Ford had resumed production of civilian automobiles after World War II’s interruption by tweaking its 1942 model and then calling the result the 1946 Ford, according to the Standard Catalog. That sounds worse than it was, as the 1941 Ford had been heavily restyled and the 1942 model was again updated, but making a 1942 car into a 1946 car was universal among American manufacturers then attempting to address the shortage of private vehicles and in every case, the prewar roots were obvious.
Over the next several years, the automakers gradually replaced those prewar-based models and when the 1949 Ford arrived, it wrapped a completely fresh body around an equally fresh chassis. Its primary competitors were the 1949 Chevrolet and the 1949 Plymouth and like the Ford, they succeeded cars barely changed from 1942. Unlike the Ford, they were evolutionary steps for their makers.
Enter the Shoebox Ford
The 1949 Ford might not have been revolutionary, but it was in most ways a big leap. Slab sides and less-bulging horizontal surfaces created a smartly modern look – one that’s nicknamed the shoebox Ford – and while the Standard Catalog correctly cites it as the first new Ford since the war’s end, Motor’s Manual reveals that its engines were the 226-cubic-inch six and the 239 V-8. Both were flatheads with the six dating to 1941 and the eight unchanged since 1946, when its bore was enlarged to raise displacement by 18 cubic inches.
The package was attractive and continued almost unchanged through 1951. Trim and minor details were modified to differentiate the model years and according to the Standard Catalog, 1951 brought the Victoria, a two-door hardtop. It was one of several pillarless coupes launched that year to counter those already in production at General Motors and Chrysler.
1952 Ford Brings New Six in New Body, 1953 Ford an Anniversary, 1954 Ford a New V-8
After the 1949 body’s three-year run, the 1952 Ford again looked brand new. A hint of a separate rear fender was stamped on the quarter panel, but taken as a whole, the car was smoother, flatter and straighter than its predecessor. The 1952 Chevrolet and 1952 Plymouth still used 1949 bodies and thus were comparatively dated, but Ford could also point to its new overhead-valve six. The 215-cubic-inch engine developed 101 horsepower, according to Chilton’s Manual, and while a definite step up from the 95-horspower, 226-cubic-inch flathead, it was a bragging point only against the Plymouth which held to its flathead; the OHV Chevy six had by then been around for more than 20 years.
Fords wore “50th Anniversary 1903-1953” badging, according to the Standard Catalog, and changed trim and minor details to update the 1952 body for 1953 but bigger news was just ahead. For 1954, “Ford V-8” took on a different meaning, as the flathead to which the name had applied was replaced by an OHV unit. Both displaced 239 cubic inches, according to Chilton’s Manual, but horsepower rose by 20 to reach 130. Ford had something unmatched by either the 1954 Chevrolet or the 1954 Plymouth.
1955 Ford Shares 1955 Thunderbird Styling Cues
As styling cycles aligned, the 1955 Chevrolet, 1955 Plymouth and 1955 Ford were all new, according to the Standard Catalog, but of the three, the Ford was the least removed from its previous model; the 1954 Ford had retained an up-to-date feel despite its being an old design and whatever stubbiness it might have shown was now gone. The 1955 body continued the nearly straight beltline, according to American Cars of the 1950s, and if it remained high, details such as headlight doors with a slight forward lean, a wraparound windshield, a slightly veed nose and the very beginnings of tailfins helped to minimize any sense of being too upright.
That was no accident, as the design was intentionally related to the 1955 Thunderbird, Ford’s new two-seater which targeted Chevrolet’s Corvette. Nearly anyone could see the similarities, right down to the round taillights and the V-8 emblems, but it was a tough time for Ford’s piece of the market.
A Little Something Extra in 1955 Crown Victoria
The OHV V-8 was no longer a Ford exclusive in that segment; 1955 brought the Chevy Small Block and the Plymouth Hy-Fire, both of which were – like the Ford V-8 – entirely capable engines. The three cars were comparable in size, as their wheelbases were within one-half inch of each other, according to Motor’s Handbook, while widths were within two inches and heights within one. Even the weights differed insignificantly, with just a 107-pound span covering all three, and those who shopped by price got no clear answer there; Motor’s Handbook lists the 1955 Chevrolet Bel-Air convertible with a V-8 and the 1955 Ford Fairlane V-8 convertible each at $2305, while the 1955 Plymouth Belvedere V-8 convertible cost $2326.
Then as now, brand loyalty would ensure sales for each, but capturing new customers required something exclusive. While Chevrolet’s solution was the 1955 Nomad, a stunning station wagon, the 1955 Ford Crown Victoria brought standout details to a very conventional two-door. By placing a wide band of chrome trim over the roof and running it down to the beltline about where conventional B-pillars would be located, Ford created something totally novel, but it was possible to go even further, according to the Standard Catalog. By combining the Crown Victoria with a tinted plastic roof panel above the front seat – a feature introduced in the 1954 Skyliner – the result was a 1955 Ford Crown Victoria Skyliner.
Understandably, such flash might have drawn attention away from the engines, but Ford had been keeping up as drivers’ interest in speed began to intensify. Its V-8 was now displacing 272 cubic inches, according to Motor’s Handbook, and generating 162 horsepower. Even the six had grown and was now a 120-horsepower 223.
The Crown Victoria Skyliner and Crown Victoria were the flagships and as such, returned in 1956 when the entire Ford line was given only a modest update. Chevrolet brought the Nomad back, too, and a new addition was the 1956 Plymouth Fury, which addressed the same issue of exclusivity by focusing primarily on performance.
In a break from the past several styling cycles, new bodies arrived after just two years, according to the Standard Catalog, and the 1957 Ford looked longer and lower. The visual connection to the 1955 and 1956 Fords was impossible to overlook, but features such as A-pillars leaning into the wind, tailfins and anodized side trim left no doubt that although the Crown Victorias had not returned, Ford was taking aesthetics seriously.
Serious change would come again with the 1959 Ford and by then, virtually nothing would be left of the Crown Victoria’s look.
References:
- Blanchard, Harold F., Ed. Motor’s Auto Repair Manual. New York: Motor, 1949.
- Grey, Andrew D., Ed. Chilton’s Automobile Repair Manual 29th Edition. Philadelphia: Chilton Company, 1958.
- Gunnell, John, Ed. Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications, 1987.
- Motor’s Handbook 32nd Edition. New York: Motor, 1955.
- Vanderveen, Bart H., Ed. Olyslager Organisation NV. Olyslager Auto Library American Cars of the 1950s. London: Frederick Warne & Company Ltd., 1973.
Bob Tomaine - Automotive writer and photographer Bob Tomaine is a regular contributor to Auto Restorer, AutoWeek and Old Cars Weekly as well as a ...
