1933 Ford Cabriolet
Four-cylinder Fords made their final appearance in 1933, but V-8 models got all the attention, and none moreso than the 1933 Ford Cabriolet.
The rounded lines and smaller wheels set the Cabriolet apart from earlier Fords.
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Ford's "flathead" V-8 engine had debuted in '32, shoving aside the popular four-cylinder Model A and reaching past Chevrolet's six-cylinder cars.
Now, stylists -- directed by Edsel Ford, Henry's only son -- tucked that V-8 into a more stylish machine, with a jauntily slanted grille and windshield. Sharp corners were rounded, and the hood mated with the windshield. Wheels shrunk to 17-inch size for a lower stance. Streamlining was in vogue, and Ford determinedly followed the trend.
The dashboard and interior of the Ford Cabriolet were sparse yet functional.
Engineers redesigned the Ford's frame and injected an extra 10 horsepower into the V-8, for a total of 75. Hot rodders later grew to love that flathead engine, praised for its power by none other than bank-robber John Dillinger.
One of 16 V-8 models, the Cabriolet cost $585. A total of 7852 were built, plus 24 that used the four-cylinder engine. Model-year volume rose by 100,000 cars, but Ford trailed Chevrolet in total sales.
The Cabriolet boasted Ford's new V-8 engine, adding power to its clean look.
In its second season with V-8 power, Ford offered a long list of body styles and trim levels -- none more appealing than the Cabriolet, flaunting a rakish new profile.
For more classic convertibles of the 1930s and 1940s, see:
1930 Oldsmobile F-30
1934 Pierce-Arrow Salon Twelve
1938 Oldsmobile L-38
1939 Cadillac Series 90
1941 Lincoln Continental
1941 Packard One Twenty
1942 Dodge Custom
1946 Hudson Super Six Brougham
1946 Mercury Sportsman
1947 Cadillac Series 62
1947 Chrysler Town & Country
1948 Buick Roadmaster
1949 Cadillac Series 62
1949 Frazer Manhattan
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