Technical Chrome Grille Shell for a '32 Ford?

I just purchased a beautiful 32 Ford passenger car grille assembly that is in chrome. It does not appear in any fashion to have been re-chromed and definitely not a re-pop of any kind. The insert is definitely original. My partner has had a body/restoration shop and he thinks it's original as well. Does anyone know what this is correct for?
t find anything to support it and I've read The V8 Affair book cover-to-cover and nothing shows there. The shape is definitely car and not the more squarish truck grille. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Someone had it chromed. We've seen a few here over the years.

 

Henry never chromed them over here, but there may have been some done in Europe. More than likely it was a regular grille somebody had chromed here in the US.

 

What's it do as far as resale value? It's as straight as an arrow.

 

I think 3W Larry had one on the pickup he acquired but it could have been nickel plated.

 

I think it was a European thing, go through the thread on the European Deuce, https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/the-european-deuce-thread.970652/ there may be something in there.


Charlie Stephens

 

I've seen pics of chromed 32 Frod grilles in various magazines over the years on cars in the USA, Europe and here in Oz & NZ..........it seems it was maybe a late 50's thru to early 60's idea that may or may not suit everyone...........the pic showing the underside of the shell shows some fasteners that I'd be very surprised if they were original Henry Frod, they just look too modern and not a correct fit to my eyes but as I'm a 1940 Dodge person , well, who knows.......lol...........I like chrome but a 32 grille shell seems like a waste of chrome and money to me.....but to each their own..........lol.......andyd

 

On the right car (viewers discretion) it might look good, sure would generate a lot of attention at least.
As an expensive wall hanger, no question, that would look good on just about any wall.

 

I believe that in Europe, they chromed them on the 1932 Fords that were sold in 1933/1934, as a way of modernising them.
My coupe came with a rusted out chrome surround, probably done in the 1960s.
I am still considering chroming one to go on my coupe, although I appear to be one of the few that actually like them.
Here’s a thread I started in 2015 :
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/chrome-grilles-on-32-fords-pics-wanted-please.964387/

 

Clem knows his stuff . Pretty sure it,s a Limey/Pommie grille shell.

 

Really ?
What did you pay for it ? What do you want for it ?

 

Perfect for the person who wants to make their '32 look a bit more like a Model A.

 

Never chromed here in Europe unless maybe a custom bodied coachbuilder had that request.I have seen a German custom bodied '32 conv sedan with a chrome grille.The display chassis in Paris in '32 might have had the grill chromed.The spoke wheels were but for the show display only.Here is a current pic of an orig 4cyl unmolested roadster 30 min from me.Hadn't seed the light of day since the early 1980's.Sold new in Paris in '32.No chrome grill.

 

Had 1 on a Tudor I bought a few years ago, pulled it off and threw an aftermarket on it, as Basic Bob contacted me and wanted to buy it. Have no clue what he did with it but betcha it's hangin on his shop wall sumwhere

 

It was done on European model B sold in 33/34 but not in every country, to try to make it more luxurious and modern.

 

Several Years ago I bought a perfect chromed shell and insert. It hung on my wall for several years then I gave it to a friend who had about 40 painted shells hanging on his garage wall and I thought he needed a chromed one. I bought it for 700.00 at a swap meet from a guy who said he'd hauled it around for sometime and no one wanted it?

 

possibly a good addition to a 60's style custom show rod

 

If you live in New Zealand, I will swap you for a painted one.

 

Interesting Look But Not For All..(1954)...

 

I disagree.

 

I like it!

 

What ever floats your boat, I'm not a fan of chrome Deuce grille shells, Deuce Roadster had one in his stash of spare parts, I believe he found it in Hersey, he finally traded it to a guy for a nice original piece, I have to admit it looked pretty good on the Model A coupe the other fellow was building. HRP

 

Since most of us did not live in 1932 we have to rely on books.
In Tony Thacker's great book about the 32 Ford it is mentioned that it was European
and sold on some Model B's after 1932 to make it more appealing to the buyers.
I own(ed) several 32's and none of them had one and think it was only sold in the UK.
I think it looks better in color, but would use it in chrome if it looks good in it's original chrome.

Hennie

 

My uncle bought a bone stock '32 model B 2 door sedan back in the 70's. Had a chrome grille shell. Looked kind of silly in my opinion.

 

À couple years ago there was a model B for sale in North Eastern France on Leboncoin appeared to be a barn find bone stock 4 cylinder car, it had skirted front fender, chrome grille shell and was left hand drive. Only one I ever seen.
I worked on a '61 Citroën Ds that was in a green color that didn't come out until '62 with a '61 blue interior (Citroën never offered green cars with blue interior in 61 or 62) a known Ds restorer came and looked at the car and to him just like to me the car was never repainted or taken apart. I knew of a one owner Delahaye 135M with triple MS carbs, another car that never was yet the owner bought the car new and never modified it. I could tell you about a couple more cars who have never been built and yet don't appear to have been modified.
I take with a grain of salt what people know for certain about old cars.

 

And why would it ? only some of the left over ones sold new in 1933/1934 had chromed surrounds.
Yours sold new in 1932 like hundreds of thousands of others had a painted surround.
Although I think we are all beating a dead horse here......

 

I'm liking it a lot actually. I would install one on one of my cars if I find one, no doubt.

 

A chrome 32 shell on a A would kind of look like the stock A shell, lol.

 

On the right car they can look great...like this one!

 

When I bought my ‘32 some 40 years ago it had a rusted out chrome surround.
I always understood it to be a hot rod ‘fad’ from the sixty’s in this country. ( New Zealand).
Anyway, it aroused a curiosity about them that has always interested me.
(I have a perfect surround that I still think about chroming).
So a few years back I started this thread……

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/chrome-grilles-on-32-fords-pics-wanted-please.964387/
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