1936 Ford Model 48 V8 Five Window Coupe

Delivered new to John Le Groott of Syracuse, New York in May 1936

Passed to his nephew, Leroy Le Groott, in 1955 who sold it to Jim Sadler in 1982

Jim fully restored the car entering it into many car shows, coming first 128 times and 24 'Best in Show'

The car was bought by Harry Court of Lincoln and registered in the UK on 2nd September 2010

One of the finest examples we have seen - so few remain due to the penchant for "hot rodding" this model

This car is a true survivor, restored to as close to factory specification as possible and mechanically superb.

The Ford Model 48 was an introduced in 1935, replacing the Model 40A and sold an amazing 820,000 units that year alone, making Ford the sales leader over rival Chevrolet. Manufactured at Ford plants in either Detroit or Long Beach, it was available in a number of configurations including a 2- door roadster, 2-door coupe, 4- door saloon, 4-door convertible and a station wagon. Customers faced more choices when it came to colour with the old Ford ethos of "any colour you like as long as it's black" long gone, and the order form offered Gun Metal Grey, Washington Blue, Vineyard Green, Benton Grey Metallic, Cordoba Tan, Desert Sand, Light Fast Maroon, Bambalino Blue, Armoury Green, and naturally, Ford Black. For the 1936 model year, Ford added brightwork around the headlamps and grille but that was the only major change over 1935. The Model 48 is significant not only for its sales record but for the exclusive use of the Ford flathead V8 as it was simply not available as a straight 4 or 6 cylinder. Although the V8 configuration was not new (high-end luxury car builders were using it), it was Henry Ford that made this engine affordable and available to the masses. The design, with minor changes but no major ones, was used in Ford vehicles until 1953 and licensed to be built by foreign car manufacturers until 1973. The 221 cubic inch V8 engine generated 90 horsepower with a single barrel carburettor and was fitted with a three-speed manual transmission.

Few examples of the Model 48 remain today with most cars “retro-modded” as hot rods. Luckily, this incredible car has survived thanks to just four dedicated owners in eighty-two years. The first owner was a John Le Groot of Syracuse, New York State and he took delivery in May 1936, subsequently handing it over to his nephew, Leroy Le Groot in 1955 before he, in turn, sold it to Jim Sadler in 1982.

Jim fully restored the car, over the years and proudly entered it into many car shows. According to Jim's handwritten notes, the car came first 128 times and claimed 24 "Best in Show" titles. It was on display at the internationally acclaimed Hershey Car Show in Pennsylvania, when it caught the eye of Harry Court who was over from his home in Lincolnshire. Mr Court shipped the car back to Lincolnshire and registered it in 2010. In 2017 Mr Court took the car to the "Old Ford Rally" at the Heritage Museum, Gaydon. Although he was there purely as a spectator, the 48 was spotted in the car park and he was persuaded to enter it and, lo and behold, it was awarded the highly acclaimed “The Car I"d most like to Take Home” award.

The car today stands as a wonderful testament to its restoration by Jim Sadler and its safe passage here to the UK. The coachwork looks fabulous in Ford Black with a Pistachio Green coach-line and the same colour picked up on the wheel centres and hubcap details. The interior is a delightful blend of 1930's automotive style with Brown Velour seating, a Brown Bakelite sprung steering wheel, and a 'wood-effect' painted dashboard. The rear “Dickie” seat works perfectly, rising as it should and discreetly stowed when not in use. The V8 engine is so smooth and quiet it would put a Rolls-Royce to shame. Presented to auction with a delightful history file, the aforementioned notes by Jim Sadler, and a "show board" created for display that explains the car"s history.

Absolutely delightful.