Stunning 1951 F1 Marmon-Herrington Is the Best of the Best
This F1 is one of the finest and rarest four-wheel-drive converted Blue Ovals in existence.
Rare Breed
Most Blue Oval fans are well aware of just how special any Marmon-Herrington Ford truly is, but we have yet to come across a finer example of the rare breed than this 1951 F1 previously up for sale at Canepa. Years before Ford bothered to make its own four-wheel-drive vehicles in-house, those that needed a go-anywhere machine like this were still able to get one, though few actually went to the trouble.
Photos: Canepa
Converted Van
Like all Marmon-Herringtons, this F1 came off Ford's assembly line, in this case as a rear-wheel-drive panel van. It was then sent to Indianapolis for a 4WD conversion, which included installing a transfer case and Dana 44 front differential.
Photos: Canepa
>>Join the conversation about this F1 Marmon-Herrington right here in the Ford-trucks forum.
Ahead of Its Time
Amazingly, just 54 customers opted to convert their panel vans built from 1949-1952 into what M-H called its "Ranger" carryall. The heavy-duty hauler was essentially a direct competitor to Chevy's Suburban, decades before such vehicles became popular with consumers.
Photos: Canepa
>>Join the conversation about this F1 Marmon-Herrington right here in the Ford-trucks forum.
Notable Features
The Ranger had a number of notable features other than its 4WD conversion, including four sliding side windows and two rear benches, which provided more person-hauling capability in place of where cargo would normally go.
Photos: Canepa
>>Join the conversation about this F1 Marmon-Herrington right here in the Ford-trucks forum.
Simple but Cool
This particular F1 originally came equipped with Ford's 239 cubic-inch Flathead V8 - good for a whopping 100 horsepower - as well as a four-speed manual transmission. It's a simple, utilitarian machine, but undoubtedly a cool one.
Photos: Canepa
>>Join the conversation about this F1 Marmon-Herrington right here in the Ford-trucks forum.
Painstaking Restoration
Only around 10 of these Rangers are known to still exist and this is one of two that has received a total restoration, making it perhaps the nicest of the bunch. J&L Fabricating and Byers Custom teamed up to give the old Ford a thorough redo, including a paint job that took 400 hours to make perfect.
Photos: Canepa
>>Join the conversation about this F1 Marmon-Herrington right here in the Ford-trucks forum.
Well Preserved
This gorgeous machine looks more like a museum piece than something anyone might actually drive, but in all fairness, that's probably for the best. After all, these vehicles are so incredibly rare that they should be preserved at this point, if for no other reason than to keep them alive for future generations.
Photos: Canepa
>>Join the conversation about this F1 Marmon-Herrington right here in the Ford-trucks forum.
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