After making automotive history in 1932 with the introduction of the new Ford V-8, the Ford Motor Company embarked on a completely redesigned automobile for the 1933 model year. While the 1932 was a landmark vehicle in terms of its flathead engine, its exterior design closely resembled the Model A Ford. The 1933 Fords used the mechanical elements of the 1932s but completely changed the exterior of the vehicle to become what many consider to one of the most iconic vehicles of the 1930s.

The new “Model 40” was built on a longer, 112” wheelbase chassis that was redesigned with a double drop on both the front and rear and a modified X-member. The grill was completely redesigned with rear-angled bars-a key design element was repeated in the hood and windshield. Fully skirted fenders and a significantly lower body line made the 1933 Fords appear long, sleek and forwardly aggressive.

It’s no wonder why the 1933 Fords are considered automotive icons today not only be restorers but by hot rodders as well.

John Marchman of Houston Texas appreciated the clean lines of Ford’s 1933 roadster when he set out to build this outstanding hotrod, well known by today’s hotrod enthusiasts as the “Mexican Blackbird.”

Marchman started with an original 1933 Ford all steel roadster body. He then began to collect period speed equipment, saving the rarest and most desirable components for the build of this hot rod. Marchman not only wanted his car to look right, but to drive right as well. The power plant would come from a 276 cubic inch flathead Ford engine that would be extensively rebuilt and modified using a Winfield camshaft on the inside and Johnson lifters. The engine was then topped with a desirable SCOT supercharger, which was fuel by twin Stromberg 97 carburetors and a set of finned, aluminum high compression heads. The three-speed transmission is engaged via a 1940 Ford column shifter and is packed with a desirable Lincoln Zephyr gear cluster. To enable the car to drive at highway speeds, a rare Columbia two-speed rear end was added and to stop the car, 1940 Lincoln hydraulic brakes were used. The chassis was stabilized with torsion bars, which would enable the car to have great handling characteristics. A dropped front axle and rare set of metal artillery wheels were added with traditional “big and little” black-wall tires which gave the car an aggressive stance.

The original Ford body was finished in a conservative black paint scheme. The interior was also a nod to simplicity and was finished in brown hides and complemented by a tan folding top.

The dash is equipped with a scarce and matching set of Stewart Warner gauges and rare police speedometer adorns the steering column. To add a finished touch, noted rock and roll legend and hot rod collector Billy Gibbons signed and dated the dashboard. A great color photo of Gibbons inside the Blackbird will accompany the sale.

The Mexican Blackbird is both a nod to tradition and style. It is an aggressive, all-out hot rod suitable for a variety of events and would certainly be the focal point of any important American car collection.