Everything Ford Fans Should Know About The 1940 Ford Deluxe Coupe

Ford was founded in 1903, and its first mass-produced car, the Model T, was introduced five years later. That car — and Ford's assembly line process — revolutionized the American auto industry, and by 1923, Ford was estimated to be making more than half of the cars sold in the United States. Ford first used a V8 engine in 1932 in the Model 18, and the outer design of its cars was going through a radical transformation at the time as well. With the move to more powerful engines came the need for a stronger body that could protect passengers in the event of a crash, and customers wanted to know that their investment would hold up to years of use. Cars also began to emerge as a status symbol, and Ford introduced the Deluxe roadster in 1932 as well, with leather seats and door panels and an electric starter.

The 1940 Deluxe Coupe was designed by Eugene "Bob" Gregorie, who also created the 1936 Lincoln Zephyr and 1939 Lincoln Continental. It had chrome headlight trim rings, a hood that resembled the prow of a ship, and red-rimmed hubcaps. It was powered by a 221-cubic-inch flathead V8 that was fed gas via a two-barrel carburetor. Behind the wedge-shaped grille sat two side-by-side radiators and a mechanical fan, and the driver used a column-mounted shifter to move among the three gears.    

Options included chrome bumper guards and wing tips, a clock in the door of the glove compartment, electric wipers, hydraulic brakes, and whitewall tires. The burgundy and sand-colored dashboard matched the steering wheel and housed fuel, temperature, and oil pressure gauges, along with the speedometer and voltage indicator. The 1940 Coupe originally sold for $700, which equates to a little more than $15,000 in today's money.

According to Bonham's, Ford built 27,919 Deluxe Coupes that year, and production of the Deluxe and Super Deluxe continued through 1948. Many of the surviving specimens have been converted to hot rods, making an original Deluxe a highly coveted relic. 

The Deluxe's camera-friendly combination of sharp angles in front and rounded roofline also make it a favorite of Hollywood producers; its popularity during the organized crime era that has been chronicled in dozens of movies doesn't hurt either. The Deluxe has appeared in movies as varied as "It's a Wonderful Life," "American Graffiti," and" Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid."