History of Annabelle
This Tudor Sedan, engine number A2290986*
(engine assembled on September 11th, 1929), is a remarkably authentic survivor from one of the most important years in Ford history.
The sedan retains its original matching engine and frame numbers—an important detail that speaks to its originality and remarkably intact history. Still wearing its factory paint, the car appears to have spent much of its life near where it was first assembled in Saline, Michigan, with just over 32,000 miles showing on the odometer.
A 1975 title and several period artifacts discovered during the restoration help tell the story of this Tudor’s long life. Among them was a shirt button bearing the phrase “Come Alive in ’75,” a small but fascinating reminder of the people and time period the car passed through.
As the restoration continued, other details began to surface. Along the driver’s- side door, traces of the original pinstriping still show near the door handle. . Details like these offer a rare glimpse into the car’s past and the many chapters of its nearly century-long story.
Rather than simply restoring an old Ford, the goal was to preserve and present a genuine piece of history—showing what a Model A looked like when new while celebrating nearly a century of the life, character, and stories it has carried with it.
We had always believed that some things in life were meant to be built, not bought. That belief took root years earlier, on a quiet afternoon when my father and I stood side by side in a tiny suburban garage, staring at what most people would have called a lost cause—a weathered, rust-covered Ford Model A that hadn’t seen the road in decades.
To us, she wasn’t scrap. She wasn’t just old Ford..
She is Annabelle.
Over the next 3 years, it was not just a restoration, but a journey measured in late nights, scraped knuckles, and hard-earned lessons.
We began sharing Annabelle with others—taking friends, neighbors, and even strangers for rides. We told the story behind every bolt and panel, not to impress, but to inspire. We wanted people to feel what we had felt: the simple, powerful joy of creating something meaningful and experiencing it together.
