What is A Model AR Ford? The problematic nickname for early Model A's. 1928

Have you ever heard the term "AR" applied to a Model A Ford? What does it mean? Why do people use it? Is there a better way to describe early production cars?

The term doesn't come from 1927 but rather from the 1960's. Watch the video and see the history of a nickname.

And for the record, we do not care what you call these cars so don't @ us.

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Sources;
Ford Parts Price Lists Oct 1928
Ford Parts Price Lists Dec 1932
Library of Congress Ford Motion Pictures Archives
Benson Ford Archives

We reserve the right to moderate comments that we feel fall outside of the scope of the Model A hobby.

#1928 #1929 #1930 #1931 #fordmodela #modelaford

[josephlannert]

I've been a Ford fan my whole life and I've never heard of this term. Learned something new!

[aerialcat]

As a young lad In the mid sixties I worked in a Ford dealership’s parts dept, and to this day I can look at a Ford part No. and know what vehicle and year it was originally designed for.

[cobra]

I'm guessing the "R" equated to "Revision". When only one version is available that is A-7222. Once a second version is available the original is A-7222-AR and the revised part is A-7222-B. When a third comes available then the first is still A-7222-AR, the second becomes A-7222-BR and the last one is A-7222-C.

Always fascinating to dig into Ford's part numbers. In later years the first two characters are the model year the part was introduced - D0 is 1970. E7 is 1987. 3rd and 4th tell you the product and area, so E7TE is 1987 Truck/Engine. Then you have the part number followed by a revision code. They did switch this up around 99/00 but it's still more or less the same.

[yt]

I was born in 1943 and my father had a 39 Ford dump truck. After I learned to read I would open the parts and service manual that came with the truck and I’m thinking it may have been at best 3/16 of an inch thick.
As a young person I would study that book constantly so I knew where all of the parts went because there were exploded views. And in 1962 I went to work for a Chevrolet dealer and ended up in the parts department. Although there was a huge difference between a 39 Ford truck and a 62 Chevrolet it is quite amazing for the differential for example on how similar they were. What confused me as a child was and I’m just using an example here, all of the differential parts carried the first numbers and letters such as
B9AZ, How could every part have the same number? As it turns out those letters and numbers represented the differential and depending on the year and when it was made the dealer could tell what part you needed with the right information. Chevrolet had a different system, for example if you wanted to camshaft they had a system called a group number 0.519 and every cam shaft was listed after that by number. Just trivia but Ford change their system originally used with the model A. I’ve not touched a Chevrolet part since 1969 but I still remember part numbers.

[brianhaygood]

Good info. To anyone interested in getting the right parts on the right car, you are looking up the original part used on the date punched into the firewall/gas tank for everything from the horn, generator, carb, brake lever, etc. Most of this information isn't hard to come by for the most common and noticeable parts. I don't recall ever seeing a car with open ended bumpers, though, so that's a pretty cool one.

[fresnokidsr]

Hmmm I had never heard of the separate designation "AR"
Thank you for teaching me something new. It simply amazes me how fast Ford got to million(s) of cars produced back then.
Have fun take care

[frecklemouth]

That floor-mounted lever for engaging the brakes while parked is, surprisingly, not called an “emergency brake” but in fact, it’s called a “parking brake.”

[bighatstephens]

Thanks for this explanation video. We own an early 1928 Model A Sport Coupe. He's never told me the differences of what set that car apart from his other 28 A, and the Sport Coupe has never been road worthy in my lifetime. I am not sure if it is a very early or an early one but my father and grandfather always referred to it as an "AR."

[essentialjudge]

I was just on an old farm and saw a transmission like that. I didn't even notice the brake lever. Also a set of those bumpers.

[GaryGohlke-nguf]

My AR tudor had so many parts that didnt interchange with later 28-29. Brake drums, hubs, wheels, front fenders, generator, starter, no separate e-brake system, carburator with twin venturies, fender lamps, bumpers, T style lug nuts, it goes on and on. Sold it 90% restored to a guy in Toledo 50 years ago.

[coreyellisart]

Very very good info I am picking up a 28 model a coupe this weekend I will be sure to investigate the VIN numbers thank you for taking the time to make this video

[craigroberts]

Very interesting. Having a rare car in a field of 4 million is kinda cool. Mine is not but I still love it.

[donalddodson]

Very interesting. I did not know that early production units had many parts variations. Somehow I attributed more pre-production engineering having worked out every detail. Thank you.

[dyercycle]

..this is much like the "64 1/2 Mustangs" to me...sorry, but there were NO '64 Mustangs, 1/2 or not..Ford sold them ALL as '65's..there are early "features", like these on these Model A's, early '65 Mustangs, VERY early ones...and later ones, with different features that were gradually changed as production marched on...to make matters worse, some states back then were still titling cars the year they were SOLD, not the actual model year..this generally accounts for the Mustangs that are titled as "64's"..I do wonder if there were any Model A's titled as '27's?..my dad once had a '50 DeSoto that was titled as a '49..but it was clearly a '50 year model..it had been sold in '49, and titled as such...

[krmtrains]

I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Well explained!

[asteverino]

Thanks for the discussion. If I ever buy a Model A and hear the term AR, I will ask what they mean.

[davidreitter]

Got the floor gas pedal & starter pedal next to each other, so you can pull the choke knob. Best thing old cars had real horns & they would go in the snow.

[jeffboyles]

Funny how hobbies have jargon and sub-cultures. My '28 was sold to me as an "AR" due to E brake on the driver frame rail, Powerhouse, multidisc clutch, red steering wheel, etc. I had to ask the seller what it even meant, so it obviously wasn't a selling point. Armed with this newly acquired Model "A" knowledge to go with my first car, I felt I was running with the big boys. I was quickly disabused of the wisdom of using the term and no longer do as it's a "trigger" word in the hobby. I thought only very young and sheltered people have "trigger" words. Not so! We seasoned hobbyists do too I quickly found out.

[robertbowers]

When I was a little boy, about 1952, my aunt's Model A caught fire, and it scared the dodo out of me! My uncle put out the fire with dirt to my big relief! Does "AR" stand for "A Ronson?"

[scottbrown]

I like the terms "very early 28" and "early 28". Which would be determined by the VIN. It just seems more accurate.