Iron Hill Hot Rods Blends Franco-Italian DNA into a 1932 Ford Coupe along with a Unique Supercharged Engine
Sacre bleu! What have we here? A breath of fresh air, that’s what. Check out this 1932 Ford three-window coupe cross-pollinated with highbrow Franco-Italian DNA. Painstakingly built by Iron Hill Hot Rods in Delaware, this coupe is a unique take on an old formula with a surprise under the hood. Six years in the making, it blends pre-war Bugatti styling cues into an all-steel Brookville body, resulting in an elegant ride for owner Beth Meyers, who just happens to be the wife of Ross, whose ’36 Ford roadster became the 2025 Classic Instruments Street Rod of the Year in Columbus.
Ellis Simmons and his team at Iron Hill started with custom frame sectioned 1¾ inches and added a 4½-inch dropped front axle and a Posies parallel rear leaf spring setup. A Borgeson side-steer box and Boling Bros. Lincoln brakes complete the chassis. The tall, Bugatti-esque 18-inch Evod wheels add just the right flavor.
The 1932 Ford body was expertly snipped and tucked, which started by chopping the top 5½ inches in front and 4½ inches at the rear and laying the windshield back 8-degrees. The rear wheel reveals were gently radiused 2½ inches to echo the big rear wheels. Simmons picked up the headlights (of unknown origin) at a swap meet, and incorporated ’37 Ford taillights in the rear.
When the coupe was straight and true, it was sprayed out by none other than Darryl Hollenbeck at Vintage Color Studio. PPG black paint with olive-green coves on the sides is a direct crib from the famous color scheme of the gigantic Bugatti Royale built from 1927 to 1933.
If that all seems like a crazy one-off, wait until you see what’s under the hood. Instead of a ho-hum Chevy V8, this coupe has 220c.i. Mercruiser Marine 470 four-cylinder engine with a Mcleod Muscle Car 5 manual transmission. Even more trick is an externally mounted (a la Bentley), crank-driven ScoT supercharger. Running a Ford 460 cylinder head from Jon Kaase, Elipse magneto ignition, and straight exhaust, the engine is trimmed out in shiny materials of many metallurgic compounds. The craftsmanship and execution are jewel-like.
Inside, a leather-lined steampunk cockpit is the order of the day. The exposed transmission and shifter comingle with a modified ’33 Ford upper dash and Classic Instruments gauges wired up courtesy of Ron Francis. The floating seats and floor hover above a louvered belly pan, and world-famous Sid Chavers stitched up the cabin in fetching olive green leather.
It’s been said there’s nothing new under the sun when it comes to the venerable 1932 Ford, and that it’s all been done before. This classy coupe proves that with some creativity, incredible attention to detail, and hard work, an old dog can learn new tricks.
Photos: John Jackson, Damon Lee
