Introduced in 1932, the Ford Model B wasn't as popular as its predecessors, the Model A and Model T sales-wise. However, it brought a couple of important changes to the company's full-size car.
While similar to the Model A on the outside, the Model B was a brand-new car riding on an outward curved, double-dropped chassis. But the biggest innovation was the 221-cubic-inch (3.6-liter) flathead V8. The 65-horsepower mill turned the Model B into the first low-priced, mass-marketed car with a V8 engine.
Granted, the V8-powered version was actually called the Model 18, but it was mostly identical to the Model B beyond the engine. The latter came with a 201-cubic-inch (3.3-liter) four-cylinder unit, essentially an upgraded version of the four-banger that motivated the Model A.
Just like its predecessor, the Model B became a popular hot rod platform in the 1930s, so many of them soldiered onto the 21st century with notable modifications. Many of them were also abandoned in junkyards as Detroit rolled out increasingly more powerful cars after World War II, so Model Bs that still have original underpinnings and sheet metal aren't exactly common nowadays.
Fortunately, some of them managed to survive the test of time and emerge out of long-term storage as mostly original survivors. This 1932 Model B pickup is one of the lucky ones.
The video below shows the truck coming out of an old garage with a thick layer of dust and a bit of rust on its body panels. There's no word as to how much time it spent in storage, but we're probably talking about at least a couple of decades. Still, the pickup appears to be in surprisingly good condition beyond a few rust spots, weld marks on fenders, and a few dents here and there.
And here comes the cool part: not only most of the paint is still original, but the four-cylinder engine under the hood is also of the numbers-matching variety. The video also shows the pickup after its first wash in decades, which unveils a cool patina on the bed and the hood.
Speaking of pickup beds, Model B trucks are notably rarer than their coupe, sedan, and cabriolet counterparts. They're not as scarce as the phaeton pickup or the sedan delivery version, but you won't see many of them out there nowadays. Hopefully, this pickup will get a much-needed sympathetic restoration.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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