This 1931 Model A Tudor is what its owner Bobby Preddy of Carthage describes as “the basic poor man’s car.” Brand new, this model sold for $542 each and was a huge success for Ford Motor Company.
“This was the model everyone had, and it came in any color you would want as long as it was black, just like Henry Ford said,” Preddy says, smiling. “Ford built so many of them and made them so affordable that everybody’s grandpa had one. People would use them to haul just about anything: wood saws, corn stalks, fishing poles hanging out of the back and even pigs.”
Preddy, who has owned this Model A for 10 years and is only the car’s third owner, has kept it in classic condition for cruising instead of hauling anything. It has been repainted but not restored, and its 4-cylinder engine can still do a comfortable 65 mph on the highway.
Refined from the first models, the 1931 Model A boasts a higher hood line and grille with a graceful curved fender, 4-wheel mechanical drum brakes, stainless steel radiator cowling and headlamp housings. The Model A was also the first Ford to sport its iconic blue oval logo. However, what Preddy loves most of all is this classic’s horn mounted on the front.
“This horn is priceless and orginal,” Preddy says, sounding it for full efffect. “It is fun to ride around in. It’s simply timeless and commands a lot of attention.”