When Bonnie & Clyde made a hasty exit from one of their numerous robberies, a Ford V8 often provided the much-needed power behind their speedy getaway. It’s therefore no surprise that one of the lots offered by Lucky Collector Car Auctions in Washington on Saturday 26th August will likely prove a hit with those in the hot-rod community. Starring as Lot 553, a 1935 Ford Coupe in gloss aubergine paint, with whitewall tyres and wire wheels in luminous green, makes for an instantly recognisable automobile profile with a bright and modern twist. Cheap, rapid and more popular than the Charleston, the Ford V8 fast became the best selling vehicle of 1935. The Ford Model 48 was offered in various body shapes, of which 140,000 were in the Coupe configuration. It was the 48 model that allowed Ford to take the reigns from Chevrolet as North America’s most popular car brand, a rivalry fiercely battled at the time.
While Chevrolet had manufactured eight cylinder engines for their upmarket models, it was Henry Ford’s 221 cubic inch V8 engine, generating 85-horse power via a single barrel carburettor, paired with a three speed manual transmission, which set the foundations for V8 performance cars of the 20th century.
It was the difficulty surrounding the price of the more complex cylinder block that set back the production of cost efficient V8 engines, yet Ford managed to bypass these complications by crafting a one-piece block which also terminated the well-documented issue of rough-running and a general lack of refinement. Many consider Ford’s flathead V8 to be the starting point for fascination with the affordable, easily-tuned power plant – now hailed as the first pioneer in hot rod engines, creating a whole new chapter for American culture.
After the Second World War, these Fords could be bought for as little as $15, making them hugely affordable with plenty of potential to those keen to try their hand at engine tuning.