By now, you’ve probably seen your fair share of hot rods built on the Ford Model A body. But have you ever come across one sporting a kidney grille just to be fair to the BMW V12 engine in its nose? Because that’s precisely what awaits you at next week’s SEMA 2022 show.
When explaining the humongous kidney grilles found on more and more contemporary models, BMW often tells us that such front-end-dominating elements are a tradition. Sure, the Bavarians are right, as the 1933 BMW 303 small sedan introduced the kidney grille, along with the six-cylinder engine, to the brand. And you’ll find an image of the German model in the gallery.
But rather than dwelling on how the design affects the look of their modern machines, we’ll remind you that the Model A was replaced by the Model Y—oh, how trademarks change owners—in Europe back in 1932, with the latter becoming the first Blue Oval model designed for overseas markets. But we digress…
The 12Pack 1930 Ford Model A Hot Rod
Returning to this 1930 Ford Model A hot rod sporting a BMW V12, we’ll focus on the U.S. parts of the project, with the machine being put together by an American machine designer and fabricator named Chris Rusch.
The fully exposed engine used to have timing issues before it was revamped for the project. However, now it doesn’t just promise to run like a sweetheart, but also offers the kind of aesthetics you’d expect from such a high-polish SEMA project (here are other OTT builds for this year’s edition). These range from the individual throttle bodies to the cylinder head covers, which display the 12Pack nickname of the build.
And we’re not sure what’s more impressive when looking outside the engine block—the electrical part or that header-short exhaust that will no doubt make the most out of this V12’s voice?
The Model A body sits on a custom tube frame, which, as people pointed out on the builder’s Instagram, could introduce a splendid build on its own. As for those wheels, we’re looking at ET Mags here, with their styling partially reminding us of the Shelby Cobra.
The minimalist overall approach of the 12Pack 1930 Ford Model A, as well as its burgundy main hue are sure to turn heads on the Las Vegas event’s floor. Oh, and if you’re looking for something else to grab your attention besides those Bimmer bits, there’s a ton of details to choose from, with the taillights being our favorite.
