“Pretty Boy” Floyd’s Car Unearthed And Restored

Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd was a notorious Depression-era bank robber who grew up in Oklahoma. A piece of Floyd's crime history in the Sooner state was dug out of the Illinois River 14 years ago,

Monday, May 21st 2007, 3:48 pm

By: News On 6


Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd was a notorious Depression-era bank robber who grew up in Oklahoma. A piece of Floyd's crime history in the Sooner state was dug out of the Illinois River 14 years ago, and The News On 6’s Rick Wells reports, the 1929 Ford looks nothing like it did when “Pretty Boy” ditched it in the river, except for the bullet holes.

“Pretty Boy” Floyd’s 1929 Model A Ford lay in the mud of the Illinois River for 60 years until Joe Ford and his sons dug it up. They were deer hunting when one of the boys thought he saw something.

"Dad, don’t that look like an old car down there?" asked Joe Ford’s son.

Sure enough it was. The car was buried up to the roof line in mud, and it took two days to dig it out. After years of research Ford’s sure the car once belonged to bank robber “Pretty Boy” Floyd.

"We confirmed that, took us two-and-a-half years to track it down," said Ford.

There are 52 bullet holes in the back of the car, got 'em one night in 1932 down near Ada, Oklahoma in a run in with federal agents.

"He just took off through the corn field, corn stalks were just a flyin' over the top of the car, the agents run out of the timber, they fired 110 rounds at the car. There's 52 of them that hit the body of the car," said Ford.

None hit “Pretty Boy,” he had armor plate on the back of the seats.

Joe Ford and his sons did all the restoration work on the ’29 themselves, except the upholstery, and it took five years to restore the Model A. They wanted to drive it on the street so they added some stuff like the engine, a 327 Chevy.

"That's what everybody says that looks at it, if the car had this in it there wouldn’t be any bullet hole in the car," said Ford.

Joe Ford takes the car to car shows all over Oklahoma. It has won lots of awards, and it isn’t hard to recognize, it’s the only one with 52 bullet holes in the back.

WEB EXTRA: Extended Interview With Joe Ford, Owner Of “Pretty Boy” Floyd’s Car


Watch the video: "Pretty Boy" Floyd's Car Restored
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