At first glimpse , the 1934 Ford DeLuxe Fordor and other Fords did n’t see all that different than the 1933s , and Ford ad even boasted that " There is nothing experimental about this new car . " But there were some useful engineering change and an attractive facelift .
On top of that , there seemed to be a unexampled attitude at Ford Motor Company , as old Henry himself accept a renewed interest in encourage his cars .
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The 1934 V-8 boast 10 more H.P. , up now to 85 – the result of trade the Detroit Lubricator carb for a dual - downdraft Stromberg unit mated to a new over / under manifold .
Stylewise , the 1934 Ford featured a reshaped grillwork with a thicker surroundings , a more pronounced " vanadium , " straight ( rather than concave ) streak , and a new V-8 emblem .
New also were the hubcaps and square hood vents rakishly slanted to match the angle of the grille . And for the first time , physical structure - colored fender were standard ( they had been contraband before ) .
Those want to add a bit of pizazz to an already attractive car popped an extra $ 40 for the DeLuxe , which fall with cowl lights and twin exterior horns . A few bucks more buy the young greyhound hood ornament , cater a touch of category .
Henry had intellect to be proud of what he and son Edsel had wrought – and that a Ford was ready at new - exemplar introduction metre for the first time since 1929 . In fact , it was a month onwards of the manufacture .
advance , the Fords hosted a gala press preview on December 6,1933 . It was well attended , and the 1934s were well received , maybe partly because Henry – in one of his famous turnabouts – allowed alcohol and cigars to be passed around .
Promoting the 1934s did n’t stop there . Henry stepped up advertizing , while showcasing the firm ’s ware in the Rotunda at the Century of Progress worldly concern ’s average in Chicago . Specially coiffure up flatbed trucks – and salesroom displays – demonstrated the tractability of Ford ’s three - point suspension .
It was in this pollyannaish year – when Ford turned a profit for the first time since 1929 and regained the cut-rate sale booster cable from Chevy – that the $ 615 DeLuxe Fordor seen here was built . Painted Cordoba Gray , this 1934 sports the desirable greyhound lens hood ornament and an summate - on Potter trunk , which gives the car a tenacious expression . There were 102,268 copy built .
Among those who reckon the 1934 Ford just dandy was bank robber Clyde Barrow . In fact , he wrote to tell Henry " what a hunky-dory car you got in the Ford V-8 . " Clyde ( and companion Bonnie Parker ) died in a 1934 Fordor , but luckily the beautiful 1934 Fords live on .