EMERGENCY BRAKE LEVER EXTENSIONS
The emergency brake lever for the 1928-29
Model A Ford is located in the center of the front floorboard, forward of the transmission
gearshift lever. A squeeze grip is used to release the brake. In 1930, Ford
moved the emergency brake lever to the right side of the gearshift lever and redesigned it
with a push button release. Releasing the emergency brake lever in a 1930-31
Model A Ford can require a long stretch of the driver's arm.
Several aftermarket parts manufacturers provided an extension to ease the setting and
release of the emergency brake. The extension fits over the top of the emergency
brake lever and is used to depress the button on top of the emergency brake lever.
The driver can then engage or disengage the emergency brake with the extension. The
emergency brake lever extensions were apparently popular with women drivers, for whom much
of the advertising for the accessory was directed.
Mr. Jim Lindberg, a Model A owner from Minnesota and a collector of Model A accessories,
provided the pictures and information on the emergency brake extensions shown below.
The most common of these levers was produced by the Fulton Manufacturing
Company. Fulton produced numerous accessories for early cars and manufactured
several styles of emergency brake extensions for the Model A. Below is a picture of
a Fulton emergency brake extension for a 1930-31 Model A Ford.
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Another manufacturer of emergency brake lever extensions was
the Motometer Company of Toledo Ohio. The Motometer Company was another well known
company that manufactured accessories for early automobiles. Called the Motolever,
this emergency brake extension is less stylish, but longer than the Fulton design.
The Motolever pictured below was found by Mr.
Lindberg a few years ago at Fall Hershey.
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View of the
Motolever emergency brake lever extension |
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The Motolever logo is clearly visible on the extension. |
The advertisement below shows the installation of the Motolever extension on the Model A
Ford emergency brake handle.
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Advertisement for the
Motolever emergency brake extension |
Another emergency brake extension was made by the Wells
Manufacturing Company. The photo below shows how the Wells extension mounts to the
Model A emergency brake lever. The extension is a very simple design, being made of round
stock that was bent and plated. The mounting bracket is stamped "MFG. BY
C.V. Thompson". Mr. Lindberg states that this is the only example of this brand
of emergency brake extension that he has seen.
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The next picture shows the original box that the Wells extension came in. In
addition to Fords, the box states that the extension also fits Graham and Reo automobiles.
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The photo below shows various styles of emergency brake lever
extensions manufactured for the Model A Ford. Seen in the photograph is the Wells
extension, the Motolever, and various designs of extensions built by Fulton.
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Original emergency brake lever extensions are
often difficult to find, but occasionally can be found at swap meets. Emergency
brake extensions for the Model A Ford, especially the ones manufactured by Fulton and
Motometer usually bring a good price.
