1949 Ford Custom Fordor.
Other than the fact this is a photo of "John" behind the wheel of his car, a 1949 Ford Fordor saloon, there is no specific information given as to where, why, or when this photo was taken. Perhaps its licence plate - CT8425 - will provide some more clues as to the location of the car, and the wooden homes in the background?
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This year's Ford sedans were available with either a 226 cubic inch straight-six or a 239 cubic inch sidevalve V8 engine under the hood. The base models for
'49 were available as two-door saloons (Tudor), four-door saloons (Fordor), a Club Coupe, and a Business Coupe. The Ford Custom was also available in
both two- and four-door saloon form, plus Club Coupe, Convertible Club Coupe, and two/four-door Station Wagons. Although undoubtably their power delivery was different, the
comparison on paper for the I6 and V8 versions revealed very similar figures, the former producing 95bhp at 3,300 rpm, while the latter churned out 100bhp at
a slightly higher 3,600 rpm.
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The '49 season cars brought the Ford line-up right up to date, having previously relied on designs produced during the early years of WW2. Sleek, faired-in
headlamps and front wings replaced those on the earlier car, while the flared-out sills - a nod to earlier running boards - were gone, replaced by smooth sleek sides,
just what the post-war American car buyer was looking for. Evidently the design did indeed hit the mark, and it continued with annual updates to details and trim until being replaced
for the 1952 season.
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Return to Page 16 in the photograph gallery.
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