Description
The Ford Model AA was the heavy-duty truck version of the Ford Model A, produced from 1927 to 1932. Where the Model A served families and individuals as a practical passenger car, the Model AA was designed for businesses, farmers, and industries that required greater hauling capacity than the lighter Model T or TT could provide. It became one of the most important commercial vehicles of its time, widely used across the United States and exported to markets around the world.
The AA was built on a much stronger chassis than the passenger car Model A, with a heavy-duty frame and suspension designed to handle large payloads. It featured a longer wheelbase, most commonly 131.5 or 157 inches, which gave it stability for carrying everything from flatbeds and delivery vans to buses and fire trucks. As with the earlier Model TT, Ford supplied the AA as a bare chassis, leaving the bodywork to outside coachbuilders or to Ford’s own factory options, which included stake beds, panel trucks, and express bodies. This flexibility made the AA a favorite for all sorts of commercial uses.
Under the hood, the Model AA was powered by the same 201 cubic inch (3.3-liter) inline four-cylinder engine used in the passenger Model A, producing 40 horsepower. To handle the increased loads, the AA used a lower rear-axle gear ratio, giving it more pulling power at the cost of top speed. Most AAs were limited to around 40 mph, but they offered excellent torque for hauling goods. The transmission was a robust four-speed manual gearbox, better suited to commercial use than the three-speed in the passenger car.
The Model AA was also distinguished by its heavier-duty components, including stronger axles, larger wheels and tires, and sturdier suspension. Dual rear wheels were an option for added stability under load, and the truck could carry between 1.5 and 2 tons depending on configuration. Mechanical brakes on all four wheels provided stopping power, though like the car-based Model A, they required regular adjustment.
Businesses and municipalities embraced the AA because it offered the same virtues as the passenger car—affordability, reliability, and ease of maintenance—while delivering the strength needed for commercial work. They became common as delivery trucks for grocers, dairies, breweries, and department stores, as well as serving in more specialized forms like ambulances, fire engines, and school buses. In rural America, farmers valued them as dependable workhorses that could move produce, livestock, and equipment with ease.
Today, the Ford Model AA is highly regarded by collectors of vintage trucks and early commercial vehicles. Because they were worked hard, many original AAs did not survive, but restored examples showcase the variety of bodies and uses they served. They stand as proof of how Ford extended its reach beyond personal cars into the commercial world, building the foundation for the company’s long history of truck production. The Model AA was not just a larger Model A—it was the truck that put small businesses and farms on wheels during a transformative era in American history.