How many Ford Barrelnoses are left in New Zealand?
Super rare 1 in 246,046 on the road Built 1938-1939 Sold new in New Zealand
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
Barrel nose is the nickname for Ford's trucks and pickups of 1938 and 1939, after the rounded, oval grille that makes the front look like the end of a barrel. Under the bonnet was the flathead V8, and the shape has long been popular with restorers and hot rodders.
Still on the road, by model year
10 from 1938 and 9 from 1939.
What Super rare means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 19 still registered, the Ford Barrelnose is Super rare: the grade for cars with 5 to 24 left.
By how many are left it ranks equal 81st of the 126 Ford models and equal 1,700th of all 2,903 cars in Spotto's catalogue.
The six grades: Common, 8,000 or more · Uncommon, 1,200 to 7,999 · Scarce, 175 to 1,199 · Rare, 25 to 174 · Super rare, 5 to 24 · Unicorn, fewer than 5.
Seen one?
Spotto grades every car on New Zealand roads by how many are still registered, down to the generation and the badge. Log the ones you spot, build a collection, and see who else has found one.