Ignition Switch On The Left?

Ford Ignition Switch on the Left

Ford ignition switch location changed throughout the years.

Episode 121 Manic Mechanic

The Model A had the ignition switch on the right side in the ceter stack of gauges.
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The 1941-48 Ford cars had the ignition switch on the column.

In 1949 Ford move the ignition switch to the dash panel on the passenger side of the steering wheel.

1951 Ford went to a “key turn start” and moved the ignition to the drivers side of the car. Before you had a push button or switch start.

The ignition key stated there until 1964 when it moved back to the right of the column on passenger cars and stated oto the left of the column on the F1-F350 trucks until 1973 and was on the left in the F500 and above until 1981!

So why the move? I don’t know. BUT...
Porsche did the same thing on the post war cars. The answer comes down (at least on Porsches) to this:
According to Wall Street Jorurnal reporter Dan Neil:
Porsche Museum curator (1993 to 2011) and keeper of keys Klaus Bischof explained, its placement had nothing to do with racing. In the early Postwar period, when the company amounted to a mere handful of men hammering and welding in an old sawmill, electrical wire was scarce. Putting the switch on the left “saved a little bit of wire, a little bit of money,” Mr. Bischof said, “and maybe 200 grams.”

So I thought, maybe Ford was being frugal and putting less wire in and moved the ignition switch over by the fuse block which would then be on the left of the wheel by the instrument cluster in 1951. Nope. These Fords didn’t even go near the fuse panel. So...I’m stumped.

What I found on a forum:
Having the ignition switch on the left side of the dash was...at one time, a convenience. After unlocking the left door, the same key could easily be placed in the ignition cylinder.

At one time, there were no left door lock cylinders on passenger cars or trucks. People unlocked the right door, then slide across the seat. Back then, the switch was conveniently located to the right of the column.

1951 was the first year Ford offered a left door lock cylinder on trucks, but only on the 5 Star Deluxe Cabs. All 1953 and later Custom Cabs have it, but it was an option on Standard Cabs thru 1961.

jford@autorestomod.com

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