1937 Ford Model 78 Deluxe Fordor Touring Sedan

1937 Ford Model 78 Deluxe Fordor Touring Sedan

Former Elyria, Ohio Police Cruiser • 56,909 Actual Miles • Flathead V8

If cars could talk, this one would have some stories to tell.

This remarkable 1937 Ford Model 78 Deluxe Fordor Touring Sedan isn’t simply another pre-war Ford—it comes with a documented piece of local history. According to the history accompanying the car, it began its life serving the Elyria Police Department in Elyria, Ohio, and an incredible period photograph survives showing members of the department posed with four of their new police cruisers in 1937.

More than 85 years later, this Ford remains an exceptionally interesting and highly original example, showing just 56,909 miles. Its combination of originality, provenance, period styling, and mechanical simplicity makes it the kind of automobile that attracts attention from collectors and casual enthusiasts alike.

Finished in handsome Washington Blue, the body retains the unmistakable styling that made the 1937 Ford one of the most attractive designs of the pre-war era. The long sweeping fenders, sharply pointed grille, split windshield, integrated running boards, rear-hinged rear “suicide” doors, steel wheels with polished hubcaps, and understated blackwall tires give this sedan a wonderfully authentic presence.

Under the hood is Ford’s legendary 221 cubic-inch Flathead V8, backed by a traditional 3-speed manual transmission. The Flathead V8 helped establish Ford’s reputation for affordable V8 performance, and today it remains one of the most recognizable and historically important American engines ever produced.

Inside, the Model 78 is every bit as fascinating. The cabin features tan velour upholstery, front and rear bench seating, beautifully styled woodgrain-finished dash and window surrounds, an Art Deco instrument cluster, original-style controls, and the distinctive banjo-style steering wheel. This was transportation from an era when even functional automobiles were designed with genuine craftsmanship and character.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of this Ford is simply exploring all of its period details. The windshield cranks outward at the bottom for ventilation, while the cowl-mounted fresh-air vent provides additional airflow. Rear-hinged rear doors make entry into the spacious passenger compartment easy, and the running boards, mechanical interior controls, chrome exterior hardware, and wonderfully simple instrumentation instantly transport you back to another era.

Highlights & Equipment

• 1937 Ford Model 78 Deluxe Fordor Touring Sedan
• Former Elyria, Ohio Police Department cruiser
• Period photograph documenting the department and its 1937 police cars
• 56,909 actual miles
• Clean title
• 221ci Ford Flathead V8
• 3-speed manual transmission
• Floor-mounted shifter
• Washington Blue exterior
• Tan velour interior
• Front and rear bench seating
• Rear-hinged rear suicide doors
• Distinctive banjo-style steering wheel
• Woodgrain-style dashboard and interior trim
• Art Deco Ford gauge cluster
• Factory-style speedometer
• Fuel gauge
• Temperature gauge
• Ammeter
• Oil-pressure gauge
• Crank-out / opening windshield
• Cowl ventilation system
• Split windshield
• Dual windshield wipers
• Running boards with ribbed step surfaces
• Steel wheels
• Polished Ford wheel covers
• Blackwall tires
• Chrome front and rear bumpers
• Vertical chrome grille
• Hood-side trim and ventilation louvers
• Large freestanding headlamps
• Period-style police spotlight / warning equipment
• Spacious four-door sedan body
• Full-width rear passenger compartment
• Classic rear-mounted fuel filler arrangement
• Traditional mechanical controls throughout
• Period-correct overall presentation

What makes this car special isn’t just that it is a 1937 Ford. It’s the story attached to it. Very few automobiles survive nearly nine decades with both this degree of originality and a tangible connection to their earliest years.

The photograph of the Elyria Police Department and its fleet adds a dimension that simply can’t be recreated during a restoration. You can look at the image from 1937 and know that this Ford was part of that era—back when officers patrolled the streets in Flathead-powered sedans, radios were a luxury, and a Ford V8 police car was serious equipment.

Today, it remains an outstanding conversation piece and a wonderful choice for a collector who appreciates originality, history, and genuine pre-war Americana. It would be equally at home in a private collection, local museum display, historic parade, car show, or simply being enjoyed on a quiet Sunday drive.

They’re only original once—and finding one with a story like this is getting harder every year.

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