For those of us old enough to remember, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? from 1988 was one of those movies that had everything right. Comedy, drama, romance, suspense, and of course, a killer car chase or two.
Seeing as the movie was set during the 1940s, it was only fitting that Warner Brothers spared no expense to get period cars and fix them up to pristine condition. Now, however, there is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own one of the few cars that survived production and was placed into private ownership.
On the UK auction site Car & Classic, this one-of-a-kind 1939 Ford 91A De Luxe V8 starts bidding tomorrow, August 19, 2023.
Looking back at the movie, this example was the town car used by the main characters for the non-action sequences. Powered by a 3.6L Ford Flathead V8, the only modifications for the movie were the addition of an Edelbrock intake and an oversized aluminum radiator to keep the engine cool in the California heat. The intake bumped the power to 85 HP, but apart from that, everything down to the cylinders inside the engine are original and have been meticulously maintained.
Even better, this example has only 21,659 miles on the odometer since it rolled off the production line in 1939, and that is including the multiple takes done for the movie.
It did have a mild rough patch in its life between the late 60s and 1984, when it was placed into a museum by its original owner after “an unfortunate illness.” It was optioned by Warner Brothers when they saw it in that museum, and meticulously restored to original condition for the movie in 1984 and 1985. After principle photography was completed in mid-1987, it was returned to the original owner’s collection.
The current owner bought the car in 1995, and imported it to the UK soon afterwards. It has barely been driven since, as it was bought both to be a bit of movie magic in the current owners collection as well as a show car for Concours d’Elegance, and has a complete registration, service, and MOT history on paper. The original 1939 Ford De Luxe V8 owners manual is also included, in pristine condition with only a few marks on it.
Perhaps most remarkably, despite the 80 odd years that the car has existed, the interior is almost entirely original. There was some refinishing of the wooden dash for the movie, the addition of a Sunpro temperature gauge to make sure it the engine temperature remained at a safe level, and the some light paint correction and restoration in 1994 for the sale to the current owner.
Apart from that, every dial, switch, seat, lever, and window are original. If you are looking to own a great classic Ford and a piece of movie magic in one fell swoop, this is your opportunity.
