1955 Ford
Encyclopedia
The Ford line of car
s gained a new body for 1955 to keep up with surging Chevrolet
, although it remained similar to the 1952 Ford
underneath. The Mileage Maker
I6 was bumped up to 223 CID (3.7 L) for 120 hp (89 kW) and the new-for-1954 Y-block
V8 was now offered in two sizes: Standard Fords used a 272 CID (4.5 L) version with 162 hp (121 kW), but the large 292 CID (4.8 L) unit from the Thunderbird
was also offered, boasting 193 hp (144 kW).
" style featured a chrome "basket handle" across the familiar (and continued) "Victoria" hardtop roof, which originally appeared on the Mercury XM-800
concept car. This use of a styling feature to visually separate the front of the passenger compartment from the rear reappeared on the 1977-1979 Ford Thunderbird
, the Ford Fairmont
Futura and Mercury Zephyr
Z-7 coupes. The company now boasted three different rooflines, the tall two-pillar Mainline, Customline, and Fairlane, lower chrome-pillar Crown Victoria, and pillarless hardtop Victoria. The "Skyliner
" acrylic glass
roof was still offered, this time only on the Crown Victoria model.
The Fords introduced for 1955 also featured the panoramic windshields found on Oldsmobile
s, Buick
s and Cadillac
s the previous year.
With this panoramic windshield the A-pillars have a vertical angle.
this gives the driver more panoramic visibility.
For the first time, Ford offered seat belts as an option. Also new for 1955 was Ford's first factory installed air conditioner
. This “Select Aire” option featured an integrated heater core and evaporator coil unit within the dash and cold air discharge vents located on top of the dash on either side of the radio speaker. The "Select Aire" design was carried over to the 1956 models with slightly different cold air vents in the same location as on the 1955 models. The condenser was mounted in front of the radiator as in later cars.
Station wagons were offered as a separate series for the first time in 1955. The Ranch Wagon
and Custom Ranch Wagon were 2 door wagons whilst the Country Sedan and Country Squire
models were 4 doors wagons, the latter featuring wooden appliqué side mouldings.
's sales were plummeting with just 603 made, and it would be replaced by a convertible the next year. A new addition at midyear was the "Town Victoria" 4-door hardtop model which, along with the new Customline 2-door hardtop, were meant to compete with the Chevrolet Bel Air
.
The Lifeguard
safety package — consisting of seat belts, a padded dashboard, a deep-dish steering wheel, and a breakaway rearview mirror — was introduced. The option was a slow-seller. The optional air conditioner, which remained expensive and thus a slow seller, was totally revamped; the compressor was now housed beneath the hood and the cooling vents were moved to atop the dashboard(it could not be ordered on the Thunderbird).
which offered it as a V8 Customline 4-door sedan and as a V8 Mainline 2-door coupe utility
.
The latter body style was developed in Australia utilising an imported convertible chassis strengthened for load carrying. A limited number of Customline wagons was also built. Customlines and Mainlines received the 1956 US Ford facelift and then further makeovers in 1957 and 1958 with the final series utilizing the grille from 1955 Meteor of Canada
. Production ended the following year with the introduction of the 1959 US Ford which was locally produced in Custom 300, Fairlane 500 and Ranch Wagon models.
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s gained a new body for 1955 to keep up with surging Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
, although it remained similar to the 1952 Ford
1952 Ford
The Ford line of cars was again refreshed for 1952, although remaining similar to the all-new 1949 Fords. This time, curved one-piece windshield glass joined a new "Mileage Maker" straight-6 engine with 101hp...
underneath. The Mileage Maker
Ford Straight-6 engine
Ford's first straight-6 engine was introduced in 1906 in the Model K. Production ended in 1907. Henry Ford did not like this car, which could overpower its transmission. The next Ford six was introduced in the 1941 Ford. The Ford Motor Company of America continued producing straight six engines...
I6 was bumped up to 223 CID (3.7 L) for 120 hp (89 kW) and the new-for-1954 Y-block
Ford Y-block engine
The Y-block engine is a family of overhead valve V8 automobile piston engines from Ford Motor Company. It was introduced in 1952 on Ford trucks and in 1954 on Ford cars to replace the side-valved Ford Flathead engine and was replaced by the Ford FE engine and the Ford Windsor engine in 1962, and...
V8 was now offered in two sizes: Standard Fords used a 272 CID (4.5 L) version with 162 hp (121 kW), but the large 292 CID (4.8 L) unit from the Thunderbird
Ford Thunderbird (first generation)
Ford unveiled the Thunderbird at the Detroit Auto Show on February 20, 1954. The first production car came off the line on September 9, 1954, and went on sale on October 22, 1954 as a 1955 model, and sold briskly; 3,500 orders were placed in the first ten days of sale...
was also offered, boasting 193 hp (144 kW).
1955
Apart from the engine changes, customers were sure to notice the new "Fairlane", which replaced the Crestline as the top trim level, while a new "Crown VictoriaFord Crown Victoria
-1992–1994:Released in March 1991 as an early 1992 model, the Crown Victoria sedan was completely redesigned with a rounder, eight-window roofline . The redesign reduced the coefficient of drag from 0.42 to 0.34; the suspension setup was also heavily revised...
" style featured a chrome "basket handle" across the familiar (and continued) "Victoria" hardtop roof, which originally appeared on the Mercury XM-800
Mercury XM-800
The Mercury XM-800 was a concept car created by the Ford Motor Company brand, Mercury, first introduced at the 1954 Chicago Auto Show. The XM 800 then traveled the US auto show circuit throughout the 1954 season. Although it was promoted by Ford as an "advanced design, engineered to go into volume...
concept car. This use of a styling feature to visually separate the front of the passenger compartment from the rear reappeared on the 1977-1979 Ford Thunderbird
Ford Thunderbird (seventh generation)
For the 1977 through 1979 model years, the Thunderbird nameplate was shifted to the smaller 114" wheelbase chassis that underpinned the 1972-76 Ford Torino and its replacement, the concurrent 1977-79 LTD II, as Ford's first effort at downsizing the car. The squarer, sharper styling was popular, and...
, the Ford Fairmont
Ford Fairmont
The Ford Fairmont is a compact car produced by Ford Motor Company for the North American market. Introduced for the 1978 model year, the Fairmont was produced in several bodystyles until it was replaced by the Ford Tempo for the 1984 model year...
Futura and Mercury Zephyr
Mercury Zephyr
The Mercury Zephyr is a compact car sold by the Lincoln-Mercury division of Ford Motor Company for the North American market. Introduced as a replacement for the Mercury Comet, it was produced from 1978 to 1983...
Z-7 coupes. The company now boasted three different rooflines, the tall two-pillar Mainline, Customline, and Fairlane, lower chrome-pillar Crown Victoria, and pillarless hardtop Victoria. The "Skyliner
Ford Skyliner
The Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner is a full-size two door automobile with a retractable hardtop which was produced by the Ford Motor Company in the United States for the model years 1957, 1958 and 1959. Part of the Ford Fairlane range, the Skyliner had a complex mechanism which folded the front of...
" acrylic glass
Acrylic glass
Poly is a transparent thermoplastic, often used as a light or shatter-resistant alternative to glass. It is sometimes called acrylic glass. Chemically, it is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate...
roof was still offered, this time only on the Crown Victoria model.
The Fords introduced for 1955 also featured the panoramic windshields found on Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory...
s, Buick
Buick
Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...
s and Cadillac
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
s the previous year.
With this panoramic windshield the A-pillars have a vertical angle.
this gives the driver more panoramic visibility.
For the first time, Ford offered seat belts as an option. Also new for 1955 was Ford's first factory installed air conditioner
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
. This “Select Aire” option featured an integrated heater core and evaporator coil unit within the dash and cold air discharge vents located on top of the dash on either side of the radio speaker. The "Select Aire" design was carried over to the 1956 models with slightly different cold air vents in the same location as on the 1955 models. The condenser was mounted in front of the radiator as in later cars.
Station wagons were offered as a separate series for the first time in 1955. The Ranch Wagon
Ford Ranch Wagon
The Ford Ranch Wagon was a station wagon built by Ford Motor Company from 1952 to 1977. The Ranch Wagon was a full-size model, except in 1963 and 1964, when it was part of the intermediate-size Fairlane series, and represented the lowest-priced selection in its respective line.- 1952-1962 :In the...
and Custom Ranch Wagon were 2 door wagons whilst the Country Sedan and Country Squire
Ford Country Squire
- Third generation :Prior to 1961, all Ford wagons used a two-piece tailgate assembly that required the operator to lift the rear window up and locking it into place via a mechanical support, and then drop the tail gate down to fully access the rear compartment.For the 1961 Ford adopted a tailgate...
models were 4 doors wagons, the latter featuring wooden appliqué side mouldings.
1956
The eggcrate grille featured on the 1955 cars was widened into a series of rectangles for 1956, but this subtle exterior change was nothing compared to Ford's adoption of a 12-volt electrical system across the line. The Crown Victoria SkylinerFord Crown Victoria Skyliner
Ford's 1954 Crestline Skyliner was replaced in 1955 by the Fairlane Crown Victoria Skyliner, based on the new 1955 Ford design. It shared the flashy chrome "basket handle" which stretched the B-pillar across the roof of the 1955 Crown Victoria model but added a smoked acrylic glass window over the...
's sales were plummeting with just 603 made, and it would be replaced by a convertible the next year. A new addition at midyear was the "Town Victoria" 4-door hardtop model which, along with the new Customline 2-door hardtop, were meant to compete with the Chevrolet Bel Air
Chevrolet Bel Air
The Chevrolet Bel Air is a full-size automobile that was produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1950–1975 model years. Hardtops in the Chevrolet Deluxe Styleline model range were designated with the Bel Air name from 1950–1952, but it was not a distinct series of its own until...
.
The Lifeguard
Lifeguard (Automobile safety)
Lifeguard was the name of a 1956 safety package marketed by the Ford Motor Company.Spurred by Robert McNamara, the Cornell University crash research program and the first year of Ford's own crash testing the Lifeguard package included:...
safety package — consisting of seat belts, a padded dashboard, a deep-dish steering wheel, and a breakaway rearview mirror — was introduced. The option was a slow-seller. The optional air conditioner, which remained expensive and thus a slow seller, was totally revamped; the compressor was now housed beneath the hood and the cooling vents were moved to atop the dashboard(it could not be ordered on the Thunderbird).
Australian production
The 1955 Ford was also produced by Ford AustraliaFord Australia
Ford Australia is the Australian subsidiary of Ford Motor Company and was founded in Geelong, Victoria, in 1925 as an outpost of Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited. At that time, Ford Canada was a separate company from Ford USA...
which offered it as a V8 Customline 4-door sedan and as a V8 Mainline 2-door coupe utility
Coupé utility
The coupé utility automobile body style, also known colloquially as the ute in Australia and New Zealand, combines a two-door "coupé" cabin with an integral cargo bed behind the cabin—using a light-duty passenger vehicle-derived platform....
.
The latter body style was developed in Australia utilising an imported convertible chassis strengthened for load carrying. A limited number of Customline wagons was also built. Customlines and Mainlines received the 1956 US Ford facelift and then further makeovers in 1957 and 1958 with the final series utilizing the grille from 1955 Meteor of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Production ended the following year with the introduction of the 1959 US Ford which was locally produced in Custom 300, Fairlane 500 and Ranch Wagon models.