Jack T. Chandler's 1941 Ford

Major Chandler's Spohn custom was featured in Speed Age October 1952.

Chandler's Ford as it appeared when it was featured in Speed Age October 1952. The front end design looked like a narrowed 1951 Buick XP300. The hood followed the patterns of the German Veritas racing car, and it featured a ram scoop that fed air directly into a single carburetor. The body structure was made of welded tubular steel, and the bumpers were hand-formed. Photo courtesy of Speed Age.

Another photo from Speed Age October 1952. The rear end featured fins and taillights similar to the 1951 GM LeSabre. The center section and the deck lid is inspired by the 1951 Buick XP300. Photo courtesy of Speed Age.

1941 Ford restyled by Spohn Coachworks for Jack T. Chandler of Huntsville, Texas. Major Jack T. Chandler of the US Air Force brought the Ford to Germany where he was stationed. According to a featured story in Speed Age October 1952, Major Chandler designed the car himself, inspired by the 1951 Buick XP300 and the 1951 GM LeSabre concept cars. He turned the building over to Ravensburg Gaerm; "A company that had customized cars for Herr Goebbels in the Hitler era."

Major Chandler decided to keep the normal road clearance and window height. Hood and rear deck lids were double steel. All parts were hand-formed, and according to William Clark of Speed Age, "...the fit and contour are remarkably smooth." The car was fit with a quick release top, formed from steel, that Spohn padded and covered with fabric. The front end design looked like a narrowed 1951 Buick XP300. The hood followed the patterns of the German Veritas racing car, and it featured a ram scoop that fed air directly into a single carburetor. The body structure was made of welded tubular steel, and the bumpers were hand-formed. The interior was finished in heavy plastic, tan and green. The front seat was divided with a radio enclosed in the center section. The stock power plant was kept. When the car was featured in Speed Age, Chandler had brought the car to Texas, and he was planning on installing a new overhead power plant.

Magazine Features and Appearances

Speed Age October 1952