When a car crosses over to becoming a widespread phenomenon, such as the 1932 Ford 3-window coupe, it shouldn’t be a surprise that a lot of people want to own one. And for years, the only way to get a rare car was to find one and build it yourself. Today, thankfully, we have a wide variety of high-quality reproductions to choose from, meaning that you no longer have to pay a premium for some rusty old hulk made of unobtainum to have a really slick rod. This 1937 Ford cabriolet is such a car. With figures that amount to a tiny fraction of total 1937 Ford production, finding a straight, usable 1937 Ford cabriolet donor vehicle would be impractical. With modern technology being what it is, this beautiful cabriolet offers arguably better quality at a much lower price.

With a body and chassis by Downs, this is a very well-engineered car. It was professionally built by Hot Rod Express with some of the most noteworthy names in the business contributing to its construction. If you’ve been in the hot rod world, you’ll recognize names like Mike Winfrey, Leonard Gaither, and John Ketchum, all of whom contributed their various talents to this award-winning build. When it was finished, it went on to win some pretty substantial awards, including Best of Show at World of Wheels in Kansas City, Missouri in 2001. The attention to detail shows in every single aspect of the car, and as a professionally built and engineered piece, it runs and drives superbly.

The important thing to note is that this car is really difficult to photograph properly. Some colors are just like that and we had to do some color-correction on these photos to make it look pretty close to the way it looks in the flesh (the raw photos show a kind of brick red). The color is a custom mix from PPG that we’ve taken to calling “Raspberry Pearl” because it has a delightful candy-coated look that means there’s a lot of pearl and metallic in the finish. It’s not pink, it’s not purple, and it’s not quite red, but somewhere in-between and the effect is quite appealing. So please bear that in mind as you’re looking at the photos—it’s close, but not quite exactly right. However, we can say with confidence that when you see it, you’re going to love it.

As I said, the body is by Downs and it’s probably nicer than any original ’37 Ford could ever be. It’s clearly 1937 Ford, but every single surface has been tweaked and adjusted to give it a custom look without erasing the classic art-deco look of the Ford design. The peaked fenders, the gorgeous teardrop-shaped headlights, and wrap-around grille are all instantly identifiable as 1937 Ford and the look is no less stunning today than it was back then. Finish quality is exemplary, as you’d expect from a show-winning vehicle like this. Gaps are exacting, the surfaces were all thoroughly smoothed and filled before a drop of paint was sprayed, and once that custom PPG urethane was dry, there were another few dozen hours tied up in color-sanding and buffing the finish. The last detail was custom pinstripe work that frames the polished hood inserts and stretches back along the body where there’s a very cool custom flourish right behind the doors. It’s really nicely done.

Other worthy features are the frenched taillights, steel running boards, and a rear license plate frame that powers itself out of sight when the engine is turned off. The smooth look is enhanced by remote door poppers so there’s no need for door handles, and the deck lid is smoothly integrated into the body for an almost seamless look that doesn’t compromise practicality. Billet side mirrors are minimalist and don’t draw a lot of attention to themselves and there is a functioning windshield wiper motor on the driver’s side just to make everything legal (there’s no wiper arm, but if you need one they’re easy to procure). The trick hood is a neat piece of engineering, too, with double hinges on both sides so it can be opened either way, giving decent access to the engine bay. This car is full of such thoughtful tricks.

The beautiful cream leather interior is expertly done by noted expert Leonard Gaither at Hot Rod Express, which created the custom door panels, dash, and center console. The bucket seat are by Tea’s but they were stripped to bare frames and completely redesigned just for this car, then wrapped in glove-soft cream leather (the only notable wear is some scuffing of the piping on the driver’s lower seat cushion). A full set of Dakota Digital instruments were hidden behind a smoked Plexiglas panel in the center of the dash, so the effect is very trick when you turn the key. And speaking of the key, it’s hidden in that sliding panel in the center console, along with all the other functions, including A/C, headlights, and the lone windshield wiper, plus controls for setting the digital clock. There’s a 12-volt power point on the side of the console, which is a thoughtful touch and the power window controls have been hidden to keep the door panels looking sleek and clean. Everything that isn’t creamy leather is polished billet aluminum, including the tilt steering column, the pedals, and even the custom Budnik steering wheel that was designed to match the road wheels. For entertainment there’s a CD changer behind the driver’s seat, along with a big subwoofer and a small package shelf up above, and custom kick panels house a second set of speakers to fill the cabin with sound. This car is rather unique in the fact that it has a folding canvas convertible top, not a lift-off unit, and it seals up quite well with real glass windows, not side curtains. A three-piece hard-shell boot was created to hide the top in the down position, then wrapped in matching tan canvas for an old-school look that’s very smooth and tidy. The trunk was also upholstered to match using the same materials and you’ll note that even the hinges were upholstered, showing exceptional attention to detail.

The highly detailed engine bay showcases a built 355 cubic inch Chevrolet V8 that was fully rebuilt and filled with such goodies as an Isky camshaft, a set of Air Flow Research heads, and topped by a Street and Performance tunnel ram TPI system. Street and Performance also supplied the serpentine belt drive system and chrome accessories up front. Everything on the engine was either polished or chrome plated, then detailed with more of that luscious PPG paint to tie it all together. The hardware is ultra-reliable, having been perfected decades ago, and the quick starting and effortless road manners of an EFI engine are a bit part of this rod’s appeal. A big polished Griffin aluminum radiator and twin electric fans keep it cool without effort and the firewall and inner fenders have been smoothed and finished to the same standards as the rest of the bodywork. Despite just over 17,000 miles on the build, the engine bay looks clean and fresh, ready to hit the show field once again.

Underneath, there’s a rebuilt B&M 700R4 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission feeding an 8-inch Ford rear end with 3.73 gears and an Auburn limited slip inside, so it’s punchy and fast around town but an effortless highway cruiser that’s ready to head cross-country at a moment’s notice. Custom Sanderson headers feed a fabricated stainless steel exhaust system with polished Megs tips peeking out from under the bodywork for a very clean look and an awesome sound. The front suspension is a familiar Heidts independent setup with tubular A-arms and rack-and-pinion steering and a fat sway bar. Out back a familiar 4-link with another set of coil-overs puts the power down without a jarring ride. Four-wheel disc brakes are probably mandatory for a rod at this level and they look fantastic behind those staggered 18 and 20-inch Budnik billet wheels. Recent 225/40/18 front and 275/35/20 rear Nitto performance radials have been recently installed, so it’s ready to rock.

This car also includes a custom-made vinyl “bra” to protect the nose on long road trips, a set of beautifully made leather floor mats with “Maybelline” embroidered on their faces (sorry, we don’t know who Maybelline is), plus a full build book with receipts, so this rod will be easy to maintain and service in the future. It also comes with a custom-fitted car cover.

You can see the attention to detail that only comes from an expensive, high-end professional build. The car simply works properly, drives beautifully, and remains as reliable as your daily driver. The gorgeous color will never go out of style and with fuel injection, A/C, and an overdrive transmission, this rod is cross-country capable. There’s close to twice the asking price wrapped up in the build, and those are 2001 dollars, making this a very attractive car at a very reasonable price.