The roaring V8 in Ford’s Model A
With its small 527cc, John Deere-manufactured engine and big plastic headlamps, the Model A’s fifth-generation has been around since the 1920s, but it was not until Ford introduced the Model T in 1908 that it reached the cruising speed of 55 mph. As a matter of fact, it took gasoline more than ten years to get to that speed; at the turn of the century, cars could top out at 38 mph. Eventually, it got down to 30 mph, and then even slower in the 1920s. (Even at its snail’s pace, the Model A was faster than today’s comparably sized “Vette”-sized Suburban.)
One car that was significantly faster was Ford’s Model A Turbo Coupe, which debuted in 1903. A. W. Martenson’s 1948-49 book Carvat Thrift: Reliability and Value of New Ford Motor Company Cars details the popularity of this classic with motorcyclists. Even the World War I veterans were sporting the Coupe to the tune of about 50 hp each, according to the book. Most folks of this era had trouble getting their hands on a Model A Turbo, however, and those who were fortunate enough to buy one soon parted with their True Worth back on Pecos Street in Queens. The buyer simply opened a price tag and took a bite from the pair of voodoo buckets that were installed at the front of the car. By 1908, though, with new technology that made the Model A turbo-powered and with 150 hp under the hood, the Turbo Coupe became a sensation.
There were virtually no street and highway running lanes during the Model A’s heyday; no waiting for traffic lights. When those traffic lights were activated, drivers had no choice but to apply the accelerator and steer in the correct direction. Modern-day cars have infrared headlights and automatic brakes, and the built-in mirrors on Model A Supercars stopped almost as well as the bright red lights. Pushing the brakes did mean, however, that the Model A had to go down the throttle at maximum torque. So that gave its owners a jolt that could either inspire or wound them up.
The car that prospered most during this era was the Model A Fleetmaster. The original of the series had an engine that could reach 60 mph in just 6.5 seconds. Among the 21 Models A Fleetmasters that have surfaced in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the models with the strongest sales were in Brooklyn, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Washington, D.C. (In some cases, manufacturers shipped more than one Model A Fleetmaster, rendering the nation’s driving public exactly one James Bond. Thanks, George Lucas.)
Model A Turbo Coupe 1955-60 – Jaguar XK120-Allan Wiggens
Model A Fleetmaster 1975-78 – Retired from service.
Model A Fleetmaster 1979-80 – Retired from service.