1932 Ford Model B Coupe
Engine: Inline 4
Displacement: 200 Cubic Inches
Horsepower: 50 BHP
Cost New: $440
         1932 was a defining year for Ford. The country was still in the grip of the Great Depression, and Ford was locked in a battle with Chevrolet for the most sales. Chevrolet had beaten Ford in 1927, 1928 and 1931, and began selling their six-cylinder motor in 1929. Henry Ford was a not a man who embraced change and this nearly led to the collapse of his company. He liked four-cylinder cars, once saying "I've no use for a motor that has more spark plugs than a cow has teats," but he recognized that he had to do something. The completely redesigned 1932 Ford was his answer. This was the first year Ford offered two different sized motors, the inline 4 and the new V-8. They were offered in two different models. The four-cylinder cars were called the Model B, while the V-8 cars were called the Model 18. Edsel Ford, Henry's son, played a large role in design and adapted many ideas from the Lincoln line. There were seventeen different body and trim styles for each model, thirty-four in all, offering a great array of options.
         This Model B Coupe was one of 20,342 produced with a price tag of $440. The average loss to Ford on every car sold in 1932 was $250, but Mr. Ford did not see it that way. "We do not lose it. We spent it. Most of it went in wage envelopes, the rest for taxes, but we did not lose it - we used it. If we had dropped it on the Stock Market, that would have been losing it."