8s. And it had problems with vapor lock, too, because of the placement of the fuel pump. Also, the crankshaft was prone to fracturing, and oil consumption became a problem in short order as well.

The chassis was similar to that of a Model A, which was based on that of a Model T. As a result, it was not up to the torque of the new V-8, and was prone to twisting and cracking, which caused body parts to warp and rip. Also, the Deuce was a massproduced car built to a price, so the workmanship was adequate, but not stellar.

So how can the 1932 Ford possibly be a classic, you ask? Well, first let’s define the term “classic. ” The Classic Car Club of America, an organization I applaud, would certainly not consider the Deuce a Classic. However, the term actually comes from art and architecture, and means a thing that transcended its time and influenced the future. Consider the Parthenon in Athens. It was built 25 centuries ago, but you still find banks and government buildings all over the world that are influenced by its architecture.

Now consider the 1932 Ford, especially the coupes and roadsters. Go to any local car show on the weekend and you will probably see a ’32, though it will likely be a replica with a later Ford or Mercury flathead, or more commonly a Chevrolet small-block V-8 in it. Why are these antiques still with us? It’s because the Deuce is the definition — and the visual icon — of the hot rod. It is small, light, and handsome, and in Uncle Benny’s day, it was a real performer. You might even say it was one of the first muscle cars, which are essentially small or midsize American production cars with big engines.

The Deuce’s clean, handsome, form-followsfunction design still looks great today, too. Its grille is subtle and understated, unlike the bright-metal snouts of earlier Fords. But what matters isn’t what the 1932 Ford was when it debuted, but what it became to future generations, and the influence it had on car culture. That’s what makes it an enduring classic even 90 years after its introduction.

In fact, the iconic Deuce roadster is so enduringly popular that Chrysler reprised it in 1993 with its retro Plymouth Prowler, which was produced between 1997 and 2002. It was a massproduced modern car that had the appearance of a golden-age hot rod. It didn’t do that well as it had stiff competition, even all these years later. It’s possible to build your own 1932 Ford roadster or coupe from aftermarket parts produced today, including a complete chassis, all the body panels, and the engine and drivetrain of your choice.

But if you must have an original, correct ’32 Ford, be prepared to pay. They were scarce and expensive by the time I was an adolescent in the late 1950s, and they are even rarer and more expensive today. The same goes for some of the famous hot rod versions from the 1940s through the ’60s. Even the old hot rods are classics in my book, because they still influence the hobby today.

Sure, the great Duesenbergs, Packards, Marmons, and Pierces are masterpieces, but I don’t think any of them had the influence that the 1932 Ford did on the future of automobile design, and car culture. Uncle Benny, wherever you are — you were, and are, still the coolest.