The Ford Model 40 Special Speedster, conceived under the discerning eye of Edsel Ford and brought to life by the visionary designer E.T. “Bob” Gregorie, stands as a magnificent testament to early 1930s automotive ingenuity. This bespoke creation, crafted atop a specially modified 1934 Ford Model 40 chassis, was a remarkable departure from the conventional designs of its era.

The Special Speedster wore aluminum coachwork over a custom-welded tubular frame, both well ahead of their time and fabricated by Ford’s Aircraft Division. Beneath its lengthy hood lurked a 100 horsepower Ford flathead V-8 engine which, given the car’s mere 2,100-pound curb weight, imbued it with all the necessary speed and agility inferred from its streamlined coachwork.

While the original Model 40 Special Speedster is housed in the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House museum and unlikely to become available again, presented here is a chance to acquire an exquisitely accurate recreation of this iconic machine. Prior to the museum’s acquisition, the Special Speedster belonged to Bill Warner, founder of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. During his ownership, the original car was thoroughly examined, measured, and documented with the goal of both preserving its priceless design and creating a faithful recreation. Armed with this detailed research, Vintage Racing Cars of Florida embarked on an extensive coachbuilding journey using a 1935 Ford Model 48 as their foundation.

The donor chassis was first carefully modified to mirror the original, then enveloped in a handcrafted aluminum body. Beneath its long hood, the car houses an authentic Ford flathead V-8 engine coupled with a Ford three-speed manual transmission, while the cabin is exquisitely recreated with a turned aluminum dashboard and Lincoln-sourced instruments. When reached for comment for this catalogue, Warner referred to this car as a “most faithful recreation” of the original he once owned.

Celebrating the original Special Speedster’s blend of advanced engineering and sophisticated design, this exceptional recreation offers a rare chance to experience a treasured icon of American automotive lore.