What Make and Model Was the Greased Lightning Car?
No car in history was officially called Greased Lightning. What kind of car inspired Danny and the boys into song and dance?
Written by Andrew Koole
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Grease belongs in that small group of
musicals
that will never fade away. Like The Sound of Music, Fiddler On the Roof, or Les Miserables, its songs, characters, and costumes reflect a time and place in a way other musicals can’t even dream to.But even within this prestigious crowd, Grease has an element all its own—its
classic cars
. Set in the ‘50s, its story of teenage love is told more from the front (and back) seats of its characters than almost anywhere else. Of all of them, one car stands out. Danny, played by John Travolta, inspires his fellow greasers to turn an old Ford DeLuxe convertible into the pinnacle of automotive design—Greased Lightning.
Jerry
dug around the internet to see what could be learned about this classic car.Everything you need to know about the Grease Lightning Car
The car that shares half its name with Grease is a 1948 Ford Tudor DeLuxe convertible. In the ‘40s, Ford’s model names were much simpler than they are now.
Besides two models sold in Europe and the Pygmy—Ford’s version of the innovative Willy’s MB—the company sold all their cars under one name: Ford.
You could buy the Ford as a Tudor or a Fordor, in reference to the number doors (get it?). Upgrading to a DeLuxe got you nicer styling and a better V8 engine. All Ford style could be “DeLuxed,” whether it was a coupe, sedan, pickup, or the aforementioned convertible.
The car’s shape and style stayed basically the same throughout the decade, but 1948 was the last year Ford made it.
Other sightings of the Ford DeLuxe in pop culture
Very little separates the Fords built in the 1930s and 1940s. Reading about famous vehicles in American history, one could easily mistake the DeLuxe in Grease for the one driven by
Bonnie and Clyde
. But the actual generation of Ford that brought you Greased Lightning can be found rolling around as a few other
movie cars
we love, too. In The Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi gives a ‘47 DeLuxe convertible to his student Daniel. In Back to the Future, bad guy Bif Tannen’s car, the one only he can start, is a black Ford Super DeLuxe convertible from 1946.
For some reason, this car keeps popping up as a staple, a prime example of what a beautiful car looks like.
The cost of owning the Grease Lightning car
The Ford DeLuxe convertible from the ‘40s is an undeniable classic, but because Ford made so many of them, it hasn’t really increased in value as much as other desirable classic models. According to
Hagerty
, you can get your ands on one in good condition for less than $30,000.On top of that,
classic car insurance
is typically much cheaper than regular coverage, and a Ford DeLuxe easily qualifies—given that you don’t plan to use it as your daily driver.Classic car coverage varies quite a bit between providers, so make sure to shop for quotes with Jerry before choosing a policy. A licensed broker that offers end-to-end support, the Jerry app can gather affordable quotes from more than 50 top providers in seconds.
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