1931 Ford Model AA

OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE

The 1931 Ford Model AA 1-1/2 Ton Sinclair Tanker exemplifies Ford’s rugged commercial-vehicle engineering during the early years of America’s motorized trucking industry. Built on the heavy-duty Model AA chassis, it was powered by a 200.4-cubic-inch L-head four-cylinder engine producing 40 horsepower and coupled to a four-speed manual transmission. A solid front axle, live rear axle on cantilever leaf springs, and four-wheel mechanical drum brakes provided the durability and reliability required for commercial service.

Produced from 1927 through 1932, the Model AA chassis served as the foundation for a wide variety of specialized bodies supplied by independent manufacturers. Among the most important were tanker bodies, which helped fuel companies transition from horse-drawn tank wagons to more efficient motorized delivery vehicles capable of carrying larger loads.

The three-compartment tanker body on this truck was likely constructed by Brown Sheet Iron & Steel Company of St. Paul, Minnesota, and mounted on a Model AA chassis built in mid-1931. It is finished in Sinclair Oil Corporation’s distinctive green-and-red livery. The engine is reported to have been completely rebuilt, and the interior is said to have been professionally restored to period-correct specifications. The tank body is mounted on ash hardwood supports and side shelves, with brass fuel valves at the rear.