Edsel Ford’s 1934 Model 40 Speedster

The annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance sees the world's most original and extraordinary automobiles on display, and this year another priceless restoration joined the group. Edsel Bryant Ford's 1934 Model 40 Special Speedster has been the subject of an extensive restoration which returned it to how it originally looked in 1940 after its final redesign by Ford and Ford's lead designer E. T. Gregorie. That a 77-year-old vehicle can have aged as gracefully as it has is testimony to the talent of those that built it. The restoration was completed by RM Auto Restoration in Ontario, Canada, returning the Speedster to the exact form it was in when it left the Ford fold following the death of Edsell Ford in 1943, beginning a journey which saw it almost discarded entirely. In 1958 the car changed hands for a mere $603. Three years ago, after an extensive but unoriginal restoration, the car fatched US$1.76 million, and now the redemption is complete following a return to its original authentic condition.

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You can follow the Speedster's restoration process at the web site of its now owner, the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan.