Ford Flatheads over the Years

1941 Ford Super Deluxe Convertible

by Gary Osborne & Ed Crane 

The beautiful Super Deluxe Convertible owned by Ed and Diane Crane is the subject of this, the second article about 1941 Fords owned by members of our Northern Illinois Regional Group.  After examining Joe Serritella’s 1941 Ford Super Deluxe Coupe last month, we will take a look at Ed’s Convertible.  The photographs accompanying this article will show readers the difference in lines that Ford designed to accommodate the use of a convertible top. Look closely at the pictures from both articles if you are able.

During this model run Ford still had a strong customer base that desired convertibles. This bears out by the fact that there were 31,589 convertibles produced, almost 8,000 more than the previous year. The “open air feeling” that these cars provided was obviously a big selling point.

Of course Ford had to make some changes to the car in order to stiffen the frame because there is some rigidity lost when the top half of the car is missing. On these models Ford also incorporated metal spacers in the body mounts instead of rubber. This prevented the body from flexing too much.

The interior appointments that were improved for this year were also in the convertibles with the addition that they came with genuine tan leather seats. Also for the convertibles, the top was now operated by an electric motor. In previous years the top was controlled by engine vacuum. This was a huge improvement since the top could now be lowered even when the engine was not running. While we are addressing the top, take a look at the photos and notice how Ford was able to blend the styling of the car whether the top was up or down. There is even an ample sized rear window as compared to the other models.

Let’s talk about Ed’s car. Ed shared that he has always been a “car guy”, and has owned many cars from most of the modern American manufacturers. His last antique auto was a DeSoto Adventurer. When he sold the DeSoto he began to look for another unique car. Nothing specific, just something that caught his eye. Well, he happened to spot this 1941 Super Deluxe Convertible in Wisconsin. He traveled there and the car was just what he was looking for. It was owned by a woman who had it for 40 years, and she had purchased it from a man who had owned it for 25 years. Ed believes that he is the fourth owner.

After a price was agreed upon, he drove it home to Chicago. During the trip he realized that the brakes didn’t work too well, so that would be the first thing to be repaired. After the brakes were taken care of, he replaced the distributor, and had the coil repaired by Skip Haney. The car ran great after these repairs and Ed has had a wonderful time driving this car around the area, and to numerous car shows. He gets quite a few “thumbs up” by those who see the car. Future plans include cleaning up the engine compartment and painting the engine.

Ed joined the early Ford V-8 Club and our Northern Illinois Regional Group last year. He and his wife Diane have become quite active participants in club events. In the last two driving seasons Ed and Diane have attended our Annual Lake Geneva Poker Rally. Ed said the cards have been stacked against him, because the car failed to make the entire tour both times. Last year he didn’t even make it out of the starting area, and this year he only completed part of the first leg of the tour. He was very grateful to the guys who tried to get the car going again, but it just wasn’t meant to be.  During the time that he has owned the car it has broken down only two times; both times on the Poker Rally! Well, there’s always next year to make another run at it. When the Touring season starts up next year, I’m sure the Crane’s will have this beautiful Ford out driving around town. Make sure you take the opportunity to check it out and chat with them about it.