In 1932 Ford finally decided to replace their badly aging Model A car. Market forces had been causing Model A sales to slip and the customers wanted more from their cars, both mechanically and in terms of comfort, so Ford began work on an entire new car.

The 1932 Ford was an immediate success because it met all the consumer needs including additional luxury and greater power and it also looked elegant. Consequently it sold very well. The 1932 Ford became increasingly commonplace and during the 1940′s they were so inexpensive that people began to use them for things such as dirt track racing. This in turn led to people making their own modifications and improvements to the original car.

The 1932 Ford could be described as the quintessential Hot Rodding car and is the most popular of all Hot Rods. It lends itself extremely well to customization with a strong frame and simplicity of build that makes stripping down and modification straightforward. Although the 1932 Ford is the most commonly used chassis for Hot Rodding, the whole point is that it is not what you start with, but what you make of it that counts.

The Hi-Boy in the Mathews Collection was constructed for Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top and was built around an original 1932 Ford steel body and frame. The Chevrolet V8 engine is fitted with a Hampton Supercharger for exceptionally high performance and it can run the 1/4 mile in 11 seconds. It is Harry’s favorite Hot Rod, a show stopper and a fabulous piece of work