Ford Cars 1940, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949

Fords of the Forties

The 1940 Ford has been one of the most popular Fords ever produced by Ford for collectors, restorers, and street rodders.  Beautifully designed by E. T. “Bob” Gregorie, the Forty Fords featured sealed beam headlights neatly tucked into the front fenders, sleek body contours, and optional rear fender skirts which made for a complete, very pretty “package”.

The 1941 Fords were a total redesign, the wheelbase was stretched out, the frame was strengthened, and the fenders became more integrated into the body.  The model line included the “Standard” , the “DeLuxe” and the “Super Deluxe”.  Ford broke the $1,000 price tag barrier with the 1941 Deluxe “Woody Wagon”, priced at $1,013.  A “Super Deluxe” Convertible Coupe with a V-8 could be purchased for about $950.

Just 160,000 Fords were produced in 1942 before the government shut down civilian car production during World War II.  Throughout the war, Ford produced a variety of military vehicles, including the Jeep.  After the war the ‘42 models were revised mildly as the 1946, 1947, and 1948 year models.  One new exception was the Ford “Sportsman”, which featured mahogany and white ash wood trim over the doors, rear body panels, and the rear deck area, introduced in 1947.  

The first all new post war Fords were introduced to the public in June 1948 as the much awaited 1949 model lineup.  A fresh design, and new model names the “Standard” and the “Custom“, accounted for sales of over 1.1 million units.  Many of these ’49 Fords with their Flathead V-8 engines were souped up by adding multiple carbs, headers, and dual exhausts.