A Deluxe Roadster body, painted and trimmed, at the Richmond, CA. plant in 1931. Next it will receive rear fenders, then on to the body-drop to be lowered onto a chassis.
Ford Archives photo
The History
The open models were consistently popular for Ford. By mid 1930 however, sales of the open models were dropping rapidly. In an effort to increase demand, Ford introduced the Deluxe Phaeton in late June 1930 and followed with the Deluxe Roadster in late July.
The Deluxe Roadster was priced at $520. Differences included a shorter windshield, finished in chrome plate. An all new top assembly was used. It featured varnished natural oak bows and was trimmed in tan drab (light olive) fabric. The new interior trim included dark tan Bedouin grain genuine leather seating surfaces with matching artificial leather throughout the interior, and the floor covering was brown carpet. The seat was lowered approximately one inch to adapt to the lower profile (the seating drop was subsequently applied to the standard roadster).
The exterior was enhanced by the addition of a left side mounted spare tire. At the rear of the car, a chrome luggage rack with oak finished steel slats and full-length rear bumper were added. To add more contrast, the wheels were painted to match the stripe.
In early 1931 the spare tire was moved to rear. The left side mounted spare, luggage rack, and special bumper were no longer included as standard equipment. They could however, be special ordered at extra cost and installed at the branch during assembly. The base price was reduced to $475.
Statistics
During the five months the Deluxe Roadster was available in 1930, 11,313 units were produced. In 1931 the Deluxe Roadster nearly replaced the Standard Roadster with 52,997 deluxe units produced(U.S.).*
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| Body | Belt moulding, Sill moulding | Pinstripe | Wheels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kewanee Green | Elkpointe Green | Apple Green | Apple Green |
| Thorne Brown | Thorne Brown | Tacoma Cream | Tacoma Cream |
| Chicle Drab | Copra Drab | Tacoma Cream | Tacoma Cream |
| Washington Blue | Riviera Blue | Tacoma Cream | Tacoma Cream |
| Bronson Yellow | Seal Brown | Orange | Orange |
| 1 Stone Brown | Stone Deep Gray | Tacoma Cream | Tacoma Cream |
| 2 Black | Black | Aurora Red | Aurora Red |
| 3 Black | Black | Apple Green | Apple Green |
| 3 Brewster Green | Black | Apple Green | Apple Green |
| 4 Andalusite Blue | Andalusite Blue | Aurora Red | Aurora Red |
| 5 Lombard Blue | Black | Hessian Blue | Hessian Blue |
| 6 Ford Maroon | Black | Aurora Red | Aurora Red |
| 1 Available August 1930 2 Dropped September 1930 3 Available October 1930 4 Dropped August 1930 5 Available September 1930 6 Available November 1930 | |||
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- * Production figures from
The Ford Model “A” As Henry Built It
- by DeAngelis, Francis, and Henry.
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