Model 40. 75 bhp, 221 cu. in. L-head V-8 engine, single-barrel carburetor, three-speed sliding-gear manual transmission, solid front axle and live rear axle with transverse semi-elliptic leaf springs front and rear, and four-wheel mechanical drum brakes. Wheelbase: 112"

• Rare example in cabriolet form

• Larry Bailey restoration; fresh repaint

The success of Ford’s revolutionary new V-8 was immediate, with more than 200,000 sold during 1932. Improvements for 1933 included a new cruciform, double-drop frame and a longer wheelbase of 112 inches. Evolutionary upgrades to the V-8 engine included improved cooling and ignition systems, plus new higher-compression aluminum cylinder heads that raised output to 75 horsepower.

Interestingly, the all-new bodywork for 1933 had a British connection. Sir Percival Perry, Ford’s Managing Director in England, initiated development of a small car to compete with Austin’s Seven. Styling of the car, dubbed Model Y, was delegated to Dearborn and a young designer recently hired at Lincoln, E.T. “Bob” Gregorie. Gregorie proved his abilities quickly, so when the “little English job” came in, he was asked to “design us a nice, up-to-date body for it.”

For the American 1933 Ford, Edsel wanted a more graceful design than that of the 1932 models and suggested an adaptation of Gregorie’s Model Y concept. Edsel asked his draftsmen to simply scale it up, and the Model Y’s proportions became, if anything, more beautiful in the process.

Only 7,852 Ford Cabriolets were produced for 1933, and this example continues to benefit from a quality restoration completed some years ago by Larry Bailey of Buford, Georgia. Mr. Bailey is a well-known pre-1940 classic car collector and restorer. Only Ford parts were used in the restoration process, and the rumble seat retains its original upholstery today. More recently, however, the car received a thorough, professional repaint. The body is straight, and the car presents very well indeed. With a flathead V-8 and cabriolet bodywork, it is the quintessentially practical and usable car for any collector.