The Ford Model AA is the World’s First Multipurpose Truck Platform

The Ford Model AA is the World’s First Multipurpose Truck Platform

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multipurpose

It’s no surprise that the majority of vehicle platforms are built with more than just one car model in mind nowadays. If you think about it, it might make your beloved Ford feel just a bit less special, but it just makes a ton of engineering and financial sense.

multipurpose

It turns out that building multipurpose or “global platforms” (their fancy name) isn’t such a new idea after all, and the Ford Model AA truck is proof of that. The Ford Model AA was built for only 4 years, from late 1927 to 1932, but it was the first time Ford Motor Company experimented with interchangeable bodies.

In other words, they figured out they could keep the same underpinnings, but build an enclosed body truck, a fire truck, a mail truck, a sedan, a coupe, and even a new business that was born during that time—the towing truck.

multipurpose

Our friends at Hemmings Daily, recently visited the Elliott Museum on Hutchinson Island in Stuart, Florida, and photographed some of the coolest Ford Model AA trucks you’ll ever come across. All of these charming vehicles were powered by a 4-cylinder Ford engine, and used for a variety of purposes.

It seems that that the multipurpose a.k.a “global platform” is actually a lot older than we thought, and leave it up to Henry Ford to have pioneered the idea.

Which one is your favorite?

Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>

Story & Photos via: [Hemmings]

Jerry Perez is a contributor to Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Corvette Forum, and 6SpeedOnline, among other auto sites.

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