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Old 08-04-2013, 08:12 AM   #19
Steve Plucker
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Walla Walla, Washington USA
Posts: 6,066
Default Re: The true history on Edison's Model A...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tudortomnz View Post
Steve, this is the only/earliest printed source about A1 I found. Published by F. Clymer, 1959, ''Henrys Fabulous Model A Ford''.
Like everything concerning A1, until something concrete from 1928 emerges, truth is unknown.
The Tudor A1 pictured with Henry, Edsel, Henry 2nd & Benson is not the same one shown in another photo of a Tudor with Edison. This may be the one at Kearny Plant as you suggested.

I have just found some references to A1 in ''Legendary Model A Ford'' by Peter Winnewisser, which is accurate & has many era fact sources.
P18 states ''afternoon,Oct.20, first Model a engine numbered by Henry Ford....next day this engine was incorporated into a Tudor & driven to Dearborn Lab.s for 10 days of testing/inspection.....this first Model A chassis & engine no. 1 was eventually given to Thomas Edison by Henry Ford.......Randy Mason of Henry Ford Museum [Model A News, Jan. Feb. 1974] says that at Edisons request a touring car body was installed & the car delivered to Edison in June 1928. It was painted dark green & had a ''goatskin interior''.
Edison also drove off the line the first Model A [Tudor]out of Kearny,NJ Plant on Dec. 19 1927.

Also it is mentioned [P18 & P22]........from Ford Dealer & Service March 1931 [claims] that Beverly Hills Motors delivered the first Model A to Will Rogers. He sent a telegram to Edsel on Dec. 22,1927, saying he ''was proud to have delivery of the first of the second 15 million..''

In Jim Schilds book ''Original Model a Ford'', it states..[ p 10].''the Edison car is based on the first Model A built, although it is believed that the first Model A delivered actually went to Will Rogers in Dec. 1927.
Further information in this book on A1 also confirms the facts researched by Peter Winnewisser.

So even from the start, there was controversy on which was the ''First Model A'' ??
Thank you Tom for that information...that is more than what I knew.

Pluck
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