Rare 1931 Deluxe Convertible, Gl?ser Coachbuilder, Germany. All Steel/wood Az Nr on 2040-cars

    This 1931 Ford Model A deluxe Victoria (Coach Work by renowned German Coach Builder Karosseriefirma Gl?ser of Dresden) is probably like nothing you've ever seen at the local car show, this is a very rare piece of History being offered at NO Reserve.  According to the AACA, there were 50 of these cars built, but very few survived WWII- we know of 2, this car, and another in a collection of Gl?ser built automobiles at the "Verkehrs Museum in Dresden, Germany".  This car is stunning, the craftsmanship is amazing.  It is Oak and Ash wrapped in steel.  I have been all over the car with magnets, and had senior AACA and Model A club members go over the car as well, no fiberglass was found on this car.  This was the cover car for the "AACA Antique Automobile" magazine in 1965, November-December issue, and a several-page article was featured inside as well, giving wonderful insight to this unique car's history (PLEASE see pictures, with the permission of the AACA I have scanned them here near the end of the listing so that you can read the article and see what the car looked like in 1965).  2 original magazines will come with the car.  It runs, drives and shifts as it should.  The last restoration was done in the 1970's from what I have learned, so the paint is the old lacquer and has the cracks that were typical of that paint- it shows very well, but you can definitely see the age of the paint if you look closely.  You'll notice that there are no pictures of the car with the top down- and that's because I was afraid to try to fold it back.  The fabric is very dry, and when you start to move it, it makes scary little "cracking" noises, and I didn't want it to rip- so even though the top looks fine, it will need a new one if you want to fold it back without fear of damage.  Again, this car was restored in the 70's, and it is NOT perfect.  When I first bought it, I planned to paint it and have a new top made, but talking to older folks who know a LOT more than I do about 30's cars, the general consensus was "Don't touch it!" and so I did nothing but have the old gas drained, tune it up, and little things like that.  The wood and leather are in beautiful condition, it was kept in a heated/cooled garage here in AZ.  The glass is fine, under-carriage is a little dirty, but dry and solid (see pictures).  Please scroll all the way to the bottom for LOTS of FULL-SIZE Pictures, including the AACA magazine and article from 1965 (if it's not large enough to read on your screen, please email me and I can send it to you, it's very legible if you print it out).

   The following is an excerpt from an article for submission to the AACA, in which the author paraphrases some of the History from the original article, and touches on some of the car's more recent History:

"... if we do it right, they're going to be here long after we're gone-- and as such, we're not really owners, we're simply the custodians of these beautiful automobiles." 

Just when Germany's Reichstag elections had produced The National Socialist Party, under Adolf Hitler, as Germany's majority political power, Ford chassis #3957780, was built in Detroit-- September 1930. The chassis was shipped to Ford of Cologne, Germany, who sold it in turn to Karosseriefirma Gl?ser of Dresden-- arguably the finest coach builder in all of Europe. Built to perfection, this car was purchased from Gl?ser, and its original "custodian" was a Danish nobleman (here affectionately known as "The Baron"), who took delivery in mid-1931. A year later, in August of 1932, it was sold to S.V. Salzwendel, a Danish Army officer whose homeland was invaded and occupied by the Nazis in 1940. Although, since 1938, Hitler's National Socialist Party had confiscated some 3700 automobiles from around Europe, Salzwendel somehow managed to hide his fine Gl?ser during five years of German occupation in Denmark. He owned this car for 31 years before eventually selling to Ib Jensen of Copenhagen in 1963. Jensen had been shown photos of the car, which by then was well-known in Aarhus, Denmark's second largest city. Jensen purchased the car from Salzwendel eight days later on the promise that he would never sell it back into Germany-- Salzwendel perhaps a little bitter after WWII had taken such a toll on so much of Europe where many Gl?sers and other extraordinary automobiles and coaches are believed to have perished. In (estimated) early 1965, after a thorough and beautiful restoration, Jensen (today still a member of an antique automobile club in Copenhagen) kept his promise and sold this surviving Gl?ser to John H. Timmis, III, of State College, Pennsylvania, USA. Just when the first US soldiers were landing in Vietnam, the Gl?ser was being shipped to Philadelphia and Timmis, a doctoral candidate at Pennsylvania State University, took delivery in May of 1965. He learned that the longshoremen on that ship, who had handled just about every known type of car, voted the Gl?ser "A" their "all time favorite" by toasting it with fine Danish brandy. Also in 1965, the Antique Automobile Club of America featured the car on the front cover of Antique Automobile magazine's November-December publication (where all of the car's history stated here, to this point, has been gathered).

Much of the next 49 years is sketchy at best. The car is owned today by Heather Anderson of Tucson, Arizona. It is remembered to have been shown at the renowned Hershey Car Shows in Pennsylvania during the late 60's and early 70's; and, having undergone at least one more restoration, it resides today in a small town in Southeastern Arizona. A number of antique car enthusiasts have dropped in to have a look; and the raves are non-stop. AACA member, Wayne Kopinski, however, was disappointed. He hails from Pennsylvania where, as a younger man, he had frequented the Hershey Auto shows for years. When Anderson told him she had acquired a Model A Gl?ser, he too wanted to see it for himself, stating he'd seen one decades ago and that he had never seen another one. He walked in the door and recognized it immediately-- as it turns out, Kopinski is only disappointed because... he still hasn't seen another Gl?ser. "It's the same car! I can't believe this! It's the same car!"-- a burly man brought nearly to tears at the joy of the unlikely reunion. After looking it over with great scrutiny, Kopinski offered to change the spark plugs and rebuild the carburetor-- his compensation: "I just want my picture taken working on the car."

Anderson took ownership early in 2014 as she searched for a beautiful convertible to be used at her wedding venue in Saint David, Arizona-- a "chariot" by which brides and grooms, after having been pronounced husband and wife, would make their way toward the awaiting guests at subsequent receptions. The car was purchased by Anderson outside of Phoenix, Arizona at the home of a man whose father, Nuel Price, had owned the car and, unfortunately, had recently passed away. That man held the key to many locked years of the Gl?ser's history, and John H. Timmis, sadly, is no longer around to help fill in the blanks. Price is said to have purchased the car for the sole reason that "... it was built the same year he was born." But why would someone travel from Arizona all the way to Ohio if that were his only consideration? The younger Price recalled his father saying that he had bought the car from "Amish country" back East from a "museum." Did that museum belong to John H. Timmis? How long did the car remain under Timmis' care? Were there any others who may have taken ownership between Timmis and Price? Those are the mysteries waiting to be solved in the fascinating history of this fine, rare, charismatic, and extraordinarily lucky little car.

Today, only one other Gl?ser-built model A's existence is publicly known.

   Please take a look at all of the pictures, they describe it better than I can.  Feel free to call me any time if you need more information, or would like to come and see the car.  520-404-1975 cell (Heather Anderson). 

I am a licensed/bonded AZ auto dealer... NOT by choice, but because here in the great state of AZ if you buy/sell more than 3 vehicles (of any kind) in any 12 month period, you have to get a license. I am a classic car and Airstream nut, I also have a ranch, wedding venue, horses, trailers, etc... let's just say I bought and sold a few too many for the state's liking, and due to the fact that they need revenue desperately- they decided to fine me when I sold a few more that what I'm "allowed", long story short- I jumped through all of their hoops, and got my license.  This car; however, is my personal vehicle and will be sold as such.

Full payment is due within 7 days of the auction's end, and the car must be picked up within 15 days of payment (unless other arrangements have been made). Certified funds, cash in person or bank wire-transfer only. Payments MUST clear before the car leaves my sight.  Please check my feedback, you'll see that I don't sell very many vehicles- but I do have 100% positive feedback on what I have sold over the years.

*** This is a 1931 vehicle and is being sold as-is/where-is with no warranty expressed or implied. This car is in amazing condition, but please be realistic.  If you can't make it here to see it in person, please call me and I can walk around it and point out any little flaws that I notice, or things that may bother someone. I would welcome and recommend that you come see it or have a 3rd party inspection. I will make it available throughout the auction for any and all inspections, just call and we'll set up a time. Please understand that the description is only my opinion, yours may be different, I have done my best to take many pictures and describe the car to the best of my ability. Just remember, we all tend to look better in pictures than in person- that's just the way it is. This Agreement shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the Great State of Arizona as they apply to agreements entered into and to be performed entirely within Arizona between Arizona residents, without regard to conflict of law provisions. You agree that any claim or dispute you may have against the seller must be resolved exclusively by a state or federal court located in Cochise County, Arizona, you agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of the courts located within Cochise County, Arizona for the purpose of litigating all such claims or disputes. *** I reserve the right to end this listing at any time for any reason as the car may be for sale locally as well.*** Payment methods accepted must be in the form of Certified funds, bank wire-transfer, or cash in person. Due to concerns of fraud, if you're paying via cashier's check, it must clear my account before the car/title leaves my sight.

PLEASE NOTE: I do NOT send "Second Chance Offers"- if you get one, please report it to Ebay and do NOT respond. There is a scam going around right now that everyone should be aware of, and it involves second chance offers. Just remember, if you get any email that "says" it's from ebay, it will be in your "Ebay messages folder", if it's not there- it's probably a scam.

**Taxes: There is no sales tax on private party sales in the state of AZ, but you may have to pay taxes/registration fees, etc in your home state or Country. 

Thanks for taking the time to look at my auction and good luck bidding!!