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Model A's
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The Ford Model A The Ford Model A (1927 - 1931) was the second huge success for the Ford Motor Company , after its predecessor, the Model T . First produced on October 20 , 1927 , but not sold until December 2 , it replaced the venerable Model T, which had been produced for 18 years. This new Model A ( a previous mode had used the Model A name back in 1903) was designated as a 1927 model and was available in four standard colors, but not black. There has also been ongoing speculation for many years that the Ford Model A was based on the 1925 Peugeot 201 automobile as the two automobiles bear a striking resemblance. |
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The successor to the Model A was the Model B which featured an updated 4-cylinder engine, and by the Model 18 which introduced Ford's new V8 engine . Prices for the Model A ranged from US$385 for a roadster to $1400 for the top-of-the-line Town Car. The engine was an L-head 4-cylinder with a displacement of 3.3 L. This engine gave the car 40 horsepower (30 kW). Typical fuel consumption was between 25 and 30 mpg (U.S.) (8 to 12 kilometres per litre or 12-8 L/100 km) using a Zenith one-barrel up-draft carburetor, with a top speed of around 65 mph (104 km/h). It had a 103.5 in (2629 mm) wheelbase with a gear ratio of 3.77:1. The transmission was a 3-speed sliding gear unit with a 1-speed reverse. The Model A had 4-wheel mechanical drum brakes. The 1931 editions came with stainless a steel radiator cowling and headlamp housings. The Model A came in a wide variety of styles: Coupe (Standard and Deluxe), Business Coupe, Sport Coupe, Roadster Coupe (Standard and Deluxe ), Convertible Cabriolet , Convertible Sedan , Phaeton (Standard and Deluxe), Tudor (Standard and Deluxe), Town Car, Fordor (2-window) (Standard and Deluxe), Fordor (3-window) (Standard and Deluxe), Victoria, Station Wagon, Taxicab, Truck, and Commercial. The vehicle is the first Ford to use the standard set of driver controls, with conventional clutch and brake pedals, throttle, starter and gearshift; previous Ford models used controls that often perplexed the inexperienced driver. The Model A's fuel tank is located inside the cab, between the engine compartment's fire wall and the dash panel. It has a mechanical fuel gauge and is elevated above the engine and carburetor as its a gravity fuel system. In cooler climates, some owners could purchase an after market cast iron unit to place over the engine's exhaust manifold to bring heated air into the passenger side of the cab through a fire wall opening. A small door could be opened or closed to adjust the amount of hot air entering the cab. In the summer, some people would take the cast iron heater unit off the manifold to keep the cab cooler. The windshield can hinge forward from the bottom to allow air to flow into the cab for cooling. Also this was the first car to have safety glass in the windshield. When production ended in March, 1932, there were 4,849,340 Model A's made in all styles. It was replaced by an updated model called the Ford Model B and by the new V-8 . The U.S.S.R. company GAZ , which started as a cooperation between Ford and the Soviet Union , made a licensed version of the Model A. In addition to the United States, Ford made the Model A in plants in Canada , France , Germany and the United Kingdom . Film & Media The Ford Model A. was well represented in media of the era since it was one of the most common cars. In modern times, it has reappeared, most notably in the remake of the film King Kong as taxi cabs and police cars. Students asked to build models of cars from the 1920s and 1930s will also find that models of these cars are still available from hobby shops in the 2000s, as stock cars or modified hot rods. The most famous single Model A is Ala Kart , a customized 1929 roadster pickup built by George Barris which won two straight " America's Most Beautiful Roadster " awards at the Oakland Roadster Show before making numerous film and television appearances. World Record A 1928 Model A was driven by Hector Quevedo from his home town of Punta Arenas , Chile to Ford Motor Company headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan . Quevedo was joined by his son Hugo. The journey lasted over two years, from October 1992 to December 1994, and covered nearly 22,000 miles (35,000 km). The car required minimal service including a flat tire and transmission work in Nicaragua . The car is now housed in the Henry Ford Museum , and hold a world record in a intercontinental distance by a single vehicle. The game Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven includes a 1928 Model A Ford under the name Bolt Model B . In The New Three Stooges episode, The Noisy Silent Movie , a Model A can be seen in one of the movie clips. _________________________________ |
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