Neat Old Photo - Help Us Identify This Model "A" Ford

[t-head]

Boynton’s Market Model “A” Ford Delivery Truck: This is a photo in a series from the Hillsborough, New Hampshire Historical Society. We are working them with to determine the details of the vehicles in their collection. Help us today on The Old Motor to determine the exact year and model, capacity, wheelbase, and who made the body for it. Is this an "A" or an "AA"? View excellent enlargements of it and help at The Old Motor.

[Tom Wesenberg]

It's an AA.

I'd say a 1929, but it might also be an early 1930, though the early 1930's I've seen always had the 1930 single bar front bumper.

Looks like the common 131" wheelbase and rated 1 1/2 tons.

[mystic122468]

I'm not sure about the year of the truck, but what I found was interesting is the store in the back ground selling Antiques, kind of funny seeing an Antique store in the 30s. Makes you wonder how old of things they were selling in there....

[Joe K]

Looking like it might be pre October when the conversion was made over to the "new" 4 speed and bevel gear rear end.

This might be one of those "Stoughton" bodies. Time concurrent below on a regular A chassis.



I note that the AA above was originally supplied with "shortie" running boards, but someone has taken the time to lengthen/extend the boards and provide apron extensions? Funny, it seems to have Ford rear fenders - although these may be car fenders. The 28-29 AA has a bit more "fender" on the exit side IIRC.



Joe K

[Neil Mylar LakewoodCA]

I agree with Joe K.
I'd call it a 1929, as it has the disk wheels with the 6 holes. 5 hole disk wheels were used on the late 29, 30-31 beveled rear ends.

[John LaVoy]

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Kentucky Wagon Works also built bodies for the A and AA. This is an early 28 version I'm familiar with.

[FL&WVMIKE]

Originally Posted by mystic122468

I'm not sure about the year of the truck, but what I found was interesting is the store in the back ground selling Antiques, kind of funny seeing an Antique store in the 30s. Makes you wonder how old of things they were selling in there....

I'd love to go "antique shopping" in an antique shop of 1930, with what I know now !
I just wonder what they had.
MIKE (mikeburch)

[John Butts in CT]

Originally Posted by mystic122468

I'm not sure about the year of the truck, but what I found was interesting is the store in the back ground selling Antiques, kind of funny seeing an Antique store in the 30s. Makes you wonder how old of things they were selling in there....

(1) I'll agree with all prior posts regarding the vehicle.

(2) As for the shop in the background, antiques shops have a long history here in New England. My wife's great-grandfather established what came to be known as "The Original Antique Shop" in Greenwich. Connecticut in 1890. One of his early shop signs now hangs in our living room.

(3) One of the early, great, Ayer/Williamson Model "A" ads, published in at least four magazines in September, 1928, depicts two lovely flappers in their roadster, parked in front of an antique shop. The Ayer firm was in Philadelphia, and many of its "upscale" illustrations prior to the crash have a "Main Line" feel, so the imagined scene was probably in Pennsylvania, not New England. At any rate, the antiques trade took hold early here in the East.

(4) Okay... this is tangential, but when Henry Ford was asked to fund the restoration of Williamsburg, Virginia, a form letter reply stated "We regret that Mr. Ford's many activities are absorbing his entire attention. He is therefore, unable to interest himself in the matter mentioned." When John D. Rockefeller took on the task, the young Philadelphia architects who were "on the ground" in Virginia drove a fleet of company Model "A" Tudor Sedans. The cars show up in many photos of the early days of CW's restoration.

[Hicktick]

1st picture looks like radial tires on the truck .Tread pattern and all .

I know its an old picture , but, , but ,.,


,,,

[SeaSlugs]

My guess an early 29 AA. Note the drum taillight. Most likely worm drive due to the 6 hole wheels.

I see ford supplied the gas tank forward and lower firewall/cowl pannels but the bodymaker supplied the rest. Ford supplied the short running board and short splash apron due to there being a seam.

still very neat!

[bikejunk]

Knowing what I now know about antiques id go shoping in the grocery store

[JEC]

I have an old craftsman style grand father clock that I can remember ticking in my grand parents house in 1949 when I spent a summer on the farm with them. I was 10 years old at the time.
It still sounds the same when I wake up at 2 AM to make my way to the bath room.
It is such a primitive looking clock that I had always thought that my uncle had built it. A few years back my aunt in her 90's told me that she bought it in the 1930's in an antique store and my uncle had to make the wooden part of the pendulum.
So I have no idea how old it is.

[Tudortomnz]

Definitely a 1929 AA, coach built express type.
The drum tailamp was used on commercials way beyond car production, in fact I think they were used on '30 '31 Station Wagons & many trucks.
It appears that independent commercial body builders had a good slice of the US market, which was also the case in foreign markets.
Enthusiasts Down Under often believe local independent bodywork was peculiar to here, but it occurred in all markets.

[t-head]

So the general consensus it that this is a 1929 "AA". One of our readers believes the body might have been made by York-Hoover:

http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/y/york...ork_hoover.htm

Anyone else have anything to offer about the body on this neat truck?

[Joe K]

Originally Posted by t-head

So the general consensus it that this is a 1929 "AA". One of our readers believes the body might have been made by York-Hoover:

I have to admit I don't like the comparison I made to Stoughton in my pix above: look to the door frames which on the AA of question are quite heavy - but on the Stoughton are thinner and more like the original Model A doors.

But likewise to the time concurrent York-Hoover body. One pix at your reference is of an "Ice Body" shown below. Note the thin door frames around the windows.


Also, the York-Hoover has a considerable "taper" between the icechest and the cowl - but this may be driven by the size of the ice portion.

I wish I had my green "Truck" book in hand. There are several other makers of aftermarket bodies pictured there.

Joe K

[t-head]

Originally Posted by Joe K

I have to admit I don't like the comparison I made to Stoughton in my pix above: look to the door frames which on the AA of question are quite heavy - but on the Stoughton are thinner and more like the original Model A doors.

But likewise to the time concurrent York-Hoover body. One pix at your reference is of an "Ice Body" shown below. Note the thin door frames around the windows.


Also, the York-Hoover has a considerable "taper" between the icechest and the cowl - but this may be driven by the size of the ice portion.

I wish I had my green "Truck" book in hand. There are several other makers of aftermarket bodies pictured there.

Joe K

Joe, Thanks so much for your input, the body on this truck has features that show up on bodies built by both of these manufacturers and trying to come up with an exact match appears to be difficult.

[Elcastor]

My best guess is that it is a Martin-Parry Body. Compare the following two photos of a 1928 Ford/Martin-Parry Tow Truck.





To me it looks like the same door post, cowl, hinges, side panel design, windows, and strip below the door.

[Joe K]

I think we have a winner here.

Joe K

[t-head]

Originally Posted by Elcastor

My best guess is that it is a Martin-Parry Body. Compare the following two photos of a 1928 Ford/Martin-Parry Tow Truck.

To me it looks like the same door post, cowl, hinges, side panel design, windows, and strip below the door.

Yes, you are right about that and thanks for posting this as it will help the Hillsborough Historical Society with identifying the photo in their archives.

[Elcastor]

Originally Posted by t-head

Yes, you are right about that and thanks for posting this as it will help the Hillsborough Historical Society with identifying the photo in their archives.

Would they be willing to share a copy of the photo for my Martin-Parry collection. 1929 is probably the last year that they made bodies. Chevrolet bought the company in 1930.