248 pages - 2008-2009
1957 Fairlane 500
2-Door Hardtop

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Introduced in June of 1948, the all-new 1949 Ford was a stylish precursor to the Fords of the fifties. With its sleek bullet nose & integral fender design, it was a radical departure from the vehicles that Detroit offered after the war. A two-speed automatic transmission and the pillarless hardtop roofline were hallmarks for Ford during the early fifties, as well. With subtle modifications, this body style was carried through the 1951 model year.

The year 1952 brought a new body style along with updated chassis and suspension features. The Customline, Mainline & Crestlines through 1953 also boasted a one-piece windshield along with updated & modern interior fabrics. Ford's stylists focused much of their energy on rooflines throughout this era, starting with the tinted plastic of the Skyliner and culminating in the attractive stainless sweep of the 1955 and 1956 Crown Victorias.

1953 marked the end of an era, with the last of the venerable flathead V8s rolling off the assembly lines to make way for the overhead Y-block V8 of 239 cubic inches. The horsepower wars were on and Ford increased its displacement through 312 cubic inches, along with upgraded induction systems. To house these modern powerplants, Ford introduced the longer, lower and wider stylings of the 1957 model line.
This trendsetting year also saw the introduction of the Skyliner retractable hardtop and the stylish workhorse known as the Ranchero. With a complex electrical system of relays, switches and motors the rare Retractables still wow car show audiences to this day.
Ford continued it's competitive performance edge with the "FE" series of big block mills with the 332 and 352 cubic inch offerings in 1958. This year also saw the availability of the Cruise-o-matic transmission and all new dual headlight design.
The popular Galaxie nameplate was first unveiled in 1959, signifying the top of the line model, a name that would serve Ford well, through the year 1972. As the decade drew to a close, the end of an era also brought with it the end of Ford's retractable and full-sized Ranchero models. (The Ranchero evolved into the Falcon line.)
All in all the fifties can well be remembered as a time of numerous styling, performance and luxury innovations for the Ford Motor Company.

Mercury Arrives
The new 1949 Mercury line was unveiled to an eager public in April of 1948. Based on the larger & more luxurious Lincoln platform, this represented the first dramatic postwar restyling.
The Monterey Coupe was a two-door option in 1950, highlighted by a vinyl roof and a luxurious leather interior. This body style, with minor upgrades, would remain through the 1951 model year. In 1952 Mercury launched a completely restylized body showcasing a hood scoop design, an elevated integral bumper and grill & a novel "aircraft-type" instrument cluster. Like Ford, Mercury now featured a one-piece windshield and the introduction of the pillarless two-door hardtop roofline. 1953 & 1954 saw subtle mechanical and styling improvements, most notably the introduction of the overhead Y-block V8 in the latter year. The ride & handling was greatly enhanced by a ball-joint front suspension as well.
Longer & lower was the mantra for the 1955 through 1956 Mercury offerings, proudly introducing the Montclair and economical Medalist nameplates. The larger & now more powerful 312 cubic inch V8 was also an option throughout this time period.
With both an increase in wheelbase and overall length the 1957-59 Mercurys were some of the sleekest on the highways, now boasting up to 430 cubes under the long expanse of hood. 1958 also saw the introduction of the Park Lane, having been designed to compete head on with Buick's Roadmaster.
The memorable & aptly named Turnpike Cruiser was also on the road in 1958, remembered for it's quad headlamps & canted vee-shaped taillights. These models came standard with an automatic transmission & offered continental kits and air-conditioning as options.
From the "James Dean" Mercurys of 1949, through being named the Official Pace Car for the Indy 500 in 1957, to the powerful 345 h.p. Montereys in 1959, the decade of the fifties shall forever be remembered as a time when the Mercury division truly came into its own.

. . . then came the Edsel
In April of 1955, the powers at Ford Motor Company approved & established a "Special Products Division" to pursue the development of a medium-priced car known then as the E-Car (experimental). This, of course, was the Edsel, designed to be a unique, readily recognizable car named after Henry Ford's only son.
Introduced with much fanfare, publicity and expectation, an estimated 2.5 million Americans made their way into showrooms during the September 1957 launch date.
Perhaps the overly ambitious lineup of 4 distinct models built on two separate platforms was too much for the general public to consider. Or perhaps the unusual and controversial styling had something to do with the less than stellar sales records. Regardless, with slow sales to contend with, the Edsel division trimmed their product offerings to the Ranger & Corsair model lines by 1959.
The 361 cubic inch engine was the powerplant of choice for the Ranger & Pacer in 1958, while the larger 410 inch mill powered the larger & heavier Corsairs & Citations.
Edsel's exclusive Tele-touch pushbutton transmission, was incorporated into the steering wheel and was a unique element along with it's "floating" speedometer built into the dash cluster.
As part of the 1959 model year cost reductions, Edsel offered the Ford division's 292 Y-block in the Ranger & 332 cubic inch in the Corsair. New for this model year was the option of the 223 cubic inch six cylinder.
1960 was to be the final year in the colorful Edsel history & now only the Ranger & Villager station wagon models were available. Based upon the Ford model platform, the Edsel Ranger had unique side moldings, grille ornamentation & vertical taillamp housings.
Prospective Edsel buyers for 1960 could order four-way power seats, back-up lamps, padded dash, "Polar-Air" air conditioning and two-tone paint to mention but a few options and were further enticed by the 292 cubic inch V8 and once again the 223 inch inline six cylinder (as a delete option).
Sadly, just over a month after it's October 1960 introduction date, it was announced that the Edsel Division was to be no longer. The production figure for 1960 was a mere 2,846 units, bringing the total 3 year run of one of America's most unique cars to 110,847.
Whether it was the over-hyped promotion... or its over-the-top styling... or the result of an untimely national depression, the fact remains - the Edsel will remain one of the Ford Motor Company's (and automotive history's) biggest curiosities.

If you are contemplating the restoration of one of these Big Fords, or are already deep into a restoration, or are proudly driving your completed restoration, MAC's can help you. MAC's has been supplying a complete line of parts, accessories, supplies, manuals, and literature for Ford restorers since 1977. Our current 1949-1959 Ford, Mercury and 1958-60 Edsel Passenger parts catalog lists over 4,450 parts. It is fully illustrated and contains part numbers, prices, descriptions, number of parts required, and the years of application. The catalog is free if you have a 1949-1959 Ford or Mercury Passenger car and/or a 1958-60 Edsel. Outside the U.S. we do require a payment of $5.00 U.S. to cover the cost of postage.

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