1942 Ford Business Coupe

This 1942 Ford, Super Deluxe Business Coupe was acquired by the seller in 1966 and is an unusual combination of art, history and limited production. The abundance of stainless steel trim, narrow nosed hood, wider stance (2” wider track than 1941 models) and shortened passenger compartment create a particularly sleek appearance from the rear; while the three piece “mustache” grille presents a distinctive frontal view. It is powered by its original 90 hp (221 cid) Flathead V-8 engine, paired with a 3-speed column shift transmission. Dealer installed options include twin side-view mirrors and multi-directional heater with 2-speed reversible fan. The seller has no reason to believe that the current odometer reading of 66,180 miles is not accurate.

Due to the onset of WWII, production of all makes of civilian vehicles was severely limited for the 1942 model year, with all civilian production halted by the government on February 10th of that year. Ford produced slightly less than 160,000 cars for 1942 (about 1/4th of its 1941 production), with only 5,411 being Super Deluxe Business Coupes. Vehicles that had not been already shipped to dealers were held by the government and distributed through the strict guidelines of the ration system until the end of the war. Consequently, even with “cash in hand”, it was unlikely that one could simply walk into a dealership and purchase a new car.

The stamped “KC” on the upper passenger corner of the firewall indicates that the car was made in the Kansas City plant. On the center of the cowl is the stamping “12B254” shows that this was the 254th vehicle on the line on the 12th of February. Note that this is two days AFTER the official, government ordered shutdown of all civilian production making this one of the very last civilian automobiles manufactured until Ford production resumed in July 1945 for the 1946 models.

A complete professional restoration took 13 months and was completed in the spring of 1990. The paint was stripped, by hand and any required bodywork was done prior to it being disassembled. All parts were then individually coated with etchlock primer followed by over 5 gallons of DuPont Centari Acrylic Enamel and allowed to cure in a heated space for 2 months before being reassembled. Following reassembly, the body was treated with undercoating and the completely rebuilt engine was installed.

The original upholstery was removed with details of folded seams, stitches per inch and other methods of original installation properly noted. The coil seat cushion springs received new, individually stitched burlap covers, followed by new cotton batting and muslin; and all upholstery installation was accomplished with the proper style of “blue tacks” instead of the easier stapling method. Door panels and seat side panels were covered with dark brown vinyl with matching leather armrest tops. The fabric on the seat is not the original pattern, as the original was not being reproduced, but it is very close. In the very comprehensive judging of the “Early Ford V-8 Club Regional Nationals” events there has never been a single point deduction on the interior.

In the summer of 1990 this car was shown for the first time at the Concours d'Elegance in Forest Grove, Oregon where it was awarded First In Class. Later that year, at the Early Ford V-8 Club Western Regional Nationals, it was awarded the first of its four Dearborn Awards in Reno, Nevada scoring 985 out of a possible 1000. The following year, in Whistler, BC it was scored at 999. (The Dearborn Award is the highest honor awarded by this organization. It is awarded to the car and can only be received 5 times, after which it can be displayed but no longer compete in their national events.)

The Business Coupe was built primarily for the “Traveling Salesman” market. With that in mind, there was no need for a back seat so it was built with the same length of door as the front door of a four-door sedan and the bench seat was hinged at the top of the back to create access to a concealed compartment in what would have been a portion of the rear seat area. The “X-member” that would normally have supported the seat back for a rear seat, was then moved forward. This made the compartment behind the front seat shallow enough to be able to reach whatever merchandise might be there while still standing on the ground outside the car, It also made the trunk compartment much larger and allowed the spare to be mounted ahead of the rear axle, in a “well” in what would normally be a part of the rear seat platform. This re-configuration allowed for a lowered and shortened rear roof-line, hence the more streamlined appearance.

The Super Deluxe had more stainless steel trim around the windows than the Deluxe model and, instead of a straight-grain wood-graining, the dashboard and garnish moldings were finished to resemble Burled Maple. The interior was finished with a “Butterscotch” soy-based plastic accent on the dash, dash knobs and door panel trim while the upholstery consists of three different mohair fabrics, vinyl and leather.

Included in this sale is one of the original “Ford Script” tires which was mounted as the spare when the car was purchased by the current owner. (1942 was the last year that Ford made its own tires). Also included, is disassembled transmission with broken synchro ring (this may have been the original transmission). There are as well, the tools, jack, tire repair kit and reproduction owners manual you see in the photos, some excess upholstery fabric and a set of unrestored, aftermarket fender skirts. All of the receipts from the restoration as well as all service records since then are included as well.

This car has never been on a trailer since its restoration, so there are naturally some signs of use. It has been driven to Nationals shows in Reno and Whistler as previously mentioned, as well as Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and Bend, Oregon. As you see in the pictures, there are some minor paint chips and scratches, as well as some “road grime”. Other flaws include the need for a new muffler, a non-working fuel gauge and a broken passenger wing-window crank post. It starts easily, runs smooth and quiet and drives and rides comfortably. Very little effort would be required to return this auto to full Concours condition.

I am selling this for a friend of mine and would be glad to speak to you about the car or have you speak to him directly. The car is available to view in Silverton OR most days. I have shipped many cars worldwide over the last 30 years and can help with all aspects including transportation. Thank you, Don Rush, West Coast Classic Cougar

PS: We are putting the finishing touches on a 40 minute Youtube video that features an in depth interview with the owner of 54 years, cold start and driving video. We also have another 50 photos we are loading to another site and will post the link here soon.