The oldest known existing Ford, once again will be offered for sale at the RM Auction in Hershey, Pennsylvania next month. It’ll be third time for the last five years that this red 1903 Ford Model A is looking for its buyer. Interestingly, over the past 109 years, this one of Ford Motor Company’s first three cars, ever produced, has had only five owners, so, if you’re interested in becoming the sixth, you have to know that last time, the car was sold in 2007 for $630,000!
Back in 1903, The Ford Motor Company started trading its Model A, during the week of July 13th, when the first three motor cars were sold for $850 each: serial number 11 to Dr E Pfennig of Chicago, serial number 9 to The Indiana Auto Company, Indianapolis, and this Car, no 30, to Mr Herbert L McNary of Britt, Iowa. Though, it can’t be claimed which one of three Model A cars was completed first, but since the other two (serial numners 11 and 9) have not survived, this one Model A serial number 30, a 72-inch wheelbase four-seater, powered by a horizontally opposed, 100-cu.-in. two cylinder with a whopping 8 hp, is the oldest existing car built by the Ford Motor Company.
Another Iowan, Harry E. Burd, acquired the Ford from the McNary family for $400 for it in the 1950s. Burd had the car restored and sold it to a Swiss Ford dealer in 1961. It remained there until 2001, when it was bought anonymously and shipped back to the States. John O’Quinn, the late Houston lawyer was bought the car in 2007 at RM’s Arizona auction for $693,000. His estate offered it up again in 2010 at RM’s Monterey sale, but bidding stalled at $325,000 against a pre-auction estimate of $600,000 to $800,000.
1903 Ford Model A comes with extensive documentation which details its history and condition. RM said the car has performed “flawlessly,” including during the famous London to Brighton Veteran Car Run in 2003, the same year the car turned 100 years old.
