Jim Taylor’s 1949 Ford Custom Convertible

By Gary Osborne

The 1949 Fords that were to be released to the public were going to be the biggest automotive news since the introduction of the Flathead V-8. At least that was what the marketing department at Ford was hoping for. When the gala unveiling took place in New York’s Waldorf-Astoria on June 8, 1948 the crowd and excitement surpassed all expectations. The excitement continued when the new 1949 Fords reached local dealer showrooms across the country.

Since the end of World War II Ford had been using designs and technology that were from before the War. Initially car buyers were happy with the re- worked 1942 style cars, but the public began to be- come dissatisfied with the models being offered once the ability to purchase a new car was no longer a novelty. The 1949 Models were to change all that. Looking to the future of the industry, and the Ford Motor company, an entirely new automobile was needed. The post-war Ford was company president Henry Ford II’s first big challenge, and was a success.

From the frame up, the 1949 Fords were all newly engineered, and presented as the answer to falling sales and lack of interest on the part of consumers.  The car was given an entirely new looking body with no external fenders, and was lowered by several inch- es. This gave it a very sleek look compared to previous years. The engine was moved forward by 5 inches, and the steering linkage radically changed to allow more room in the interior. The suspension system was changed to “hydra-coil” springs, giving a much more comfortable ride.

Interiors were also given many improvements to allow passengers to drive in comfort. The seats were actually wider, and the fabrics were upgraded. Gone were the neutral colors, and in place of them were colors that were popular for the time. The instrument panel was given a cleaner look, and gauges to help the driver see at a moment’s notice how the car was performing. Even the door handles were changed from pushing down, to pulling out to open the doors. An important safety feature in keeping the doors from inadvertently being opened.

Because this was an all-new car, there were many more improvements made to the car that much could be written about. However; the fact of the matter is that sales of the car spiked tremendously! There were many more thousands of cars produced than the previous model year. It looks like the engineers and marketing executives really did a good job on seeing a need in the automotive world, and then filling it with a totally new Ford.

Our featured car, the 1949 Ford Custom Convertible in this article, belongs to Jim and Harriet Taylor. They have owned the car for several years now, and really enjoy driving it. Jim has given a little bit of the history that I’ll share here: “I first became interested in Ford V-8s as a kid. I loved the V-8 sound with the dual Smittys or straight pipes. The six-cylinder Chevys and Plymouths simply could not compare. As the years went on, I got a 1956 Ford station wagon. I put dual straight pipes on it. Had a nice sound, but not as nice as the Flathead V-8!

“I sold that car and began the process of looking for my Ford convertible. After several years I found one that had just been sold to an individual in Evanston. I called to see if he was interested in selling it. Of course, he was not, but invited me to look at it anyway. We were never able to get together that year, and he went down South for the Winter. When he came back in the Spring we got together. This time however he was interested in selling it to make room for another car he wanted to buy. I really loved the car, and we agreed on a price to make it mine.

“The story I got with the car was that it had been bought new by someone in Andover, Maryland. He kept it in nice shape over the years, and then in 1955 he installed a Mercury Flathead. He was interested in a little more horsepower which the Mercury gave it about 10 hp more. Eventually he parked it in a heated garage, and forgot about it for a number of years.

“In 2008 his son took the car out of storage and had it redone from top to bottom, which took about 2 years. He then presented it to his elderly father who enjoyed it for a few years before passing on. The son had no interest in it himself so it went up for sale. The rest is history, and I am now the proud owner of a ’49 Ford V-8 Shoebox Convertible.”

The Taylors have driven this beautiful car to many of our Regional Group’s events over the last couple of years. I hope you get to see this car at one of our events next year as I’m sure they would love to talk with you about their beautiful convertible.