WE FOUND THIS BEAUTY PARKED CURBSIDE IN A RETIREMENT COMMUNITY IN NORTH FLORIDA. AFTER SPEAKING SEVERAL TIMES AT LENGTH WITH THE OWNER FOR... OVER A MONTH.... I WAS ABLE TO CAPTURE THIS BEAUTY FOR THE MUSEUM DISPLAY AS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A "1936 FORD", NOW OFFERED FOR THE FIRST TIME. IT IS  IT IS A DELUXE VERSION  OF THE 1936 FORD 5-WINDOW COUPE, PRECURSOR TO THE "CLUB COUPE" IN 1937.  FOR STARTERS, I FIND THERE ARE TWO SCHOOLS OF DEVOTED FOLLOWERS OF THESE '36 FORD'S.. SOME LIKE THE 3-WINDOW AS WE ALSO  HAVE FEATURED FOR SALE (JUST SOLD) - WHILE OTHERS  PREFER THE 1936 5-WINDOW.  THIS IS ONE OF THOSE SOUTHERN STATE (RUST-FREE)  'STOCKERS ' THAT HAVE NOT BEEN CUT OR ALTERED, AS A HOPPED-UP "FLATTIE" OR HAD A CHEVY 350 DUMPED IN IT IN A "BACKYARD BUILD",......MOST OF THESE WE SEE ARE 'RODDED'. IT IS ALSO THE SELDOM SEEN " FOUR-PASS. COUPE" WITH, NOT ONLY THE OPTIONAL RUMBLE SEAT BUT, THE ROLL-DOWN REAR WINDOW  SO, YOU COULD TALK TO THE PASSENGERS.  IT IS AN ALL STEEL, BEAUTIFUL OLDER RESTORATION OF AN ORIGINAL 1936 DELUXE COUPE IN IT'S ORIGINAL COLOR'S. IT HAS BEEN LOVINGLY STORED AND DRIVEN SPARINGLY ONLY TO CAR SHOWS AND LIGHT CRUISING FOR THE LAST 26 YEARS.  IT IS A DROPDEAD GORGEOUS IN IT'S ORIGINAL  COLOR OF "LIGHTFAST MAROON" (COLOR CODE: M-1752) WITH BROWN MOHAIR STYLE INTERIOR AND BROWN VINYL JUMP SEAT AT THE BACK.  IT CARRIES THE SPARE IN IT'S OWN 'CONTINENTAL ' CARRIER (BEFORE THEY CALLED THEM THAT) AT THE REAR OF THE CAR. IT HAS THE TRADITIONAL  STANDARD WIND-OUT/ RETRACTABLE WINDSHIELD FOR COOOOL SUMMER DRIVING , PRESSED STEEL ARTILLARY WHEELS, AND CHROMED EMERGENCY "FLY" BRAKE HANDLE.  SHE'S OPTIONED WITH AMBER GUIDE FOGLAMPS WITH CORRECT BAKELITE KNOB SWITCH, CIGAR LIGHTER, BANJO STEERING WHEEL, CHROME  "PRESSED STEEL" ARTILLARY WHEELS W/ GLAMOUR RINGS, REARVIEW MIRROR, WIDE WHITEWALL TIRES, BANJO STEERING WHEEL, COMBINATION OIL-PRESSURE-GAS GAUGE, DUAL WINDSHIELD WIPERS, MANUAL (REPRINT), CARPET / MATS AND THE AFOREMENTIONED RUMBLESEAT W/  RARE ROLL-DOWN REAR WINDOW ( WE'LL CALL IT THE PASSENGER "TALKING" WINDOW).  IT WILL COME WITH AN UN-INSTALLED ORIGINAL "FADA" RADIO. THANK GOD, THE CAR RETAINED AN ORIGINAL FLATHEAD 85 HP @ 3800 R.P.M. V8 AND 3-SPEED TRANSMISSION.  THE DELUXE MODELS FEATURED BRIGHTWORK AROUND THE GRILLE, AS WELL AS THE WINDSHEILD, TAIL LIGHTS AND DUAL HORNS. THE VERY LATE DELUXE VERSION GOT THE WIPERS, WHEEL STRIM RINGS, CLOCK AND REAR VIEW MIRROR SO, FORD COULD MOVE MORE "UNITS". IT HAS MANY 'LATE' FEATURES BUT, IS NOT A LATE CAR (NO CLOCK). IT'S ALL ABOUT CONDITION WHEN SHOPPING FOR ONE OF THESE AND THIS ONE IS SUPERIOR, RUNS GREAT, PASSES THE 'MAGNET TEST"  AND DRIVES-OUT BETTER THAN A 75 YEAR OLD VINTAGE CAR.  JUST ADDED A 'GRILLE GUARD" AND VINTAGE ASHTRAY. IF YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR A REALLY  NICE, ALL STEEL  1936 DELUXE COUPE- YOU FOUND IT!     $45,500 SOLD-SOLD

THE STORY: 

By 1936 the Nation was over the Great Depression. Perhaps, saved by FDR's ' Fireside Chat" Radio Addresses. His mellifluous speaking voice, delivered nightly on the radio, captured the Nation and seem to lull them back into a sense of security. Of course, finally repealing Prohibition helped also as it removed the covert actions it took to get a simple bottle of booze ...and God knows, American's love their drink. Looking back, I think the old Rock-ola, Seeburg, Wurlitzer, Mills and A.M.I. Jukeboxes played a role too, as it made great music by Duke Ellington, the Mills Brothers and Glenn Miller's Band available to the every-day-Joe to listen to at nearby Bars, Restaurants and "Juke Joint's" rather than having to buy an expensive ticket for a live performance. After all.... " Music Sooths the Savage Beast" . Radio played a big part too with, not only Roosevelt's "Fireside Chats" but, Comedy Shows broadcast by "George Burns and Gracie Allen", ventriloquist "Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy but, Drama's like: "Little Orphan Annie", "The Lone Ranger", "Jack Armstrong", "Fibber McGee & Molly" and, of course the "Bob Hope Show". Let's not forget "Father Charles Coghlan" whose Anti-Semitic rants forced CBS to take him off-the-air. Undaunted.... he set up his own Network and was voted, by a mid-30's Nationwide Poll, as the '2nd Most Popular Man in America' (behind FDR). Some of the other highlights of 1936 were:

 The Baseball Hall of Fame was created, Polaroid made the first 'popular' Sunglasses, Tampon's were inserted for the First Time, Photo Journalism was explored for the First Time in a Nationally Published Magazine like "Life", Charlie Chaplin released the Silent Film :"Modern Times" as his commentary on a cruel society that turns their back on a demoralized assembly line worker and his girlfriend  ( years later he was awarded a special Academy Award for this film). Hitler's "People's Car" was developed by Ferdinand Porsche . They called it the "Volkswagen". It was Adolph's astute answer to Henry Ford's Model T.

     The 1936 Ford was 'all new' for that year and sported yet another great, New "Timeless" Design. It not only sported a larger Radiator  but, provided better engine cooling by Larger Vents at the sides of the hood, Front Vents and Helical-type gears for 1st and reverse gears in the transmission ( prev. only 2nd and 3rd got the treatment ).  The Ford V8 got Domed Aluminum Pistons and new inserted Main Bearings. Henry Ford built 942,439 cars that year but, only 29,938 Deluxe 5W Model 68 Coupes were produced. Thoughwe should state it was  Edsel Ford that was President of Ford Motor Co. by that year....Henry still get's the credit  for building one of the most memorable- sought after models- ever. 

**SOURCES: STANDARD FORD CATALOG 1903-2003, PAINTREF.COM