The 1932 Ford: The History and Our Love for the Cabriolet

The cabriolet was a bit of an experiment by Ford, and a very successful one. In 1932, Ford manufactured 10,000 four and eight-cylinder roadsters and just under 6,000 cabriolets. This latter version continued on to be the more highly sought after body style by collectors and auto enthusiasts everywhere.

The cabriolet, sometimes called a cabrio, is an automotive body style reminiscent of horse-drawn carriages. This carriage was one that was lightweight with two wheels and a folding hood that would cover the two front seat occupants. It was built to be driven by just a single horse and often had no doors and were instead built to go fast. The automotive version shared many of these same traits: Built for speed, for two people, and, most notably, with a foldable or hideable roof.

Of course, not everyone appreciates the foldable roof and roofline that came with the 1932 Ford Cabriolet and you will see many restorations of this model with the rear irons cut down some. But that's also another thing to love about this classic car -- there are many different ways to restore this vehicle and breathe new life into it. One of the most common ways others transform this model is by putting in a beefy Hemi and stripping out the side engine panels to accentuate the power and hot rod beauty of this model. In fact, this is most likely the direction we will go once we are ready to give the model we have our full attention.

Finding a 1932 Ford as Your Next Hot Rod Restoration Project

While there might have only been 6,000 '32 Ford Cabriolets ever manufactured, the good news is that many of them are still out there. You can find a couple hundred listed for sale on websites like autabuy.com and classiccars.com, although most of these renditions will be largely restored. You might also browse local classifieds, head out to swap meets, and generally put the word out in the community. This model continually gets found as a forgotten barn find, which is similar to how we found ours, and perseverance often pays off.

Once you do find that barn find, you know who to call to get it back in working and show order! Our team at Customs & Hot Rods of Andice are always here to take on a challenge and we love bringing new life into these gorgeous old classics!