I say "Tomatoe" you say "Tomato" - How do we call our car?

[DougVieyra]

In the January 1928 issue of FORD DEALER & SERVICE FIELD there is an article on page 16 that deals with the terminology issues that the Ford Dealers are advised to pay heed to. The first paragraph of the article is telling: "The 'flivver' has gone - it's gone forever ! From now on it will be 'Mr. Ford's New Car" - it should be termed that way by all Ford Dealers."

It took the Ford Motor Company 4 years to let go (driven by the new Model B /18) of it's own name for the car : The NEW FORD.

Well, now lo these many years, the 'New Ford' is no longer new. So we are not left with that archaic monocle in naming our car, and for the last 80 years or so, have new venues of nomenclature to explore.

Our beloved flivver has been known by many names. Today as I read both the FORD BARN Forum, as well as other 'outside' literature and websites, I have found the car's nomenclature various and novel.

Some of us call it "Ford Model A"; others of us call it "Model A Ford". Still others call it "Model A", and "A Model". And yet still others call it 'A Bone'. (This all presupposes all the owners personal name of endearment - 'Betsy', 'Lucille', 'Bonny', etc.) .

It took the Ford Motor Company 4 years to let go of it's own name for the car : The NEW FORD.

At the time of the NEW FORD's introduction, even popular culture recognized that Henry's new Ford was a gound-breaking event, with hit songs such as " Henry's made a Lady out of Lizze".

In a quick look at today's contemporary usage I have found some statistics that are of interest:

"Model A Ford" - 7 usages
"Ford Model A" - 6 usages
"Model A" - 4 usages

Looking further back into the 1928 - 1938 period, viewing both periodicals and automotive journals, I have found the following:

"Model A Ford" - 22 usages
"Ford Model A" - 3 usages
"Model A" - 3 usages

The most noted Ford expert of the 1915 - 1940 period, Murray Fahnestock, called it "Model A Ford".

So what do you use to describe your Ford car from 1928-'31 (besides it's 'family name') ? Model A, Ford Model A, Model A Ford ?