Car of the Week: 1932 Ford Model Y prototype

[dodgechargerfan]

After his many years of hunting cars, it takes a lot to peg out Larry Fisette’s oil pressure. However, his latest find got his oil pressure pumping so fast and hard, it may have just broke the gauge.

The De Pere, Wis., automotive archeologist recently uncovered the lone surviving prototype 1932 Ford Model Y (Model 19). The Model Y is historically significant for the lone fact that it was the first Ford Motor Co. model built for a sales market outside of the United States. However, the car is also credited for keeping Ford Motor Co. viable in Europe during the Great Depression. Most importantly to Ford fans in the United States, the European four-cylinder Model Y formed the styling foundation for the wildly popular 1933 Ford Model 40 V-8 model sold in the Western Hemisphere, but at 3/4 scale.

So, where did Fisette find this worldly automobile hiding? Just across Lake Michigan, in Detroit. Not far from where it was built, actually. But it took a friend in an unlikely business to lead Fisette to the little Model Y.

Read more.

 

[68R/T]

That's the ugliest 32 ford I recall ever seeing. :dgt:

 

[69.5CUDA]

thats cause youve probably never seen one..they are "shrunken" for euro......its one hell of a cool find

 

[Dr.Jass]

The article hints at him selling it. My advice would be to loft it across the pond where someone gives a rat's ass about it. Since they were never sold here, its historical significance in North America is somewhere beneath that of the prototype Dale, which would at least be interesting.

 

[69.5CUDA]

totaly agreed, course i love the totaly obscure, and being its the original proto imo it need to be in a museum at ford!

 

[71ChargerRT]

Between the suicide doors and grille it looks very '33-ish.

 

[71ChargerRT]

I didn't read the article until after I posted... I really didn't and still don't care, it's a lot on the ugly side.

 

[Stretch]

I think it's the color that really bumps up the ugly. The article mentions there is Sherwood green paint under that awful off white. I'm betting the green would look much better.