There’s an inexplicable charm to the big American cars of the ’50s. The warmth of American optimism in those years seems to resonate through automobile designs, looking forward to bigger roads and jet-powered futures. It was a great decade for Americana in general, from home design and music, to the new and exciting medium of television. The cars of this period especially exemplify this warmth and optimism—many are classics in their own right: the ’55-57 Chevrolet, the Chrysler 300C, the infamously excessive ’59 Cadillac.
What seems to be overlooked much of the time by collectors, however, are Fords from this period. Strangely, although Ford outsold GM for much of the decade, 1950s Fords have never been as popular with collectors or enthusiasts as their Chevrolet counterparts. That being said, they’re still great cars, and this featured piece is one of the best examples we’ve seen.
It’s a 1955 Ford Customline sedan, which despite the “Route 66” graphics on the side actually did serve as a police cruiser in its day. The car’s a solid runner with an indicated 86,009 miles on the clock, and the current owner states the 272-cubic-inch Y-block engine was rebuilt only 1500 miles ago. For the most part, it’s stock with just a few minor modifications, including air shocks in the rear and new dual exhausts. It’s a real joy to see going down the road, and nothing else gets quite the same attention as a real vintage crank siren and working lights.
The best part? It’s for sale. If you want more information on a chance to own it yourself, please contact Mike Franich at (310)-541-9750.
Photography by Andrew Schneider and Sean Lorentzen
