WHITIANGA CAR: BLACK CHERRY

SOMETIMES LESS CAN BE MORE, AND THIS STUNNING ’33 FORD DELIVERS A LOT WITH JUST THE BASICS

You would think that a straightforward question would have a straightforward answer, right? Well, in the case of asking who invented the automobile, it would appear that things are not so simple. From steam and electric power to gasoline as we know it, figuring out who actually invented the automobile is more a matter of semantics than history. But, if credit had to be given to one inventor, it would probably go to Karl Benz from Germany. Many agree that he was responsible for creating the first true automobile back in 1885. Jump ahead a few years, to 1903, and a young man by the name of Henry Ford started production on his Model T — a significant milestone in both the history of the automobile and the concept of ‘mass production’. The first cars rolling off the assembly lines at the time were powered by a modest engine good for 8hp — a few hundred less than the Ford-stamped subject of this particular article. With the rapid success Ford enjoyed across those formative years, it established a reputation for sturdy, affordable, and reliable vehicles. And, hey, since we’re currently looking at one that’s over 80 years old, there must have been some truth in that reputation! The year was 1933, and not only had the Ford Motor Company celebrated its 30th anniversary, but it had also manufactured its 21-millionth vehicle. Henry Ford was also busy, opening his new Greenfield Village complex. And this is one of the vehicles produced in that landmark year. Its current owners, Val Jamieson and Campbell Smith, have only had the pleasure of ownership for the last six months. The bulk of its 85-year history is confined to the dusty annals of history, but Val and Campbell do know that it was built rather more recently to the condition in which it is now presented. And that wasn’t just any old rebuild, either, having been completed in Australia by Wayne McLaughlin, father of wellknown Kiwi Supercars driver Scott “Gave it some jandal” McLaughlin. Wayne is quite famous in his own right, having built several hot rods over the years that have been featured in numerous publications on both sides of the Tasman. This pickup, as you can see from these photos, is certainly no exception. So, why and how did they end up with something like this? Val makes no secret about being a bit

of a Ford lady, with a beautiful ’57 Thunderbird sharing pride of place in the garage. When Val and Campbell decided on a hot rod to join the fleet, it didn’t take long to hack the shortlist down to two vehicles — this pickup and a ’31 Model A coupe. After some (not much) discussion, the coupe was discarded in favour of the pickup. We’ll let you decide whether it was because the coupe was running a Chev engine, which certainly wouldn’t suffice for Val’s Blue Oval heart, or the fact that Campbell couldn’t deal with the bright pink paint. This pickup addresses both of those issues. One of Henry Ford’s most referenced sayings is that “A customer can have a car painted any color they want so long as it is black”, and it’s a statement that rings true in this case, although we would hazard a guess that this paint is somewhat nicer than anything available towards the beginning of the 20th century. The paint effortlessly covers exceptionally straight panel work, although the panelling has taken a back seat when it comes to the business end. Though finished to the same high standard, Val and Campbell made the executive decision to leave the hood and side panels at home for Repco Beach Hop 18 for ease of cleaning the engine. Hey, we can’t fault the decision, and

it’s always refreshing to see a hot rod with its distributor at the front. Beneath the polished and detailed covers is a bulletproof 302ci Windsor, tickled up with alloy heads, an Edelbrock dual-quad intake, MSD ignition, and trick custom-fabricated headers and exhaust. It’s just as nice at the opposite end, thanks to the Halibrand catalogue donating a polished Quick Change diff and matching Halibrand Sprint wheels, with obligatory knock-off centres. The full-fendered look has been executed perfectly, with a raked stance provided through a drilled and dropped I-beam front axle hung off traditional four-bars, and a custom four-link rear set-up sitting over adjustable coilovers. Not only does it ride and handle like a dream, but it drives like one, too. Inside the small–but– deceptively commodious cabin, beautifully stitched red leather provides a visual and tactile experience befitting a car this cool, and the controls are both functional and minimal. With the whole car having been built and set up better than they could have hoped, there really is nothing for Val and Campbell to do apart from a touch of personalizing — and it really will be a touch. In the less-is-more theme of this entire vehicle, they’re thinking about some cherries airbrushed onto the cowl. After all, a car this well done doesn’t need much more to stand out.