Henry Ford never made a Model A in triple white.

But for the golden anniversary of the classic car, Ford Motor Company allowed it to happen.

The result is a rolling work of art, even if only a handful exist.

From 1979 through 1982, Ford partnered with the Shay Motor Corporation to authorize and produce a limited run of Model A reproductions.

It was a marketing gimmick to draw customers to Ford dealer show rooms.

The car was factory built, sold by Ford dealers and warranted for 12 months by Ford Motor Corporation.

A novel idea, it likely was the first time a major auto manufacturer helped to engineer a reproduction of its famous car from long ago.

Most were produced in medium tan with black fenders. A few were painted special colors to honor major universities.

A limited number were created in pure white. Ford called it the Polar Bear. It sold for the top price of nearly $13,000.

The idea worked. Ford garnered free publicity and drew throngs to the showrooms. A New Jersey dealer said people lined up in front of his dealership. Others reported floor traffic of 200 to 600 customers a day.

Dealers began taking orders and down payments.

The bold move drew national attention. The car was praised in magazines such as Old Car News, Motor Trend and Car & Driver.

In a sense, it was an illusion. It offered classic styling coupled with conveniences such as front disc brakes.

The car drew crowds at car shows and proved popular with the general public.

As for build quality, some felt it was merely acceptable. Not the best, but OK.

Customers agreed it was more reliable and more drivable than the original A.

By August 1979, a limit of 10,000 orders already had been reached.

But production couldn’t keep up with demand. Cars weren’t being produced fast enough.

In some cases, people who paid down payments still had not received delivery 18 months later.

This failure to deliver generated ill will, something the dealerships weren’t happy about, nor the customers.

Lawsuits were filed.

By March 1982, Shay was beset by legal woes and forced to shut down. Some 310 factory workers lost their jobs and the corporation filed for bankruptcy.

The sales idea that once held great promise had somehow imploded.

When dust settled, about 5,000 new Model A cars had been produced. How many survive to this day is unclear.

A registry compiled more than 20 years ago identified 1,200 Shay Model As. Of those, only 16 were Polar Bears.

Motorcar Studios in Atlanta sold one a few years ago. They claimed it was one of only six known to exist.

The visual artistry in the white-and-chrome Polar Bear is noteworthy. The car features six chrome-spoked wheels including two on the running boards along with a fun rumble seat at rear.

Fittingly, it’s listed in the Tenth Anniversary Edition of factory-built American Dream Cars.

Recently, I discovered one for sale in Kansas. So I had it shipped to Pennsylvania to give it a try.

It has standard shift and an oversized steering wheel. Takes some practice to drive. But there’s no denying its striking appearance.

What if it breaks down?

Fortunately, mechanic Don Goho of Goho Automotive still works on old cars as well as new at his Hometown garage.

“I’m familiar with the engine in this,” he says. “I grew up working on all kinds of cars. My whole family was in the car business.”

He and wife Deanna realize that many people in our region enjoy older cars as much as newer.

So it’s been cool to tool around in a little jalopy. Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang. I’m not sure what should ultimately happen with the car.

And I’m not sure how cool it will be in the heat of summer.

The Polar Bear has no air conditioner. Nor a radio.

But it definitely gets top smiles per gallon.