The Ford Deluxe Story: 1937–1948
The Deluxe was Ford's nicer-trimmed line in the late thirties and forties, sitting above the standard cars and below a Lincoln. Every one of them ran a flathead V8, the engine that made Ford performance a household idea and that hot-rodders have been chopping, channeling, and hopping up ever since. The story splits cleanly in two: the prewar art-deco cars and the postwar Super Deluxe that carried Ford until the all-new 1949 models arrived.
Ford Deluxe — Generation by Generation
Key Changes
- → 221 cu in flathead V8
- → Annual art-deco styling updates
- → The 1940 Deluxe coupe, a hobby icon
- → Coupe, convertible, sedan, and woodie wagon bodies
Specs
| Engine | 221 cu in flathead V8 |
| Icon | 1940 Deluxe coupe |
| Bodies | Coupe, convertible, sedan, wagon |
Dealer
United States
1937 Ford Deluxe
Dealer
United States
1937 Ford Deluxe
Dealer
United States
1937 Ford Deluxe
Key Changes
- → 239 cu in flathead V8
- → Super Deluxe top trim
- → Convertible and woodie wagon body styles
- → Final separate-fender Ford bodies
Specs
| Engine | 239 cu in flathead V8 |
| Top trim | Super Deluxe |
| Prizes | Convertible, woodie wagon |
Dealer
United States
1946 Ford Deluxe
Legacy & Impact
Few cars are loved two ways at once like the Deluxe. A restored original and a finished street rod sell to different buyers at different prices, and both are right. The 1940 coupe is the blue-chip shape, the convertibles and woodie wagons carry the money, and the flathead under all of them is the reason the hobby exists. Decide stock or rod before you shop, because it sets your budget and your search.
Frequently Asked Questions