This 1932 Ford was built by Chip Foose and his team, earlier in its life it appeared in the Fox TV show Titus, it was then later used in the Gone in 60 Seconds starring Nicholas Cage, Angelina Jolie, Giovanni Ribisi, and Robert Duvall.
After a rebuild the car then became one of the “Great Eight” finalists for the Ridler Award at the 2006 Detroit Autorama, and it was featured at the Petersen Automotive Museum in LA as part of a Chip Foose exhibition. It’s now coming up for sale, with the price guide starting at $100,000 USD.
Fast Facts – The 1932 Ford “Li’l Foose Coupe”
- This 1932 Ford V-8, initially used in the Fox TV show “Titus,” gained further recognition after later appearing in the 2000 film “Gone in 60 Seconds.” This model, introduced in 1932 with a flathead V8, made V8-powered cars accessible to the average American, revolutionizing the automotive industry and fueling the enduring passion for V8 engines still seen today in the USA.
- After its appearances in television and film, Chuck Svatos purchased the car and commissioned Chip Foose to do a comprehensive rebuild. The modifications included chopping the roof, stretching the hood, smoothing the cowl, reshaping the fenders, and fitting it with an LT4 350 cubic inch V8. The chassis was equipped with independent front and rear suspension, Wilwood four-wheel disc brakes, and five-spoke Foose wheels.
- The interior was redone by specialist Jim Griffin, it now features brown distressed leather, a steering wheel, and an instrument binnacle from a 1951 Ford. It also has power windows, air conditioning, beige carpeting, a matching brown leather center console, and seating for two, blending classic style with contemporary comfort.
- After its rebuild, the “Li’l Foose Coupe” was a finalist for the prestigious Ridler Award at the 2006 Detroit Autorama and was displayed at the Petersen Automotive Museum as part of a Chip Foose exhibition. It is now up for auction with RM Sotheby’s as part of the Dare to Dream Collection, with a price guide starting at $100,000 USD.
The Importance Of The 1932 Ford V-8
When the 1932 Ford debuted there was a V8 engine option, it was Ford’s new flathead V8, and for the first time in American (and world) history, a V8-powered car was an affordable buy for the average blue-collar worker. No one knew it at the time of course, but this car would revolutionize the American automotive industry, and spark a love affair with the V8 engine in the United States that persists to the current day, almost 100 years later.
The understated looks of this 1932 Ford Hot Rod hide its surprisingly modern underpinnings which include independent front and rear suspension with coil over shock absorbers and Wilwood four-wheel disc brakes.
At the time of its introduction the flathead V8-powered 1932 Ford was officially called the Ford Model 18. This name was usurped quickly by the popularly-used model name “Ford V-8” with the hyphen, which remains by far the most common name for it today.
Despite costing a little more, the Ford Model 18 outsold the four-cylinder version that was sold alongside it as the Ford Model B. The V8 Model 18 offered significantly more power and better performance than the Model B, and despite being released in the midst of the Great Depression it became a strong seller for Ford.
The Ford flathead V8 initially had a displacement of 221 cubic inches (3.6 liters) and produced 65 bhp, but more importantly it made 130 lb ft of torque, and it was this torque that really endeared it to its owners.
In 1933 the Model 18 was upgraded to the Model 40, with an improved version of the flathead V8 under the hood. Amazingly, the Ford flathead V8 would remain in production from 1932 until 1973, its final use being for trucks in Germany, with US produced versions ceasing in 1953.
By the time WWII ended in 1945, the now older secondhand 1932 Ford V-8s were cheap to buy, as a result countless examples were bought by returning GIs. It would be these flathead Fords that would form the foundation the hot rod movement, with the name “hot rod” though to have come from the hot cams, or hot rods, that were fitted to the engines to boost power output.
The 1932 Ford “Li’l Foose Coupe” Shown Here
The hot rod you see here was originally used in the late 1990s for the American dark comedy sitcom Titus starring Christopher Titus, Jack Kenny, and Brian Hargrove.
Power is provided by an LT4 350 cubic inch V8 engine, originally developed for the C7 Corvette Z06. In stock form it’s good for 640 bhp at 6,400 rpm, and 630 lb ft of torque at 3,600 rpm.
Soon after its first on-screen appearance in the show it was tapped to be used in the 2000 film Gone in 60 Seconds. It wouldn’t have a major role, but any car that appeared in the film saw its value skyrocket due to the box office success of the movie which grossed $237.2 million USD, beating Mission: Impossible 2.
After its use on television and in film, the car was bought by Chuck Svatos of California who sent it off to Chip Foose for a full rebuild. Foose and his team chopped the roof, stretched the hood, smoothed the cowl, stretch the front fenders, and reshaped the rear fenders.
An LT4 350 cubic inch V8 engine was fitted, an engine designed originally for the C7 Corvette Z06, and it was mated to a Turbo Hydra-Matic 700R4 automatic transmission. The chassis originally came from SAC, and unusually for a 1932 Ford hot rod it was fitted with independent front and rear suspension with coil over shock absorbers, Wilwood four-wheel disc brakes, and fittingly, it rides on five-spoke Foose wheels.
The interior was then redone by specialist Jim Griffin in brown distressed leather, with a steering wheel and instrument binnacle from a 1951 Ford, it also has power windows, air conditioning, beige carpeting, a center console in matching brown leather, and seating for two.
The interior was redone by specialist Jim Griffin in brown distressed leather, with a steering wheel and instrument binnacle from a 1951 Ford. It also has air conditioning and electric windows.
After its completion the car has been shown multiple times, it was honored as one of the “Great Eight” finalists for the prestigious Ridler Award at the 2006 Detroit Autorama and later shown at the world famous Petersen Automotive Museum as part of a Chip Foose exhibition.
The car is now due to roll across the auction block with RM Sotheby’s as part of the Dare to Dream Collection in a few days time, with a price guide of $100,000 – $125,000 USD. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images: Darin Schnabel ©2024 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
