THE 1946 FORD

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 30, 27 September 1946, Page 2

THE 1946 FORD

NEW V 8 CARS FIRST FOR SIX YEARS Pre-war, the annual presentation of new passenger cars, was an event. Today it becomes a gala occasion because, for the first time in six years, we can see for ourselves how all the advancements we have speculated about will affect our motoring. The answers can be found today in the new Ford VB—first of the 1946 big cars to be released. The new Ford V 8 has indeed many outstanding improvements. Streamlining is greatly advanced, with lavish use of chromium and a handsome, wide, flaring front. Stainless steel is now used in attractive window trims. Interiors of the Ford V 8 are exceptionally pleasing, good use having been made of new fabrics and plastics.

Improved Riding

Riding comfort has been improved too. Springing has been re-designed with more numerous and thinner leaves. Another advancement is the dual stabilizers, front and rear, which do with side sway in high winds and give greater steadiness. This is especially noticeable on curves and cornering. The extensive use of rubber in engine and chassis mounting have improved riding comfort too. Synthetic rubber has been used because of its longer life and deterioration resistance to oil. '

Safety in the 1946 Ford V 8 has been further improved by larger self-centring hydraulic brakes with new ‘soft’ action and lighter pedal pressures.

New Mechanical Features Experience gained by Ford in building military vehicles for every theatre of war, and in particular the experience of the New Zealand Long Range Desert Group, have resulted in many improved features of the V 8 engine of these first peacetime models. New balanced carburettion for greater efficiency and economy, new four-ring aluminium pistons, wide use of oil-bath aircleaners and a larger oil pump. The radiator has a new flexible mounting for longer life. Also' developed under battle conditions are centrifuge type sediment pumps at each crank pin—especially valuable during early engine life. Another eyecatcher under the bonnet is the calibrated pressurevalve radiator cap—an ingenious device to give higher engine operating temperatures more quickly during the ‘warm-up’ period. Owners will also appreciate the new bonnet catch—now controlled entirely from the driver’s seat. Four new models are available— Ford De Luxe Coupe, Ford De Luxe Four-door Town Sedan, Ford Super De Luxe Coupe and Super De Luxe Four-door Sedan. All these cars are of Canadian manufacture, built in New Zealand at the Ford Factory at Lower Hutt.

Probably never before in New Zealand’s history has there existed such a demand for new cars as there' is today. With car manufacturers concentrating .on war material during the war years, a solid back-log of car orders accumulated. Import licenses, however, restrict the number of cars that can be imported, so that only a minor percentage of would-be purchasers will have an opportunity of buying a nejw car this year.—Advt.