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NEWS ROAD TESTS |
 The 75 Most Significant 1932 Ford |
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NEWS ROAD TESTS |
The 75 Most Significant 1932 Ford |
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 George Sein's 1932 Ford of Legendary Car and Innovative Engine
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30th January, 2006 A committee of automotive and hot rod experts has revealed its list of America's 75 most significant ’32 Ford hot rods. An earlier first round of balloting resulted in 474 individual ’32 Ford hot rods being nominated for consideration. From that list, the committee voted a second time to select the 75 most important. The 1932 Ford was a watershed vehicle for Ford, the automobile industry and American culture. Combining the innovative engineering of Henry Ford, in the form of the first mass-produced V-8 engine, with the styling sophistication of his son Edsel, the ’32 Ford brought a new level of performance and flair to the general public. Years after its introduction, the ’32 Ford played a major role in another revolution – the development of the hot rod. Built from cast-off cars in backyards and small garages, and assembled by young men with remarkable ingenuity and intuitive engineering, these cars performed far beyond their original capabilities and often rivaled the performance of the best in the world. The hot rod also dramatically changed the direction of many forms of motorsports and became the foundation of America’s $31 billion (USD) aftermarket industry. "The ’32 Ford continues to have a tremendous impact on many aspects of the automotive world and contemporary culture," said Larry Erickson, chief designer, Ford Motor Company. "The ’32 Ford is the definitive hot rod, nicknamed the ‘Deuce.’ This list of 75 recognises the best of the best. The selection committee has members from around America, even from overseas, and represents all facets of the hot rod world. The process used to gather the initial nominations, research the cars, reconcile differing descriptions and break ties for the last few spots on the list was really exhaustive and precise. This list is an important piece of hot rod history. These are the 75 greatest." "The 75 Most Influential ’32 Ford Hot Rods" were selected by a blue-ribbon committee of automotive authorities across a variety of fields. Museum participants include: Greg Sharp, curator, Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum; Philip Linhares, chief curator of art, Oakland Museum of California and Dick Messer, director, Petersen Automotive Museum. Authors and journalists on the committee include Steve Coonan, publisher, The Rodder’s Journal; John Dianna, publisher, American Rodder; Kevin Elliott, former editor of the British publication, Custom Car; Pat Ganahl, journalist and author of "Hot Rods & Cool Customs," "Von Dutch: the Man, Myth & Legend," and "Ford Performance;" Robert Genat, author, "Hot Rod Milestones," "Little Deuce Coupe" and "The Birth of Hot Rodding;" Ken Gross, journalist, author of "Hot Rod Milestones" and chief judge of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance hot rod class; Mark Morton, publisher, Hop Up; Tony Thacker, author, "’32 – The Deuce;" and Tom Vogele, vice president/group publisher, Primedia. Car builders, designers and enthusiasts who participated include musician and hot rod collector Jeff Beck; Roy Brizio, Brizio Street Rods; Pete Chapouris, So-Cal Speed Shop; legendary hot rodders Ray Brown, Pete Eastwood, Blackie Gejeian, Jim "Jake" Jacobs and Thom Taylor; Jerry Kugel, Kugel Komponents; show promoter Robert Larivee, Sr.; Barry Lobeck, V8 Shop; Gary Meadors, Goodguys Rod & Custom Association; and builder/historian David Simard. Announced at the 57th Grand National Roadster Show during its annual Hall of Fame luncheon, the list of "The 75 Most Significant ’32 Ford Hot Rods" is the first in a series of activities and events marking the 75th anniversary of the 1932 Ford, and its innovative V8 engine nicknamed the "flathead." Ford will participate in celebrating the ‘32’s impact on automotive enthusiasm and culture with a display of the 75 most influential and important 1932 Ford hot rods, sponsored by Ford Racing Performance Parts and Ford Powertrain. The display will premiere at the January 2007 Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California, the nation’s oldest annual hot rod show. Ford will utilise the anniversary of its iconic 1932 model to celebrate the company’s heritage of innovation, performance and styling leadership. "The next step is to locate and contact the current owners of the 75 cars so that they can begin making plans to bring them to the ’07 anniversary exhibit," said Erickson. "The whereabouts of about 20 percent of the cars is unknown. We’re not even sure if they’ve survived, but we’re launching a major effort to find them. A primary reason for assembling the list is to publicise the historic importance of these cars with the objective of encouraging people to come forward with information on where they are or what happened to them. We want to tell the complete story of every one of the 75, and have them all together in one place at the 2007 Grand National Show. "The 75 Most Significant ’32 Ford Hot Rods" are:
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