The Specs of a 1936 Ford

The 1936 Ford Model 48 came in a cabriolet, convertible sedan, three-window coupe, five-window coupe, deluxe five-window coupe, deluxe Fordor sedan, deluxe sedan, deluxe Tudor sedan, Fordor sedan, Phaeton, roadster, station wagon, touring sedan and Tudor sedan. The Model 48 was not as popular as the Model 68. The 48’s best-selling model was the touring sedan with 1,362 units sold. The cabriolets numbered 1,116.

Ford offered the immensely popular Model 68 as a cabriolet, club cabriolet, convertible sedan, five-window coupe, five-window deluxe coupe, three-window deluxe coupe, deluxe Fordor, deluxe Phaeton, deluxe roadster, deluxe sedan, deluxe Tudor, Fordor sedan, touring Fordor sedan, two- and four-door sedans with trunk, station wagon, Tudor sedan and touring Tudor sedan. Top sellers were the Tudor sedan with 174,470 units sold and the sedan with a trunk following in second with 166,018 leaving the showroom. Ford also sold 159,825 touring Fordor sedans. In all, Ford sold manufactured 792,000 Model 48s and Model 68s.

Ford offered only one engine. A 221-cubic-inch flat-head V-8 powered both models. It had a 3.1-inch bore, a 3.75-inch stroke and a 6.3-to-1 compression ratio to generate 90 horsepower for the Model 48 and 85 horsepower for the Model 68. A Stromberg dual downdraft carburetor delivered the fuel to the engine. A three-speed manual transmission transmitted the power to the wheels. The final rear gear ratio of the spiral bevel differential was 4.11-to-1.

Both 1936 models sat on a 112-inch wheelbase with a 55.5-inch front tread width and 58.25-inch rear tread width. The models measured 182.7 inches long and 69.5 inches wide. The fuel tank held 14 gallons.

Front and rear suspension consisted of transverse leaf springs with a worm and sector steering gear mechanism. Stopping power came from all-wheel mechanical internal expanding 12-inch drum brakes. Ford moved the engine closer to the nose by 8.5 inches and made the body 5.5 inches wider. It also repositioned the front springs forward of the front axle and moved the rear springs behind the rear axle for better weight distribution.

Ford offered its 1936 models in Gun Metal Gray, Washington Blue, Gray Vineyard Green, Benton Gray Metallic, Cordoba Tan, Desert Sand, Light Fast Maroon, Bambalino Blue and Armory Green.

The 1936 models featured leather interiors, a Steward Warner gasoline heater, a clock ensconced in the rearview mirror and a radio. Ford hid the dual horns in 1936 and added bright work around the headlamps and grille. The model year 1936 proved to be the last year of the freestanding headlamps.