Edsel Ford’s 1934 Model 40 Speedster Tribute for sale
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You can’t by Edsel Ford’s futuristic speedster, but we’d be happy with this exacting tribute!
Henry Ford changed the course of the motorcar forever… but he famously wasn’t a ‘car guy’.
His son, Edsel however, had a penchant for sports cars, indulging his passion with the purchase of the very first MG imported into the United States; and commissioned the build of this gorgeous 1934 Ford Model 40 Speedster (appearing in Unique Cars issue #353, below). It’s a one-off and you can’t buy it, but you can buy an exacting replica we found on Hemmings’ classifieds.
While his name was most notoriously attached to the commercial flop that was Ford’s Edsel division that lasted from 1958 to 1960, ultimately costing the company US$400 million – he is credited with significant contributions to the company’s design direction before his untimely passing at age 49 in 1943.
Back in 1932, following a trip to Europe, Edsel Ford had the company’s chief designer at the time, Bob Gregorie, design an aluminium boat-tailed speedster custom.
The car featured Ford’s new low-cost V8, but to Edsel’s eyes, it wasn’t low or sporty enough. Two years later, he enlisted Gregorie yet again to pen and build another striking alloy-bodied speedster atop a lowered 1934 Ford Model 40 chassis.
The result was arguably his most beautiful creation; and for nearly 8 decades, Edsel’s Speedster intrigued enthusiasts for its much-publicised discovery, restoration and return at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours.
The car now lives as a permanent centrepiece within the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan. So it’s not for sale.
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But available from a private seller in Florida; you can buy this exacting replica that’s every bit as beautiful.
The car is built off of a 1940 Model 40, and features a completely overhauled Mercury Flathead V8, three-speed Ford transmission, Ford front and rear axles, with all new bearings, seals, brakes, clutch, gauges, electric harness and tyres.
The body was entirely handcrafted, with the chassis modified to mimic Edsel Ford’s design.
The original car last sold publically to a Texas collector in 2008, to the tune of AU$2.5 million; this exacting tribute will set you back a comparative bargain, of AU$172,000.
Check out the listing at Hemmings here.
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