The 1949 Ford is a line of cars produced by

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

from the 1949 to 1951 model years. The successor to the prewar

1941 Ford The Ford car was thoroughly updated in 1941, in preparation for a time of unpredictability surrounding World War II. The 1941 design would continue in an aborted 1942 model year and would be restarted in 1946 and produced until 1948 when the more ...

, the model line was the first full-size Ford designed after World War II, becoming the first Ford car line released after the deaths of

Edsel Ford Edsel Bryant Ford (November 6, 1893 – May 26, 1943) was an American business executive and philanthropist who was the son of pioneering industrialist Henry Ford and his wife, Clara Jane Bryant Ford. He was the president of Ford Motor Company f ...

and

Henry Ford Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist, business magnate, founder of the Ford Motor Company, and chief developer of the assembly line technique of mass production. By creating the first automobile that mi ...

. From 1946 to 1948, each of the American Big Three concentrated on the restoration of car production, offering updated versions of their 1941-1942 model lines. Released in June 1948, the 1949 Ford was the first major "postwar" American car line, beating Chevrolet to market by six months and Plymouth by nine. In response to its design, the model line would become called the "Shoebox Ford", denoting its slab-sided " ponton" design. While the design theme had been in use since the late 1920s to streamline automobiles, the 1949 Ford marked its widest-scale use, removing running boards entirely and integrating front and rear fenders into a single, smooth body form. Following the 1948 introduction of the

Ford F-Series The Ford F-Series is a series of light-duty trucks marketed and manufactured by Ford since the 1948 model year. Slotted above the Ford Ranger in the Ford truck model range, the F-Series is marketed as a range of full-sized pickup trucks. ...

line of trucks, the Ford line was now offered solely as a car. In another change, Ford introduced stand-alone model nameplates for 1950. Designed by artist Frank L. Engle, the Ford crest emblem made its first appearance for 1950; in various forms, the emblem was used through the 1991 model year. In other firsts, this generation marked the first use of keyed ignition and the first automatic transmission option in Ford vehicles.

Model overview

For 1949, the Ford car line was redesigned from the ground up; only the powertrain and 114-inch wheelbase were retained from the 1941-1948 generation. The Ford adopted a drop-center ladder frame; to further modernize its design, the transverse-leaf front and rear suspension (a feature in use since the Model T) was retired, replaced by a

coil spring A selection of conical coil springs The most common type of spring is the coil spring, which is made out of a long piece of metal that is wound around itself. Coil springs were in use in Roman times, evidence of this can be found in bronze Fib ...

independent front suspension and longitudinal rear

leaf spring A leaf spring is a simple form of spring commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles. Originally called a ''laminated'' or ''carriage spring'', and sometimes referred to as a semi-elliptical spring, elliptical spring, or cart spring, it ...

s. The

torque tube A torque tube system is a power transmission and braking technology that involves a stationary housing around the drive shaft, often used in automobiles with a front engine and rear drive. The torque tube consists of a large diameter stationary h ...

driveshaft was replaced by a more universally-used

Hotchkiss drive The Hotchkiss drive is a shaft drive form of power transmission. It was the dominant means for front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout cars in the 20th century. The name comes from the French automobile manufacturer Hotchkiss, although other makers, ...

shaft. Carried over from the previous generation, a 226 cubic-inch ''

L-head A flathead engine, also known as a sidevalve engine''American Rodder'', 6/94, pp.45 & 93. or valve-in-block engine is an internal combustion engine with its poppet valves contained within the engine block, instead of in the cylinder head, as ...

'' inline-6 was the standard engine with an optional 239 cubic-inch '' Flathead V8.''

Model history

The 1949 Ford debuted at a gala at the

Waldorf-Astoria Hotel The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story Art Deco landmark designed by architects Schultze ...

in New York City in June 1948, with a carousel of the new model line complemented by a revolving demonstration of the new chassis; the new integrated steel structure was advertised as a "lifeguard body". Though wood was again used for external body panels, the "woody" station wagon adopted a steel inner body structure. To increase its body rigidity, the frame of the convertible received an "X member" reinforcement.

1949

Alongside the redesign of the car, Ford updated its model nomenclature for 1949. The previous Custom, De Luxe, and Super De Luxe names were replaced by new Standard and Custom trims, with Tudor and Fordor sedans (two-door and four-door, respectively), fastback Club Coupe and Business Coupe (the latter, rear seat delete), Convertible Club Coupe, and two-door Station Wagon styles. In the center of the "Bullet-nose" grille emblem, Ford embossed either a "6" or an "8" on top of a red circle, denoting the fitment of an inline-6 or V8 engine. While using a different body than Lincoln-Mercury, Ford Motor Company used ponton styling across all three of its divisions for 1949, with the Ford sharing similar styling as the

Mercury Eight The Mercury Eight is an automobile that was marketed by the Mercury division of Ford between 1939 and 1951. The debut model line of the Mercury division, Ford slotted the full-size Mercury Eight between the Ford Deluxe (later Custom) model lin ...

and the

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...

. The center-mounted "Bullet-nose" grille became a styling element adopted by Studebaker for the 1950 facelift of the

Studebaker Starlight The Starlight coupe is a unique 2-door body style that was offered by Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana (United States) from 1947 to 1955 on its Studebaker Champion, Champion and Studebaker Commander, Commander model series. It was d ...

. During the 1950s, the slab-sided exterior design would go on to influence many European manufacturers, including Mercedes Benz,

Borgward The former Borgward car manufacturing company, based in Bremen, Germany, was founded by Carl F. W. Borgward (1890–1963). It produced cars of four brands, which were sold to a diversified international customer base: Borgward, Hansa, Go ...

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

Volvo The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...

and many others. For 1949, Ford returned to first place among American manufacturers, selling 1,118,740 Ford cars. While bolstered by an extended 16-month model year, the 1949 Ford was met with success. File:1949 Ford V8 coupe (6102731436).jpg, 1949 Ford Standard Coupe File:Ford 472 BWJ.jpg, 1949 Ford Custom Convertible.jpg

1950

For 1950, the Ford saw minor changes, primarily to the exterior. In a badging change, the "FORD" lettering was replaced by an all-new crest badge; in various forms, Ford used a crest emblem on its full-size line for the next four decades. The trim nomenclature underwent revision, as Standard and Custom became Deluxe and Custom Deluxe, respectively. A Deluxe Business Coupe served as the most affordable Ford line. In response to negative consumer feedback, the door latch mechanism underwent multiple safety upgrades. To compete with the

Chevrolet Bel Air The Chevrolet Bel Air is a full-size car produced by Chevrolet for the 1950–1975 model years. Initially, only the two-door hardtops in the Chevrolet model range were designated with the Bel Air name from 1950 to 1952. With the 1953 model year, ...

hardtop, Ford introduced the Ford Crestliner "sport sedan". The first stand-alone American Ford nameplate, the Crestliner was a premium variant of the Tudor, fitted with two-tone paint and a vinyl roof. The two-door station wagon was renamed the

Ford Country Squire The Ford Country Squire is a series of full-size station wagons that were assembled by American automaker Ford. Positioned as the top-level station wagon of the Ford division, the Country Squire was distinguished by woodgrain bodyside trim. From ...

; in a functional upgrade, the station wagon received flat-folding rear seats. File:1950 Crestliner (7158423973).jpg, 1950 Ford Custom Deluxe Tudor Crestliner File:1950 Ford Custom V8 Fordor sedan (6102699840).jpg, 1950 Ford Custom Deluxe Fordor Sedan File:1950 Ford Custom Deluxe Convertible (20186767681).jpg, 1950 Ford Custom Deluxe Convertible File:1950 Ford Country Squire.jpg, 1950 Ford Country Squire

1951

For 1951, the Ford underwent several revisions, distinguished externally by the introduction of a "dual-bullet" grille. The Victoria name (last used for 1934) returned for a two-door hardtop, giving Ford a competitor against the Chevrolet Bel Air and the

Plymouth Belvedere Plymouth Belvedere is a series of American automobile models made by Plymouth from 1954 until 1970. The Belvedere name was first used for a new hardtop body style in the Plymouth Cranbrook line for the 1951 model year. In 1954 the Belvedere re ...

; the Tudor-based Crestliner also made a return. Outselling the Bel Air by nearly 10%, the Ford Victoria was a marketplace success. Alongside the Victoria, Crestliner, and Country Squire, the Ford sedan line underwent minor trim revisions, with Custom Deluxe becoming Custom. Introduced in November 1950 as an option, the three-speed Ford-O-Matic became the first automatic transmission offered in a Ford vehicle. In a functional upgrade, Ford replaced the starter button with a keyed ignition. File:1951 Ford Custom Tudor.jpg, 1951 Ford Custom Tudor Sedan File:Ford Victoria Hardtop Sport Coupe 1950-51 Schaffen-Diest 2012.jpg, 1951 Ford Victoria File:1951 Ford 79 Custom Country Squire Station Wagon.jpg, 1951 Ford Country Squire

Meteor (Canada)

'50 Meteor Rideau Victoria (Byward Auto Classic)

For 1949,

Ford of Canada Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited ( French: ''Ford du Canada Limitée'') was founded on August 17, 1904, for the purpose of manufacturing and selling Ford automobiles in Canada and the British Empire. It was originally known as the Walkerville ...

introduced the Meteor brand, intended as an entry-level brand to be marketed within the Lincoln-Mercury dealership network; in smaller communities, the two brands did not share dealership networks. Using a Ford body, chassis, and V8 drivetrain with a Mercury grille (and brand-specific trim), Meteor gave Lincoln-Mercury a lower-price vehicle, effectively giving Ford Canada a brand to compete against Pontiac and Dodge. For 1949 to 1951, Meteor-brand vehicles shared their model names with Ford vehicles, including a Custom Deluxe Victoria coupe.

Australian production

The 1949 Ford V8 generation was also produced by

Ford Australia Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited (known by its trading name Ford Australia) is the Australian subsidiary of United States-based automaker Ford Motor Company. It was founded in Geelong, Victoria, in 1925 as an outpost of Ford Motor Comp ...

from 1949 to 1951, serving the Australian market. Alongside a right-hand drive Fordor 4-door sedan, a two-door

coupe utility A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...

was produced; the latter was developed specifically for sale in Australia. By 1950, locally-produced models of Ford Australia had adopted a level of 80% Australian-sourced content. File:1949 Ford Coupe Utility.jpg, 1949 Ford Coupe Utility File:1951 Ford utility

.JPG, 1951 Ford Coupe Utility

Ford Forty-Nine (2001)

For 2001, Ford debuted the

Ford Forty-Nine The Ford Forty-Nine was a concept car created by the Ford Motor Company. It was designed by Chip Foose and was first introduced at the 2001 North American International Auto Show. It is a tribute to the 1949 Ford. A convertible was also built, fin ...

concept car at the 2001 North American International Auto Show. Designed by

J Mays J Mays is an American industrial designer who served as Group Vice President of Global Design and Chief Creative Officer at Ford Motor Company, and is now Chief Design Officer at Whirlpool. His name is simply "J", named after his grandfather, S ...

and

Chip Foose Chip Foose (born October 13, 1963) is an American automobile designer, artist, and star of Velocity's reality television series ''Overhaulin. Life and career Foose began working on automobiles at age seven for his father's company, Project ...

(designer of the

Plymouth Prowler The Plymouth Prowler, later the Chrysler Prowler, is a retro-styled production sports car manufactured and marketed from 1997 to 2002 by DaimlerChrysler, based on the 1993 concept car of the same name. The Prowler was offered in a single g ...

), the concept car was intended as a design successor to the revived

Ford Thunderbird The Ford Thunderbird (colloquially called the T-Bird) is a personal luxury car produced by Ford from model years 1955 until 1997 and 2002 until 2005 across 11 distinct generations. Introduced as a two-seat convertible, the Thunderbird was pro ...

. Derived on the chassis of the

Lincoln LS The Lincoln LS is a four-door, five-passenger luxury sedan manufactured and marketed by Ford's Lincoln division over a single generation from 1999–2006. Introduced in June 1999 for model-year 2000, the LS featured rear-wheel drive and near ...

(and sharing its V8 engine with both the LS and the Thunderbird), the Forty-Nine was developed as a modern interpretation of the 1949 Ford Club Coupe; doing away with the "bullet-nose", the two-door adopted an all-glass roof. In a fashion similar to the Volkswagen New Beetle, Audi TT, Ford Thunderbird, and Chrysler PT Cruiser, the Ford Forty-Nine was intended as a preview of a possible production vehicle. Alongside the glass-roof coupe, Ford also produced a (non-running) Forty-Nine convertible. After the disappointing launch of the Ford Thunderbird, Ford ended further development on a production version of the Forty-Nine.

References

Sources

* *

External links

* {{Ford full-size timeline

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2022. * January 2 – Luis ...

Cars introduced in 1948 Cars introduced in 1949 Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States