Couple pay $220,000 and then donate 32 Ford chassis to museum

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Old Cars Weekly February 19,  2015

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Couple bought Deuce chassis at Barrett-Jackson auction
intending to donate it all along

By Frank Scheidt, Editor, Foundation News
When Joe and Elaine Floyd of South Dakota bid on and won an incredible one-of-a-kind 1932 Ford chassis at the recent January Barrett-Jackson auction, they never intended for it to be theirs. All along, they knew it was destined to be in to the Early Ford V-8 Foundation Museum.
Bob Lichty of Motorcar Portfolio in Canton, Ohio, acted as the agent for the Floyds at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, and did the bidding for them. It was an exciting night of watching the bidding, and even more exciting when the winning bid went to the Floyds. Lichty took care of all the paperwork and also arranged transport of the running chassis to Auburn, where an excited Collection Coordinator, Josh Conrad, took delivery on February 12.

The 1932 Ford chassis as it crossed the Barrett-Jackson auction block.

Floyd said he saw this unique piece at the famed Harrah’s in Nevada several years ago and it left a lasting impression on him. “When we saw it was going up for auction, both Elaine and I said it has to be in the Foundation’s Museum,” Floyd said.
It’s now on display at the Early Ford V-8 Foundation Museum for all to see, examine, learn from and admire. It’s a thing of beauty!

The 1932 Ford chassis in its new and permanent home within the Early Ford V-8 Foundation Museum.

This 1932 chassis is a bit of a mystery. In the past, it was reported that it was removed from the assembly line, along with possibly 20 or so others, before the bodies were added. Then they were shipped to Ford dealers in larger metropolitan areas to be displayed in showrooms. But many 1932 Ford experts have not been able to substantiate that theory. Some say that Ford was not known for sending dealers this type of display. Display chassis used in various auto shows were of the cut-a-way type, with lots of chrome and special paint jobs.
Another theory is that Ford pulled them off the line and used them at Ford Branches to train technicians on the all-new chassis. Without the body, a chassis would be much easier to study. It’s felt by ’32 Ford aficionados that Ford must have had chassis like these available for training. Using actual examples right from the assembly line makes a lot of sense.
In any event, all agree that this chassis is quite valuable as a display piece in the Early Ford V-8 Foundation Museum, giving visitors a unique look at the workings of a ’32 chassis without the hassle of climbing under a car to see what makes it run!