Henry Ford was, for many years, convinced that his ground-breaking Model T was the only car the world would ever need. It was indeed an excellent car – 15 million being sold in its 21-year production run, a record for a single model that stood for many years. By the mid-1920s, however, it was becoming obvious that the T’s days were numbered. Newer models from other manufacturers were now faster and easier to drive, with convenient features such as electric starters, which Henry Ford disliked, making the T seem outdated. After much pressure from both Ford’s sales staff and his son Edsel, Henry finally relented and allowed the development of a successor. The resulting design – largely Edsel’s work – was a much more conventional car, with a standard gearbox instead of the T’s epicyclic unit, and various features that by that time were commonplace on its competitors, four-wheel-brakes and an electric starter, for example. So different in concept was the new car that Ford decided to give it a clean-slate name – instead of the Model U, it was the Model A, representing just how big a step this was for the company. After nearly a year’s break in Ford production while the factories retooled for the A, the new car went on sale in December 1927. Dispelling any worries Henry might have had, the A sold extremely well, with nearly 5 million produced by the time production ended in March 1931.
BF 5120 was imported from the USA in 2009, previous to which the car had been campaigned widely in Indiana, Texas and Arizona. This Roadster example was purchased by the current owner in December 2013 and he has regularly driven it between Walton-on-Thames, Surrey on a 200-mile round camping trip to the VSCC Hill Climb at Prescott, Gloucestershire. Sadly, due to lack of space and other projects, this Ford is now ready for new adventures. This Model A runs well and keeps pace with modern traffic, no mean feat for a 92-year-old car, even being driven to our premises, we are told cruising at 55-60mph on the motorway. Now fitted with the sensible upgrade of a modern alternator this highly useable vintage car is offered with a V5C.
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