1930 Ford Model A Sport Coupé

1930 Ford Model A in It's a Wonderful Life, Movie, 1946

Class: Cars, Coupé — Model origin:

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Comments about this vehicle

Author	Message
pilou ◊ 2006-09-07 10:35	Ford Model A Convertible Cabriolet 1930
antp ◊ 2026-01-15 06:48	Comment received via e-mail: Quote That 1930 Model A Ford is a Sport Coupe, not a Cabriolet. I have owned that car since 1969 and it was manufactured in the Ford plant in Long Beach,CA in August 1930. It now resides in Seattle,WA.
antp ◊ 2026-01-31 08:48	Additional comments: Quote I purchased this car in 1969 in the San Fernando Valley. I was 15 yrs. old and I drove it to High School and college. The previous owner had a fleet of cars that he rented to Hollywood for their movies. In 1946, at the RKO movie ranch in Encino,CA (5 miles from where I lived) the movie "It's A Wonderful Life" was shot. His cars were used and this 1930 Sport Coupe was parked on the main street as Jimmy Steward ran by. It was painted black (from the Ford factory in Long Beach,CA) with candy apple wheels. As you can see from the picture of me, my dog and parents taken in 1971, it had been painted yellow and brown (a Cabriolet color). In 1981, I started a complete restoration of the car which took 5 yrs. to complete. It was a body-off full restoration and the car was painted Chicle and Copra Drab, with Tacoma Cream wheels and pin-stripping (original factory colors for that year and model). I did all the work myself (disassembling, engine and transmission rebuild, painting, upholstery, reassembling). Everything except the sandblasting and pin-stripping. It's been an absolute joy to own this car for 57yrs. and every year I watch "It's A Wonderful Life", I can't help but smile with a tear in my eye as Jimmy runs past my car!

Author

Message

pilou

◊ 2006-09-07 10:35

Ford Model A Convertible Cabriolet 1930

antp

◊ 2026-01-15 06:48

Comment received via e-mail:

Quote That 1930 Model A Ford is a Sport Coupe, not a Cabriolet. I have owned that car since 1969 and it was manufactured in the Ford plant in Long Beach,CA in August 1930. It now resides in Seattle,WA.

antp

◊ 2026-01-31 08:48

Additional comments:

Quote I purchased this car in 1969 in the San Fernando Valley. I was 15 yrs. old and I drove it to High School and college. The previous owner had a fleet of cars that he rented to Hollywood for their movies. In 1946, at the RKO movie ranch in Encino,CA (5 miles from where I lived) the movie "It's A Wonderful Life" was shot. His cars were used and this 1930 Sport Coupe was parked on the main street as Jimmy Steward ran by.
It was painted black (from the Ford factory in Long Beach,CA) with candy apple wheels. As you can see from the picture of me, my dog and parents taken in 1971, it had been painted yellow and brown (a Cabriolet color).

In 1981, I started a complete restoration of the car which took 5 yrs. to complete. It was a body-off full restoration and the car was painted Chicle and Copra Drab, with Tacoma Cream wheels and pin-stripping (original factory colors for that year and model). I did all the work myself (disassembling, engine and transmission rebuild, painting, upholstery, reassembling). Everything except the sandblasting and pin-stripping.

It's been an absolute joy to own this car for 57yrs. and every year I watch "It's A Wonderful Life", I can't help but smile with a tear in my eye as Jimmy runs past my car!

1930 Ford Model A Sport Coupé

1930 Ford Model A in It's a Wonderful Life, Movie, 1946

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