Ford Model 78 Fordor DeLuxe

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Big, imposing and glamorously Transatlantic, Ford’s big V8 saloon sold well despite being heavily penalised in the UK by the obscure fiscal horse power calculation which really hammered owners of cars with large capacity, short stroke engines.

Based on the early ‘30s Model 40A, the 1937 offering was called the Model 78 and was intended to be sold across the globe. To make the car more saleable in some export markets, it could be delivered with a new 2.2-litre version of the flat-head V8 which was sold alongside the much more robust 3.6-litre unit.

These smaller capacity engines really had their work cut out hauling the car’s substantial chassis and steel bodywork along in any sort of rapid fashion. Thankfully the larger of the two engines produced a lazy 85bhp which was sufficient to propel the car at nearly 85mph with bags of torque available at low revs which made for particularly relaxed touring.

This original UK supplied DeLuxe has the larger 3.6-litre engine and was discovered by the vendor in a local shed with a large tree growing across the door. Once extricated, it was found to be relatively sound, having last been used on the road in the 1960s.

The vendor, a skilled engineer, treated it to a ground-up restoration, cutting out and replacing any areas of corrosion on the bodywork. New running boards were fabricated and covered in the correct rubber material. The engine and gearbox were stripped and rebuilt, the vendor choosing to upgrade the braking system to the more effective hydraulic set-up first used on the 1939 Model 91A.

The seats were then reupholstered and new headlining and carpets fitted along with a new wiring loom before the car was given a fresh coat of blue paint.

Paperwork found with the vehicle included some interesting correspondence with the Ford Motor Company in the 1960s and the old buff logbook which showed that it had been owned by Sir Herbert Smith who owned a large estate near Bridgenorth. The vendor managed to track down his chauffeur, who had removed the internal rear view mirror with inbuilt clock when the car was subsequently sold. He was delighted to be able to reunite this item with the car once the restoration had been completed.

Ford V8s of this period seem to have come into vogue of late, this comprehensively restored RHD 3.6-litre UK supplied DeLuxe representing a rare opportunity to acquire one of the handfull that are still on the road in this country.