The 1940 Fords featured extremely handsome styling reminiscent of Lincoln and courtesy of Eugene “Bob” Gregorie. Little did Edsel Ford know that when he hired the young draftsman in 1932, he would become one of Detroit’s styling immortals. In similar fashion to Harley Earl at General Motors Art & Colour Section in 1927, Gregorie was promoted to head Ford’s first in-house styling department in 1935. His team originally included several members but was employing as many as 20 stylists by 1938. Though GM became recognized as Detroit’s styling leader for many decades to come, Ford was certainly its equal after Gregorie’s rise to prominence.

For 1940 all Fords were fitted with sealed beam headlamps and a steering column-mounted shift lever. Wagons were available in both Standard and Deluxe trim. Of the 13,199 wagons built for 1940, 8,730 were Deluxe models. These featured chrome headlight trim rings with the parking light cast into its upper surface. The Deluxe grille combined a center section with horizontal bars and secondary side grids whose horizontal bars were subdivided into three sections by thicker moldings. Hubcaps included bright red “Ford Deluxe” lettering and trim rings finished in the body color. The Deluxe Art Deco instrument panel was painted with a maroon and sand-tone finish that matched the steering wheel. Bodies continued to be constructed of white ash ribbing and birch over mahogany-look paneling by the workers at Ford’s Iron Mountain facility in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

This nicely restored example, finished in dark green over a saddle tan interior, features red wheels accented by bright wheel covers and trim rings mounted with wide whitewall tires. It is powered by Ford’s ubiquitous 221-cubic-inch flathead V-8 engine enhanced with period performance upgrades including an aluminum intake manifold with dual carburetors and Offenhauser aluminum heads. The electrical system has been upgraded to 12 volts. Additionally, the modified rear suspension, and a stereo system with subwoofer cleverly concealed within a period Coca-Cola cooler in the cargo area enhance cruising. Front bumper guards, dual outside mirrors, dual sun visors with passenger-side vanity mirror, clock, and glove box lock are also included.