The Shitty Cars of Englewood #21: Svigel’s 1941 Ford Super Deluxe sedan
Here in the concrete bunker we see some of the shittiest cars in all of Colorado. It’s not like us to keep this bounty to ourselves. We love to share them with you, our readers.
Today we admire Svigel’s Auto Parts’ 1941 Ford Super Deluxe sedan
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I moved to the Denver area from Colorado Springs in 1992. Twenty-one years ago. It seems as though this 1941 Ford Special Deluxe sedan has been sitting in front of Svigel’s Auto Parts on South Santa Fe since I first arrived. I first saw this car so long ago that the Broncos had still not won a Super Bowl. In fact, they still had a “D” on their helmets – and this Ford still had the old Broncos logo. It was updated in 1997 and has been repainted several times since.
Svigel’s Auto Parts has used this Ford as a billboard for as long as anybody can remember. It’s doubtful that the original flat-head V8 engine still resides below the hood. The interior has rotten away to extent that all remains is a steering wheel and some seat springs. Any piece of trim has long ago been sold off the hulk. The car has become the symbol of the Svigel’s, a traditional auto junk yard with a parts sales showroom facing Santa Fe Drive. Svegil’s offers new parts, old parts and eight acres of salvage cars from which to pick parts. It has been in the same location for almost 90 years. Among Svigel’s specialties is the sale of vintage Colorado license plates.
In 1941 Ford, along with the rest of America, was bracing its self for World War 2. Ford offered new models in ’41 and up until February of ’42, but would not produce automobiles for public consumption again until 1946. The factory instead produced military vehicles in ’43, ’44 and ’45. Therefore consumer Fords from those three model years simply do not exist. 1942 models are very rare. 1941 models, however, are common. They’re most easily identified by the three-section front grill. The center section of the grill features a hole intended for a hand engine crank. Fords had come with electric start for over a decade but their batteries often died. The lug wrench doubled as a starter handle for the crank.
The 1941 Ford models were advertised as being “big” and, compared to 1940 models, they were. Ford widened their cars significantly, all but eliminating the running boards along the side. This allowed people to sit three wide in both the front and rear seats. Seatbelts had not been invented yet. The car was started with a push button on the dashboard while the driver’s key was used to unlock the steering column.
The Svigel’s Ford is a symbol of South Santa Fe and a favorite of Broncos fans. In fact, it serves as my avatar in one of my fantasy leagues – and has since 2004. Although it’s technically sitting in the town of Sheridan, I consider this to be one of the greatest Shitty Cars of Englewood.
