Thread: why a 32

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Everything those geezers said and more. For people who grew up with these being "cheap starter cars" the '32 was a pivotal car. It was slightly larger than the Model A. The body morphed into something just a little "smoother" (yeah, I know, folks who aren't into them can't see a difference.......they're all "square" bodied cars) and more elegant of line. The fenders grew more gracefu,l if you were into full fenders, or on highboys the exposed frame rails with the gently curving reveal (another one year only feature) gave the car a less gawkish look. The grille shell being a smoothly shaped stamping painted body color and reminiscent of the more luxurious Lincoln, and for the first time on a Ford, an actual grille insert. While many of the same things can be said for, say a '33/4 Ford (except the grille and frame rail thing) they were the next step toward the more art deco styling of the later '30's. Their cowls were "clunkier" looking if you ran hoodless and they, while having a beauty of their own, weren't quite as "balanced" a design as the '32.

It's sort of like the Fords of '37 to '40. To the casual observer they all look pretty similar, but to the connoisseur of that segment the '40 has the best overall meshing of the styling elements.

That business of "cheap starter car" of course is a moving thing as you look at each generation. For the guys going to high school in the '60's their '32 Ford became the Tri-Five Chevies. Some interesting similarities. First OHV Chev V8 (If you ignore the ill fated one they brought out in 1917), a styling revolution for what had been known as a stodgy company, and something the '32 didn't have...............lots of them were built. Which fit with the huge spike in potential buyers resulting from the baby boomers.