North American Ford Model Y, C, CX and Eifel Registry

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IFHP
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North American Ford Model Y, C, CX and Eifel Registry

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North American Ford Model Y, C, CX and Eifel Registry
Contact: Sam Roberts sam@samroberts.plus.com
IFHP
Site Admin
Posts: 1634
Joined: Thu May 03, 2007 12:28 am
Location: Olympia, Washington

Early Small Ford History

Post by IFHP »

Ford 8h.p. Model ‘Y’ (and Köln) and 10 h.p. Models ‘C’, ‘CX’ (and Eifel)
By Sam Roberts

These were the first cars to be designed by Ford in Dearborn specifically for a market other than the U.S.A. Apart from 9 Model ‘Y’s sold in Canada, no Model ‘Y’s or Models ‘C’ or ‘CX’ were sold to North America. The first “Little Fords of Europe”; the 8hp Model “Y”, from August 1932 to August 1937, and the “De Luxe” 10hp Models “C” and “CX”, from September 1934 to March 1937, were manufactured at Dagenham in England. “Knocked Down” cars were exported from Dagenham to the other major European countries for assembly and also to the major Dominions and colonies in the British Empire. Australia built its own bodies for assembly on imported rolling chassis. Variations of the Dagenham models were also built in Germany (the “Köln” and the “Eifel”).

The ‘streamlined’ American design of the Model “Y” established it as a best seller in Great Britain, soon outselling the ‘upright’ Austin, Morris, Standard and Hillman cars. Briggs Motor Bodies Ltd., co-located with the huge Ford plant at Dagenham, manufactured the bodies; initially, the short radiator (‘short rad’) model, followed in October 1933 by the long radiator (‘long rad’) model, with its familiar dip in the front bumper. By gradually simplifying the body design (the ‘Intermediate’ Model “Y”s) and improving efficiency at Dagenham, the price of the 2-door “Popular” model was reduced to £100 in October 1935, the first and only saloon car to be sold at that price. Body styles included both 2-door (Tudor) and 4-door (Fordor) saloons, with either fixed or sliding roofs, a 5 cwt. van and a not very successful three-wheeled ‘Tug’. A wide range of special bodies, mostly open-topped, was built onto the Model “Y” rolling chassis by many of the best known European coachbuilders of the 1930s. In all, almost 200,000 Model “Y”s were manufactured, of which we have listed some 1250 survivors world-wide on the Ford Y&C Model Register. It was the Model ‘Y’ which Edsel Ford had scaled up to become the beautiful 1933/34 V8 Model 40.

The 10 hp “De Luxe” Model “C” was launched in September 1934, initially to replace the 8 hp Model “Y” and to give Ford an entry into the larger engined European market. The continuing popularity of the Model “Y” resulted in both models being manufactured on the same production line. Nicknamed the “Barrel Ford”, the Model “C” did not sell as well as was expected, only 19,000 being sold in the first year, of which we know of some 60 survivors. In October 1935, the styling was enhanced, mainly by adding chrome strips to the radiator grille and bonnet louvres (rather like its US big sister, the 1935 V8 Model 48). Some 50,000 of the resulting Model “CX” were manufactured. We know of approximately 200 survivors world-wide. A similar range of saloon bodies to the Model “Y” was available through Dagenham; but no van version. As the chassis was more rigid, very attractive Tourers were produced. 25 are known to have survived. In Australia, a variety of attractive bodies was built onto the imported Dagenham rolling chassis, including a van version. With dropping sales, the model was withdrawn in March 1937; five months before the demise of the Model “Y”. In Germany, the Model ‘C’ based Eifel continued to be manufactured through to 1939.
IFHP
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Posts: 1634
Joined: Thu May 03, 2007 12:28 am
Location: Olympia, Washington

Sam Roberts

Post by IFHP »

EFONA is delighted to have Sam Roberts on board as the Model Y, C, CX & Eifel Registrar for North America. Sam is the editor of Transverse Torque, the newsletter of the For Model Y & C Register http://www.fordyandcmodelregister.co.uk/. He is also the author of the authoritative book "FORD MODEL Y: Henry's Car for Europe" published by Veloce Publishing in 2001 www.veloce.co.uk.
IFHP
Site Admin
Posts: 1634
Joined: Thu May 03, 2007 12:28 am
Location: Olympia, Washington

Post by IFHP »

Here is a e-mail I received recently from Sam Roberts. Does anyone know about the car he is discribing?
Michael,

I have been reading the Automobile Quarterly Library Series Book "The Cars that Henry Ford Built - a 75th Anniversary Tribute to America's Most Remembered Automobiles.", which was compiled by Beverly Rae Kimes and published in 1978.

On page 107 is illustrated an immaculate looking Tudor Model 'Y' Ford with a sliding roof, painted in a light olive green, with black fenders and cream wheels. The registration number appears to be M334. Regrettably the State title cannot be read. At the time, the car was owned by James A. Crawford. I attach a copy of the illustration.

Do you, or any of your members, know the whereabouts of this car today? Because of its condition in the 1970s, I'm sure that it still survives somewhere.

Any help you can give will be much apprecaited.

Yours,

Sam Roberts
Sam included a copy of the photo in question, but I can't seem to post it here.

- Michael
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