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Ford Motor Company introduced its Deluxe Ford line in 1938 as an upscale alternative to bridge the gap between its base model and luxury Lincoln cars. The Deluxe name was first used starting in 1930 to specify an upscale trim, then later the Deluxe Ford line was differentiated as a separate "marque within a marque" with separate styling and pricing.
The Ford car was thoroughly updated in 1941, in preparation for a time of unpredictability surrounding World War II. The 1941 design would continue in an aborted 1942 model year and would be restarted in 1946 and produced until 1948 when the more modern 1949 Fords were ready.
The final year for the old-style Ford was 1948, with an all-new model launched partway through the year. The wood-sided Sportsman convertible, supplied by the Ford Iron Mountain Plant, ended the year with just 28 built, and the all-wood bodies on the woody station wagons were replaced with steel for the 1949 season. The old car-based trucks were replaced by the F-Series this year. With Ford in financial chaos during this period, sales fell well behind Chevrolet, Ford output for 1948 was 430,198 vehicles, only about 62% of Chevrolet's output, and Plymouth came close to knocking Ford from second place with an output of 412,540 vehicles.
The Ford Deluxe line was used in a number of movies and television shows.
A 1948 Ford Deluxe convertible was the base car that was transformed into
"Greased Lightning" in the movie Grease.
In the 1984 film The Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi gives Daniel Larusso a cream-colored 1947 Ford Super Deluxe convertible as a birthday gift. The car was actually a gift to Ralph Macchio from the film's producer. To this day, Macchio still owns the car. The car reappears in the Cobra Kai spinoff TV show several times where Daniel is seen to still own it. In the third season, Daniel states that getting his first car from Mr. Miyagi inspired him to go into the car business.
In the 1985 film Back to the Future and its sequel Back to the Future Part II, the car which Biff Tannen owns in 1955 was a black 1946 Ford Super Deluxe convertible.
226 ci (3.7 L) Flathead Inline 6 Cylinder Engine, 6.8:1 Compression, Holley 1-barrel carburetor
Bore: 3.3 in (83.82 mm) Stroke: 4.4 in (111.76 mm)
95 hp @3,300 rpm, 180 lb-ft @1,200 rpm, Maximum rpm: About 4,250 rpm
3 speed manual, 3.78:1 axle ratio
~3,400 lb (1,542 kg) curb weight
Performance (Estimated):
0-60 mph: 20.1 seconds
1/4 mile: 21.7 seconds @62 mph
Top speed: 79 mph (127 kph)
Cost about $1,225 in 1948 (equal to $15,774 in 2024)
Features:
Heater/defroster
Cowl vent (for fresh air)
Radio with audio adjustment
Clock on the dash
Locking glove box
Locking steering column
Post-War & Chrome / 1946–1959
More from the collection.
1946 Ford Super De Luxe 2-Door Convertible
1946 Mercury Eight Coupe Custom
1947 Chrysler Town & Country Sedan
1947 Ford Super Deluxe Fordor
1947 McCormick Farmall BN Culti-Vision Tractor
1948 Buick Super Convertible
1948 Cadillac Series 62 2-Door Fastback
1948 Crosley CC Convertible
1948 Crosley Super Sedan
1948 Hudson Commodore Convertible
