Did Ford control what dealers could charge for 8N's, or were the dealers free to set their prices based on what their local market would bear? This question was posed by PhilNY after seeing my original invoice for my '52 8N:

Does anyone have info on what other dealers around the country charged for new 8N's?

Thanks.............Ed
'52 8N475798

My wife's uncle was a Ford dealer for several years, in southwest Iowa. Several years ago I heard him comment that he never remembered selling a new 8N for more then $1295.00. I think he was selling 8N's shortly after they came out and if I recall was a Ford dealer until the 1970's.

First of all there often was a pretty sizeable difference in price that distributors charged from area to area. If the dealer was in a DSO and bought from the District Sales Office (Ford) rather than having to deal with a Distributor that dealer would have had a distinct price advantage over the dealer that was in a Distributorship just across a state or even a county line. Ford Tractor was not able to wrest all distributorships from Harry Fergusons control till sometime into the 1960's. Dealers had price books furnished that they used for selling and taking trades. Dealers could sell for what they wanted, they were not restricted and there was no price fixing. Our 1950 8N is on the original invoice as; 8N, 4x19, 10x28 for $1346.