Ford Model B
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Image:Dorothea Lange 1936.jpg Image:1934 Ford Coupe.jpg Image:'32 roadster.jpg Template:Commonscat
The designation Ford Model B, like Ford Model A, was actually used for two different automobiles. The first was produced in 1904-05 and is among the earliest Ford Motor Company products. The second Model B was an improvement of the second Model A and entered production for the 1932 model year.
Strictly speaking the Model B was a four-cylinder car, but it was at this time that Ford began producing a very similar car with Ford's new Flathead V8 engine. The V8 car was marketed as a Model 18, though it is commonly called the Ford V-8 today, and was virtually indistinguishable from the Model B. Until this time, Ford had always produced only one basic car at a time.
Today, the 1930s Model B is a highly collectible car that people will pay thousands of dollars to restore to exact original style. During the WWII period, when they were first getting old the Model Bs and V-8s were frequently altered into hot rods. This continued into the 1960s on a large scale. Since about 1970 1932 bodies and frames have been expensive. This has reduced the sheer number "rods" being created, from the seventies on. Those that are made, however, are quite evolved and always expensive. A typical auto-show hot rod is a $60,000 proposition or much more, in a few cases.
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Hot rods still have a following
Most newly built hot rods use fiberglasses or more expensive, newly minted, custom steel bodies. Occasionally an old hot rod body is recycled, with all new running gear. The classic model B, 1932 lines are usually closely followed with new bodies.
Deuce coupe
Deuce coupe is a slang term used to refer to the 1932 Ford coupe. In the 1940s, the '32 Ford became an ideal hot rod. Hot rodders would strip weight off these readily available cars and soup-up the engine.
Subtle differences in the 33 Ford design
A 33 Ford is also a popular starting point for hot rod construction. That year model has a noticeable curvature in the vertical center-line of the grill.
In 1963, The Beach Boys band released an album titled "Little Deuce Coupe." The band's song with the same name only heightened the popularity of the car.
The song Blinded by the Light, originally written and performed by Bruce Springsteen and later Manfred Mann, also contains lyrics that allude to a 1932 Ford coupe.
In 1973, George Lucas filmed "American Graffiti." The character John Milner (played by Paul Le Mat) drove a yellow deuce coupe. This film is credited for introducing the old style hot rod to a new generation.
 Deuce Coupe Modern Hot Rod Template:3d glasses |
 Note the slight difference in the 33 Ford grill design Template:3d glasses |