The mainstream
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 ...
line of
car
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods.
The year 1886 is regarded as ...
s grew substantially larger for 1957, a model which lasted through 1959. The Crown Victoria with its flashy chrome "basket handle" was no more, and the
acrylic glass
Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) belongs to a group of materials called engineering plastics. It is a transparent thermoplastic. PMMA is also known as acrylic, acrylic glass, as well as by the trade names and brands Crylux, Plexiglas, Acrylite, ...
-roofed
Crown Victoria Skyliner was replaced by a new model, the retracting-roof hardtop
Skyliner
The is an airport limited express train service between Tokyo and Narita Airport in Japan. It is operated by Keisei Electric Railway and runs on the Narita Sky Access route.
This article also covers the and services.
Service
The ''Skylin ...
.
The new chassis allowed the floor to be placed much lower, which in turn led to a lower and longer look overall. Wheels were now 14 inches in diameter rather the previous 15 inches, this also helped to give
a lower profile. The major component of this chassis was a
differential whose pinion gear was exceptionally low relative to the axleshafts, lower than in conventional
hypoid
A spiral bevel gear is a bevel gear with helical teeth. The main application of this is in a vehicle differential, where the direction of drive from the drive shaft must be turned 90 degrees to drive the wheels. The helical design produces less ...
differentials.
1957
The 1957 models retained a single-headlight front end like their predecessors, but were unmistakable with their long flanks and
tailfins. A plethora of trim lines was introduced, starting with the base "Custom", "Custom 300", "Fairlane", and top-line "Fairlane 500". The two Custom lines used a 116 in (2946 mm) wheelbase, while the Fairlanes had 118 in (2997 mm) between the wheels. A new car/
pickup truck
A pickup truck or pickup is a light-duty truck that has an enclosed cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (this cargo bed back end sometimes consists of a tailgate and removable covering) ...
hybrid based on the short-wheelbase chassis was also introduced, the
Ranchero.
The 223 CID (3.7 L) ''
OHV straight-six'' continued, now with 144 hp (107 kW). The
V8 lineup included a 272 CID (4.5 L) ''
Y-block
The Y-Block was a building in Oslo, Norway, extant from 1970 to 2020. The building, designed in a Brutalist style by Erling Viksjø, was part of the (Government Quarter) in the centre of the city. It featured two murals by Pablo Picasso. It w ...
'' making 190 hp (142 kW), a 292 CID (4.8 L) ''
Thunderbird
Thunderbird, thunder bird or thunderbirds may refer to:
* Thunderbird (mythology), a legendary creature in certain North American indigenous peoples' history and culture
* Ford Thunderbird, a car
Birds
* Dromornithidae, extinct flightless birds ...
'' version making 212 hp (158 kW), a 312 cubic inch V8 making 245 HP and a
supercharged
In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement.
The current categorisation is that a supercharger is a form of forced induct ...
312 CID (5.1 L) ''
Thunderbird Special'' making , and designated "Police Interceptor" on the glove box. Two dual 4-barrel versions of the naturally aspirated (non-supercharged) 312 cubic inch V8 rated at 270 and 285 HP were available. The 270 HP version had the same cam as all the other V-8s but had vibration dampers on the valve springs. The 285 HP engine had a racing cam and was only available to NASCAR and possibly other racers. This option was dubbed "E code" and was available in all body types. It came standard with the deep-dish steering wheel. The radio had a transistorized audio output stage for the first time.
There were lights for the generator and oil instead of gauges.
[ The controls became recessed for more safety (the ]Lifeguard
A lifeguard is a rescuer who supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, beach, spa, river and lake. Lifeguards are trained in swimming and CPR/ AED first a ...
safety package was still available). Safety did not yet sell, however: In a survey of 1957 Ford owners in the March, 1957 issue of Popular Mechanics
''Popular Mechanics'' (sometimes PM or PopMech) is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do-it-yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation and transportation o ...
, only 6.2% of owners ordered seat belts.
A new frame was used for the 1957 Fords. It moved to perimeter rails out, so that they would fully envelope the passengers.
This model was very successful, being the best selling car in America, overtaking arch rival Chevrolet for the first time since 1935.
File:1957 Ford Fairlane.jpg, 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Club Victoria
File:Ford Country Sedan 1957.JPG, 1957 Ford Country Sedan
File:Ford Custom Ranchero-1957.jpg, 1957 Ford Custom Ranchero
1958
The line was freshened with a simulated hood scoop and dual-headlight front clip for 1958. The rectangular grille openings gave way to circles and grille was set in the bumper.[ A new 3-speed ]Cruise-O-Matic
Ford-O-Matic was the first automatic transmission widely used by Ford Motor Company. It was designed by the Warner Gear division of Borg Warner Corporation and introduced in 1951 model year cars, and was called the Merc-O-Matic when installed ...
automatic was optional along with the 2-speed Ford-O-Matic and manual transmission
A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission (mechanics), transmission ...
. Engines were also updated, with the 272 CID dropped, the 292 CID making 205 hp (153 kW), and a new-generation 332 CID (5.4 L) '' FE'' V8 rated at 240 HP in 2 barrel form and 265 HP in 4 barrel "Interceptor" form. The new 352 cubic inch V8, also dubbed "Interceptor" and rated at 300 hp (224 kW) made its debut. A full-flow oil filter became standard across the range. Galaxie production was started in Lorain, Ohio
Lorain () is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on Lake Erie, at the mouth of the Black River, about 30 miles west of Cleveland. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 65 ...
at Ford's Lorain Assembly
Lorain Assembly was a Ford Motor Company factory in Lorain, Ohio. The plant opened in 1958 and closed in 2005, having produced approximately 8,000,000 vehicles under 13 model names. Production of the plant's final product, the E-Series, moved to O ...
plant for 1958 and continued through 1959 with 102,869 Galaxies produced there. Air suspension, called "Ford-Aire" became optional on all vehicles except the entry-level Custom 300 for $156 ($ in dollars ) but was cancelled in 1959. Vehicles equipped with the feature had a badge attached to the rear of the vehicle.
The convertible version of Ford Fairlane 500, Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner (also called Skyliner Retractable Convertible), had been sold for three years - 1957, 1958, and 1959. It was the most expensive vehicle offered by Ford. The 1958 Skyliner sold for $3,163 ($ in dollars ) while the standard convertible sold for $2,650 ($ in dollars ) and the sedan went for $2,055 ($ in dollars ). A total of 14,713 units were produced in 1958. Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner weighed 4,609-pounds.
File:1958 Ford Fairlane 500 (24375517473).jpg, 1958 Ford Fairlane 500 Sedan
File:1958 Ford Fairlane.jpg, 1958 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner
File:1958 Ford Country Sedan 2.jpg, 1958 Ford Country Sedan
File:Ford Ranchero 1958 frontleft 2006-04-08 U.jpg, 1958 Ford Ranchero
1959
The top-line spot for 1959 was the new Galaxie
Stingray Music is a Canada-based international multi-platform audio service that broadcasts continuous Streaming media, streaming music and other forms of audio on multiple channel feeds. The service is owned by Stingray Digital.
While a song i ...
, positioned above the continued Fairlane 500. The Custom line was dropped, with Custom 300 the lowest rung on the ladder, and all 1959 Fords used the long 118 in (2997 mm) wheelbase. New for safety was fully padded armrests and rear door locks that were child proof. American prices ranged from the mid-1,000 to the low 3,000s. In 1958, a concept car was introduced called "la Galaxie" which incorporated the headlights into pods inline with the grille and a reduced front profile.
This version was also assembled in Australia, beginning in late 1959. Local models were the luxurious Fairlane 500, the lower-priced Custom 300 (both sedans), as well as the Ranch Wagon. The Australian models were powered by the "Thunderbird" engine, producing 204 hp.[ For 1960, the range was updated with the grille and trim from the 1959 Canadian ]Meteor
A meteoroid () is a small rocky or metallic body in outer space.
Meteoroids are defined as objects significantly smaller than asteroids, ranging in size from grains to objects up to a meter wide. Objects smaller than this are classified as micr ...
.[ Darwin, p. 136]
File:1959 Ford Galaxie Town Sedan.jpg, 1959 Ford Galaxie Town Sedan
File:'59 Ford Galaxie (Auto classique Laval '10).jpg, 1959 Ford Galaxie Club Victoria
File:1959 Ford Galaxie Sunliner convertible.JPG, 1959 Ford Galaxie Sunliner convertible
File:1959 Ford Galaxie Skyliner.JPG, 1959 Ford Galaxie Skyliner. 1959 Galaxies carried both ''Fairlane 500'' and ''Galaxie'' badges
File:1959 Ford Ranch Wagon 2-door.jpg, 1959 Ford Ranch Wagon (2-door)
File:'59 Meteor.jpg, 1959 Meteor
A meteoroid () is a small rocky or metallic body in outer space.
Meteoroids are defined as objects significantly smaller than asteroids, ranging in size from grains to objects up to a meter wide. Objects smaller than this are classified as micr ...
(Canada)
File:1959 Fairlane 500.JPG, 1960-61 Australian built Fairlane 500 with revised grille
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
*
{{Ford full-size timeline
1957
1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th y ...
Rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States
1950s cars