Over 80 years since the last one rolled off the assembly line, the 1940 Ford is still highly regarded by collectors.  Of the many body styles, the coupe version has become an American icon.  Bathed in the legend of Thunder Road, moonshine hauling, and the birth of stock car racing, these handsome Fords have always garnered respect for their good looks and performance when properly enhanced.  If you have always wanted one for your collection, this 1940 Ford Deluxe coupe for sale on Facebook Marketplace in Lowell, Indiana is a solid choice at a surprisingly reasonable price.  All the clues in the ad point to the clearing out of an estate, and the seller seems motivated to move this mildly modified Ford into a new home.  Can you believe the asking price for this Oldsmobile-powered hot rod is a scant $18,000?  Thanks to T.J. for yet another remarkable find!

In the decade before World War II, Ford was one of the three most popular nameplates in America but rarely took first place in sales.  Yet Ford never stopped trying to take the sales title.  By 1940, Ford was in the second year of offering a higher-end Ford with the De Luxe moniker.  The idea was to bridge the gap between a standard Ford and the new (for 1939) Mercury line to help create another tier of automobile for buyers to consider.  While there was little difference between a Standard and a De Luxe regarding the basic chassis and bodies,  there were a few changes in the grille, steering wheel, dash, and gauges, and customers also enjoyed a clock and armrests.  Sales increased to 541,896 units sold over 487,031 in the previous year.  This was good enough for second place behind Chevrolet, with Plymouth in third place.

Ford came out with a new car in 1941 that many felt wasn’t as attractive as the 1940 model.  Yet sales boomed to 691,455 that year.  Perhaps part of this was that war clouds were looming and the Great Depression was relenting as the country took its first timid steps towards preparing for seemingly inevitable conflict.  Forward thinking folks were willing to spend money to secure reliable transportation in case things went poorly.  Yet, despite higher production numbers, you rarely see a 1941 Ford today.  Today, the 1940 Ford has gained almost cult status among car lovers and the percentage of surviving automobiles is high.  With an 85 horsepower V-8 under the hood, a gross weight of around 2,900 lbs, Ford’s newly minted hydraulic brakes, and the availability of speed parts, the 1940 Ford coupe was also the choice of anyone who wanted to go fast.  For some, that meant on the street or the track, for others, that meant anywhere where outrunning the law was part of doing business.

While the American South holds no exclusive license to produce and distribute untaxed alcohol, it is there that the practice evolved into an art form.  The 1940 Ford coupe became the weapon of choice for a serious  “hauler.”  The cavernous trunk swallowed up dozens of containers of moonshine, and the speed parts of the day gave these cars a distinct advantage over nearly everything else on the road.  This article from How Stuff Works  scratches the surface of the modifications made to such vehicles.  Outrunning the law meant survival for a moonshine runner in the Depression-era South and they took it seriously.  The 1940 Ford lived on in this role for a couple of decades beyond when it graced the showroom floors due to its inherent attributes and the willingness of their owners to yank out the Flathead V-8 and install larger V-8s from newer postwar cars.  Ambulance engines were very popular for their slightly larger displacement than regular models.

This example is a great starting point if you are looking for a 1940 Ford De Luxe coupe to make into a moonshine runner tribute car.  The modifications seem to be reversible and the sheet metal has not been cut with the possible exception of the firewall.  The pictures show a car that was customized decades ago by the looks of the white vinyl interior.  The body exhibits no obvious corrosion damage and the overall appearance could be quite presentable with some professional detailing.  According to the seller, this car has been in their family for years.  They speak about the car as if they do not have a direct connection to it, leading one to read between the lines that this Ford is being sold to settle an estate.

There is no evidence that this 1940 Ford De Luxe coupe ever ran a load of moonshine.  Yet, the engine under the hood is not a Flathead.  A 394 cubic inch Oldsmobile V-8 provides the propulsion for this Ford.  This engine was the largest iteration of Oldsmobile’s first-generation Rocket V-8 and was in production from 1959 through 1964.  With a standard two-barrel carburetor, the engine produced 315 horsepower.  The picture above shows what looks to be a pair of two-barrel carburetors on an aftermarket intake manifold and a plastic reservoir that spoils the otherwise vintage look.

This engine is backed up by an unidentified three-speed manual transmission with a conventional floor shifter.  All Ford De Luxe cars came with a column shift in 1940, but many cars were later converted to floor shifters due to driver preference.  This was done using an earlier transmission or one from a pickup, and in the case of an engine swap, the aftermarket provided many different adaptors to mount your Ford transmission to the engine of your choice.  The seller tells us that the car was last on the road 20-25 years ago and estimates that it will take little to get this Ford back on the road.

Have you always wanted a 1940 Ford De Luxe coupe?  Do you think this one is a good deal at the $18,000 asking price?  Please share your thoughts in the comments.