Edsel Ford, son of Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford, had produced quite a few innovative and experimental vehicles back in the early 20th century. The 1934 Model 40 Special Speedster was one of the more obscure ones, though – mainly because it never reached the assembly line, remaining a one-off creation. Ninety-two years later, Argentina-based firm SP40 Restomod decided to revive it for its wealthier clientele.
What you see here is a modern replica of the Model 40 Special known as the SP40 Speedster. It flaunts an all-carbon body with smooth curves and a low stance, a vintage chassis layout and a rather elegant exterior design woven together from both retro and modern cues. For example, some of the trim – like the radiator grille – looks machined to tighter allowances than any automaker could afford nearly a century ago. The headlights also don’t do a great job concealing their LED innards. But then again, the SP40 Restomod team argues that this isn’t the point – the car is designed to be driven by modern drivers, after all.
Power for the wheels comes from a modern 5.0-liter Coyote V8 sourced from Ford and dialed to 487 PS (480 hp / 358 kW). A five-speed manual transmission handles the momentum. The chassis is completely new, the double-wishbone suspension is height-adjustable, the brakes are modern and so is the steering. Perhaps best of all, the whole thing tips the scales at 1,190 kilos (2,624 pounds).
The company claims it is ready to make more such replicas, assembling them by hand and customizing extensively for each client. There’s no word on the pricing, but the original Ford Model 40 Special Speedster went on sale in 2018 and changed hands for U.S. $1,760,000.
