FORD 1930 MODEL A PICKUP VS. TODAY’S UTVS

Off-road transportation has come a long way in 87 years!

Henry Ford revolutionized transportation with the Model T (1908-1927) and the Model A (1928-1931) automobiles and trucks, way before President Eisenhower authorized the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 that created America’s Interstate Highway System. The automobile changed our society forever by giving it new-found mobility and freedom, and now the off-road UTV gives us even more freedom to explore the outback. We’ve even seen film of Henry Ford off-roading a Model T with President Theodore Roosevelt. Later, the Model A set the standard of how controls are laid out in, say, the 2016 Yamaha YXZ1000R. We found this 1930 Model A Closed-cab pickup at a popular destination outside of Parker, Arizona, and we thought we’d compare it to the 2016 Yamaha YXZ1000R and Can-Am Maverick 1000X rs Max Ultimate Terrain Vehicles (UTVs).

For example, the Ford had a 1-inch Zenith carburetor with a main jet hole the size of a #63 drill bit, the YXZ has Electronic Fuel Injection with three 41mm throttle bodies, and the Can-Am has EFI with a single 54mm Bosch throttle body. The Ford had a top speed of 65 mph, the Yamaha goes 80 mph, and the Can-Am does 75+ mph. Also, on really steep hills, the Ford had to be driven in reverse, which had a lower ratio than first, while today’s UTVs race up in higher forward gears. The Ford wins in bed capacity and originally cost around $600 but fetches $100,000+ today, versus around $20,000 for the two-seat Yamaha and four-seat Can-Am.

MODEL A…..YXZ1000R…..MAVERICK MAX
4-Cylinder…3-Cylinder…..2-Cylinder
8-Valves……12-Valves……8-Valves
3.3L/202ci…998cc…………976cc
44 Horses….112 Horses….101 Horses
4.1:1 comp..11.3:1 comp..12.0:1 comp
3-Speed…….5-Speed……..Dual-range CVT
7” Travel……16.2″F/17”R…14” Travel
11” Drums….9.6” Discs……8.7”F/8.4”R Discs
19” Rims……14” Rims……..12” Beadlocks
103.5” WB….90.6” WB……..117.5” WB
2260 Lbs…..1541 Lbs……..1657.8 Pounds