How come "Car Collectors" don't like Model A's?

[Russ B]

Collectors in general probably don't like Model A's because they are more common and a poorer investment, but there are probably as many nuanced reasons as there are owner-collectors. Similarly, Model A folks have many of their own personalized reasons for loving Model A's as well.

I have no interest in owning a fine point car or even an accurately restored A, but I am still inclined to spending hundreds of hours doing quality restoration work on certain aspects of my car. But At the same time, I can also be happy to use philips head screws in various "improper" places. My interest in A's is lifelong, but in depth for reasons unique to me. I do what is right for me, and I could care less what others think or might do with their cars. Cars are freedom. Cars are art. Cars are, and represent, many things; but for me each one is unique, and they have never been an investment or anyone else's dream.

The common bond of most all car folks is that they love cars, each in their own way.

[Special Coupe Frank]

Originally Posted by Tom in SW VA

How many chopped and channeled Packards or Duesenburgs have you seen?

Too many !

No Duesenbergs, but I have seen several 1930's Packard rods in my area, as well as a '34 Essex, early '30s Hupmobile, and even a '39 Graham (Spirit of Motion, aka "Sharknose").

One of the Packard owners was actually bragging to anyone who would stand still and listen about "how nice and solid this original car was"... I had to walk away before lost my temper...

[Kahuna]

Luke wrote:
I drive some rather expensive cars at my day job from AMG Mercedes to Ferraris to M series BMW's and none of those break the ice better than my Model A (or 50s cars for that matter). It's a built in defense mechanism against snobbery. You have 2 equally good looking girls standing next to each other. One is wearing jeans and a t-shirt, the other in a high dollar outfit with her neck stiff and nose in the air wearing more gold & diamonds than Tiffany. Which one would you talk to?

The answer, of course, is talk to the one with the BIG BOOBS

[denis4x4]

Originally Posted by Special Coupe Frank

Too many !

No Duesenbergs, but I have seen several 1930's Packard rods in my area, as well as a '34 Essex, early '30s Hupmobile, and even a '39 Graham (Spirit of Motion, aka "Sharknose").

One of the Packard owners was actually bragging to anyone who would stand still and listen about "how nice and solid this original car was"... I had to walk away before lost my temper...

Good thing you walked away before you found out it was "Dutch" Darrin talking to Clark Gable about chopping a Packard! Not only am I worried about the loss of a sense of humor here, I'm beginning to worry that the subject of coach building is a lost cause.

[RHD]

I think the Model 'A' is just too good for them.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

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Originally Posted by PaulShinn

Excellent! A real answer. That's all I asked for. Thank you! I'll forward the info to her, this should make sense.

Paul,
Try this for an answer for your wife.
My dog told me a story of a man who worked his way UP from a Model A to more & more exotic cars in order to keep his ego inflated!
One morning the man was drooling as he admired his $1,500,000 one of a kind car & discovered that his head wouldn't fit inside & was later picked up by the "Funny Farm Wagon," as he sat in his pool of drool & cried! Bill W.

[Special Coupe Frank]

Originally Posted by denis4x4

Good thing you walked away before you found out it was "Dutch" Darrin talking to Clark Gable about chopping a Packard! Not only am I worried about the loss of a sense of humor here, I'm beginning to worry that the subject of coach building is a lost cause.

Um, the kind of "custom coachwork" you speak of pretty much died after WW II, if not before.

And, if Clark were talking to Dutch about a custom-bodied Packard, I'm pretty sure they would have started-out with a cowl & chassis, not a complete car.

What gets my blood pressure up is what I feel is an alarming trend for rodders to use decent original survivors or even older restorations as basis for major chop jobs... a gutted hulk that is beyond practical restoration is one thing... but hacking-into a decent vehicle seems wrong to me...

I've also seen a lot of aborted rod attempts sitting in the junkyard... some were carved-up from nice solid originals... sad.

[Roadster62]

Nothing wrong in my view of things to save time and money and start with the best body you can find. If you were building a Hot Rod in 1955 you most likely had a good body, not somethig that had spent its life outside. Bob

Originally Posted by Special Coupe Frank

What gets my blood pressure up is what I feel is an alarming trend for rodders to use decent original survivors or even older restorations as basis for major chop jobs... a gutted hulk that is beyond practical restoration is one thing... but hacking-into a decent vehicle seems wrong to me...

[Special Coupe Frank]

I guess I get a little less-upset about a car that there were 4.5 million made getting turned into a hot-rod than some low-production orphan or luxury car...

[PhoenixFear]

I don't understand this. When I go to shows, I see tons of street rod Model As, fiberglass and flashy colors, etc. I hardly ever see a stock or original Model A of any type. How these cars are not "collectable" is beyond me. There might have been a ton made, but either I go to the wrong car shows or people just don't bring the stock ones out.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by PhoenixFear

I don't understand this. When I go to shows, I see tons of street rod Model As, fiberglass and flashy colors, etc. I hardly ever see a stock or original Model A of any type. How these cars are not "collectable" is beyond me. There might have been a ton made, but either I go to the wrong car shows or people just don't bring the stock ones out.

PhoenixFear,
First year for Fresno's BIG monthly car shows, 350 to over 400 cars, a few restored Model A's and they seem to attract a lot of lookers & a lot of interesting conversation. I have my avatar car almost ready & will show it next season. Lots of pics at WWW.HOTRODCOALITION.COM Look for yours truly on my racy mobility scooter! Bill W.

[glenn in camino]

About ten years ago I had two classic Packards, a 28 443 and a 34 1103, and six Model A Fords. I never talked about my Fords with the Packard people because I knew how they felt about what they considered lesser cars, lesser people. Once They actually refered, in print, in their magazine, to people who don't own Packards as The Great Unwashed. That discusted me enough to sell my Packards. Now I'm just a model A Ford guy but I wash every day.

[Roadster62]

I had a 1928 443 Roadster project back in the late 1970's, sold it to buy my 1912 Model T, best move I ever made wheeling & dealing. Bob

[PhoenixFear]

I'll try to make it to other shows. I did happen to go to one early Ford show down here at the Town and Country. I was only there for a few minutes but there were a ton of cars to drool over. No one stopped by to talk to me or anything, not sure if that is good or not.
I used to live down the road from where the Packard proving grounds used to be. There's still a Packard Grill restaurant near it. There's a pretty recent-sized car show on the grounds which is really nice, some people would display their chunks of the Packard proving ground road. I never thought the Packard guys were snobby but I never thought to talk to any either.
I don't understand the snobby attitudes of some groups. Shows are all the same, people show off their hard work in their cars, no matter what they are. Some people just show off how much their checkbooks can handle instead it seems.

[dumb person]

Originally Posted by cpetku

One good AhhhhOOOOGaa and everyone smiles...

True

Originally Posted by PhoenixFear

I don't understand this. When I go to shows, I see tons of street rod Model As, fiberglass and flashy colors, etc. I hardly ever see a stock or original Model A of any type. How these cars are not "collectable" is beyond me. There might have been a ton made, but either I go to the wrong car shows or people just don't bring the stock ones out.

i noticed that too. i hardly ever see stock ones but i know there is at least one i saw it once.
This is probably why most "A"s that have survived seem to be roadsters or coupes because everyone thought
"Hey look a roadster/coupe i should restore it, it might be the only stock one left"
So many tourer/phaeton things (whatever they were called) seem to be disproportionally rare.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by tamagrouchy

Just my 2 cents, but I believe the Model A, is regarded in the same way a VW Beetle is. It was (and is) an inexpensive (relatively), reliable car. They aren't fast, flashy, rare and have no bragging value, HOWEVER those of us with them know their worth. I say let the snobs turn their noses up at the Model A, they don't know what they're missing. Besides, at any cruise night, my humble roadster gets as much or more attention as the very expen$ive 60's muscle cars and as other have said, the A brings a smile to every ones face.

Yep Try using some of the collector cars like we use out Model A's. I just did a car club run today and did 100 miles in my Phaeton effortlessly. Not worth as much as other makes but more motorable. I also have a 1910 Hupmobile which I love . It is worth much more than my A , is a huge hit at car shows but has very limited performance, parts are non existent and every time I take it out I wonder if I'm going to get home and if I don't then how am I going to fix it! Karl

[Al 29Tudor]

I'm so new at the model "A" game I didn't know people didn't like them. Every place I go people gather round to look and ask all about it. I guess these are not aficionados. I sure like my 29 Tudor. I can afford it and I can fix it. Every time I walk to the garage door and open it just to have a look at it, I walk away with a s--- eaten grin a mile wide.

[P.S.]

Originally Posted by Al 29Tudor

I'm so new at the model "A" game I didn't know people didn't like them.

My wife wondered why the "car snobs" don't seem to like them. Some of the replies here put together have sufficiently answered her question. It's not that she now understands, but she has an idea now.

Personally, I think the Model A car crowd is fantastic. Everyone we've met in person in the clubs, on tours, etc. has been kind, helpful, and just all around nice. Not too many car snobs like that.

The car snobs I met at a local car show that our car was in once were just over the top snobs. She was aking why.

[pat in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by Great Lakes Greg

Seems to me that there is a chapter of the VMCCA, (Veteran Motor Car Club of America), that is called the "Nickle Age Group". The cut off date is 1927 just in spite of the Model A. Luckily, and I expect much to they're angst, the Model T owners can still join.

in 1995 the cutoff date for the Nickel Age Group was changed to from 1916 through 1934.

[Karl]

Our vintage car club defines vintage as from 1919 to 1931. I suspect the later date was to set to accomodate the Model A. Interestingly enough yesterday on our run I was for a time following a 1929 Bentley Blower . Lovely car valued in the millions of dollars however was going no faster than us and he got awfully lost . In the end he followed my humble model A for half the rally to get him safely to the final check point. Karl