1946 Ford Super De Luxe Custom Convertible
Specifications
Engine: Chevrolet V8
Displacement: 454 cu in/ 5.5L
Horsepower: 375hp at 4200 RPM
Torque: 460 lb ft at 3600 RPM
Transmission: 3-speed Turbo 400 Automatic
A Little History
Ford halted its car and truck lines on February 10, 1942, to begin war production. The Willow Run plant built by Henry Ford in 1941 produced one Consolidated Liberator or B-24 bomber every 59 minutes. Civilian production resumed in July 1945, with an early start to the 1946 model year filling the public’s thirst for new cars.
The 1946 Ford was identical to the 1942 model under the skin, though a heavy new grille with horizontal bars and red accents modernized the car somewhat. The hood was widened by adding a center strip.
With steel in short supply, Ford produced a distinctive “Sportsman” convertible with wood side panels, supplied from the Ford Iron Mountain Plant. The convertible had an electric top instead of manual one. One notable change was to use the 239 CID engine which since 1939 had been used in Mercury’s and trucks, and capable of 100 hp (75 kW) for the first time.
This custom Ford is powered by a big block Chevrolet and bolted to a Turbo 400 transmission. The car is also sitting on a Nova sub frame and rear end. The truck has been fitted with beautiful red ostrich leather interior that gives it the perfect contrast with its black exterior. A 1960 Chevrolet dash displays the VDO gauges.
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 De Luxe convertible.
