The Ford Shay Roadster was a venture involving Shay Motors Corporation and Ford Motor Company in the late Seventies and early Eighties. Founder Harry J. Shay decided to build a limited run of replicas of the 1920s Ford Model A Roadster, wrapping modern mechanicals and underpinnings with a retro body. The vehicles were built in Michigan and sold through Ford’s network of automobile dealers. The model was produced in five body styles, including a pickup truck and panel truck. This example is a 1980 Ford Shay Roadster from Virginia that has just 2,579 miles on the clock and is reported to have been kept in a heated garage.

Exterior and Interior

This 1980 Ford Shay Roadster features a fiberglass body that is clothed in a shade of white known as “Eggshell” that highlights its 1920s profile and design. This car is a drop-top or convertible, with a contrasting black hood that can be lowered. Headlamps, mirrors, grille, and details are chromed, whilst a pair of black-painted horns adorn the front grille. This example comes with 18-inch spoked wheels wrapped in whitewall tires, plus dual front fender-mounted spare wheels with whitewall tires. An externally mounted black luggage trunk is at the rear, which is necessary as the rear portion of the bodywork contains the rumble seat – a boot-mounted seat beneath a cover that is meant for occasional use, as this seat is not covered by the convertible top, and thus the occupants would be exposed to the weather. Keeping in tune with the 1920s exterior, the black interior features period-correct gauges, a bench seat for the driver and front passenger, and a two-spoke steering wheel.

Engine

Whilst the body appearance is from the 1920s, the mechanicals are from the Seventies. This 1980 Ford Shay Roadster is powered by Ford’s 140ci (2.8L) four-cylinder gasoline engine that was found in the Ford Pinto, driving the rear wheels through a four-speed transmission. The engine put out 88bhp. The Shay Roadster features the independent front suspension and rack-and-pinion steering gear from the Pinto, as well as disc brakes up front and drums at the rear.