Ford Model E01A (was: US Staff Car?)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Thanks for your reply here, Ian. When searching for more info after our conversation, I searched MLU (of course) and found there was more info than I'd remembered. It does make a difference when searching for EOA1 or E0A1 (I believe the notation "Echo Zero Alfa One" is the correct one).

I have a copy of the Ford Dagenham Identification Chart for Active Service and Civil Production Vehicles which differs from yours. It lists the 01A Saloon and Saloon De Luxe as on your list, but this version also mentions they were produced from Aug. 1940 to April 1941. This means 1940 model year Fords were converted, in Ford specifications this translates to 01A-73A Fordor Standard and 01A-73B Fordor Deluxe as depicted in your spare parts list. The "E for English" was added as they were assembled and modified in Dagenham, UK.

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Bart Vanderveen lists the 01A-73B in one of his books and notes "1942 Fords were also thus modified. All had LHD."

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I have seen only one picture of the 1942 model thus converted: "Ford Model 21A Super Deluxe, used by British Forces in North Africa. Military modifications included 9:00-13 desert tyres, equipment racks and brackets, and a canvas-covered observation hatch in the roof."

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[Hanno Spoelstra]

Now, some questions remain:

1. Who ordered these Ford Fordors? The French, as suggested by David? Could be the case, as the British used a lot of vehicles from diverted French orders.
2. How many were assembled?
3. What modifications were carried out to fit the 13" wheels? I reckon the drum brakes were different from the regular ones with 16"wheels. Was the suspension beefed up, and/or heavier axles fitted?

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Now, some questions remain:

1. What modifications were carried out to fit the 13" wheels? I reckon the drum brakes were different from the regular ones with 16"wheels. Was the suspension beefed up, and/or heavier axles fitted?

I don't think they were different on these cars.

The 1940 brake drums (both front and rear) have a significant offset that would permit fitting a 13" rim, particularly if it had a negative offset like the Bofors 13" rim..

There is a Canadian stock part number, C11A-1015, for a 13" X 6 1/2" wheel that fits the regular 5 on 5 1/2 lug pattern of standard cars, but I am not 100% sure if that is these rims in the pictures without seeing a picture. I'd be 90% sure.

Of course, the other Ford Car Chassis-based vehicle with 13" wheels is the C11ADF. While this might seem to be the logical vehicle for C11A wheels, the C11ADF had heavier-duty 6 lug wheels that were shared with F8 CMP. Being 6 lug, these are definitely NOT C11A-1015 rims. So that leaves the C11A-1015 rims as the ones used on the E01A.

[Bill Kreiner]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Now, some questions remain:

1. Who ordered these Ford Fordors? The French, as suggested by David? Could be the case, as the British used a lot of vehicles from diverted French orders.

I found the attached information on French Fords in my files. French automotive historian Claude Rouxel (RIP) researched and sent this to me years ago, and I eventually bought the sources he quoted, and also found the small Matford 1935-1946 blurb in The American Automobile Since 1775, in the section The Hybrids, compiled by well-known British automotive historian Michael Sedgwick (RIP). I don't have any information specifically on American imports to France for the period, sadly.

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[Bill Kreiner]

This is a Ford 1940 calendar-year document I obtained from Benson Ford Research Center. It is a single-page scanned twice to get some of the data that was cut off the first time. It is not 100% complete but does shed some light on American, Canadian, and exports (which apparently include English-produced Fords, though figures don't match with other sources).

1940-A.jpg 1940-B.jpg

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Here's another Ford E01A in use by war correspondents in the Middle East:

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Source: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...1297796&type=3

[Tony Smith]

Alan Moorehead was an Australian-born English writer who would go on after the war to write several critically-acclaimed histories.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Moorehead

His AFRICAN TRILOGY is one of the better accounts of the war in North Africa. What stories that Ford could tell.

[Mike K]

Owning two vehicles fitted with 900-13 tyres , interesting rim swap overs are possible i.e., the Morris 8cwt rims swap with Bofors rims and Land Rover rims. Fitting a Bofors rim onto a LR hub requires the centre hole to be machined out, enlarged, I have a few 13" rims with that particular mod having been done, a great mod if you wish to play in the sand dunes with your Landy ! I believe at least one of the Len Beadell outback surveying team Rovers had Bofors rims fitted.

The Humber 8 cwt also used 13 rims" but I'm not sure of the stud pattern on those wheels. The Ford WOA2 was another, do those UK Ford rims swap over to Canadian Ford hubs ?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Bill Kreiner

I found the attached information on French Fords in my files. French automotive historian Claude Rouxel (RIP) researched and sent this to me years ago, and I eventually bought the sources he quoted, and also found the small Matford 1935-1946 blurb in The American Automobile Since 1775, in the section The Hybrids, compiled by well-known British automotive historian Michael Sedgwick (RIP). I don't have any information specifically on American imports to France for the period, sadly.

Even though Ford had a good presence in France, apparently the French government also ordered vehicles from Ford in the USA - see the quote from David Hayward in an earlier thread:

Originally Posted by David_Hayward (RIP)

The 1940 right hand drive Ford Model cars assembled at Dagenham were either 01A Standard or 01A Deluxe fordors BUT it now seems that there were some l.h.d. cars as well being diverted FRENCH orders. The 1941 cars assembled at the new CMD in Slough were Models 11A Special, 11A Deluxe and 11A Super Deluxe fordors. NOTE that neither of these orders had the "E" prefix added to show that they were assembled in Dagenham Plant, which was not the case with other diverted French orders and other early Canadian truck and Wagon orders.

1940 Model engine numbers were prefixed:

01A Passenger 1A1 l.h.d. and 1A2F r.h.d.
09A Mercury Passenger 1D1 and 1D2F