The Ford Custom is an automobile which was produced by Ford in the United States, Canada and Australia in certain years from 1949 to 1981.
The Ford Custom is an automobile which was produced by Ford in the United States, Canada and Australia in certain years from 1949 to 1981.
For the 1949 model year, the Custom nameplate was used for the top trim level in Ford's range automobile. [1] It was part of the completely new redesign of Ford cars after the war. In 1950, it had a 114-inch wheelbase and 196.8-inch overall length. [2] For 1950 the name was changed to Custom Deluxe [3] and then to Customline for 1952 when it moved to the midrange position between the new Mainline and Crestline models. [4]
The Custom name returned for the 1957 model year along with a new Custom 300 series, [5] these two models sitting below the Fairlane and Fairlane 500. [6] The base Custom was the bottom-rung model, whose primary customers were fleet buyers. The Custom 300 was a step up and intended for value-conscious customers. The Custom and Custom 300 generally replaced the fleet-oriented Mainline and mid-range Customline, respectively, for 1957.
The Custom 300 became the base model for 1958, [7] but was dropped from the range for 1960. [8]
From 1960 to 1963, the "Custom" and number-affixated variant nameplates were absent from the lineup, replaced by either Fairlane or base Galaxie models. Base 1963 Fords were badged "Ford 300."
The Custom nameplate reappeared in 1964, once again on the economy line of models. As in 1957 and 1958, the Custom range consisted of two series: a base Custom range and a slightly better-trimmed Custom 500 series. [9] Most Customs were sold to police and taxi fleets during the 1960s - although anyone who wanted basic, no-frills transportation in a full-sized car could purchase one - while the Custom 500 was marketed toward budget-conscious buyers who wanted a low-cost automobile but not a stripped model. Generally, the Custom 500 models were differentiated from their less-expensive stablemates by chrome fender trim, roof drip moldings, carpeting (although by the late 1960s, even base Customs had carpeting), upgraded cloth-and-vinyl upholstery, and minor convenience items.
Most Customs and Custom 500s were fitted either with a base inline six-cylinder engine or a small-block V8 engine (289 cid in the early years, up to 351 by the mid- to late-1970s [10] ), although the full range of V8 engines, up to the 425-horsepower 427 V8, and transmissions (from overdrive and 4-speed manual to SelectShift automatic) were available for law enforcement and performance-oriented customers who wanted the lightest car possible. As late as 1972, a powertrain combination of a six-cylinder engine and three-speed manual transmission was standard on the Custom and Custom 500 range; all V8-powered Customs had SelectShift made standard for the 1972 model year. [10] Six cylinder engines and manual transmissions were dropped in 1973 due to the added weight of newly mandated 5 MPH numbers; all full-sized Fords from 1973 onward, including the Custom 500, had a V8 engine (351 cubic inches at its smallest) and SelectShift transmission standard. [10]
The Custom was dropped after the 1972 model year, [11] while the Custom 500 continued. For 1975, all full-size Fords were consolidated around the LTD nameplate, but the Custom 500 was brought back a few months into the model year. From 1976 onward it was only available in the US for fleet customers. [10] The Custom 500 continued to be sold to retail customers in Canada and the nameplate was used there through 1981. In the United States, the Custom 500 was replaced on the new downsized Panther vehicles by the LTD "S."
The companion station wagon series sold with Custom and Custom 500 trim was the Ranch Wagon. [10] Like the coupe and sedan models, these cars were intended for fleet buyers.
The 1979 Custom 500 for the Canadian market was completely redesigned with the advent of the Panther platform, and had the base-model 1979 Ford LTD front end (with single rectangular headlights and inboard parking lights on a grille distinct from the upper-trimmed LTD Landau/Crown Victoria). The standard powertrain in 1979 was a 302 cu in (5 L) V8 with SelectShift transmission, while a 351 cu in (5.8 L) Windsor V8 was optional. For 1980, to meet EPA CAFE standards, a 255 cu in (4.2 L) V8 was made standard, with the 302 and 351 V8 engines optional.
Approximately 7,850,000 full-size Fords and Mercurys were sold over 1969-78. [12] [13] This makes it the tenth best selling automobile platform in history.
The Ford Custom Fordor was produced in Australia from September 1949, [14] and Australian content on the locally produced Custom had reached 80% by 1950. [14] A coupe utility variant was also offered by Ford Australia, initially as the Ford Coupe Utility, [15] and later as the Ford De Luxe Coupe Utility. [16]
The 1959 model North American Custom 300 was also produced by Ford Australia from September 1959. [17] Offered only as a four-door sedan and only with a 332 cu in (5.4 L) V8 engine, it was given a mild makeover in late 1960 which included the grille design from the 1959 Canadian Meteor. [17] The facelifted model continued in production through to 1962. [17]
The Mercury Comet is an automobile that was produced by Mercury from 1960–1969 and 1971–1977 — variously as either a compact or an intermediate car. In its first two years, it was marketed as the "Comet" and from 1962 as the "Mercury Comet".
The Ford Galaxie is a full-sized car that was built in the United States by Ford for model years 1959 through 1974. The name was used for the top models in Ford's full-size range from 1958 until 1961, in a marketing attempt to appeal to the excitement surrounding the Space Race. 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.
The Ford Parklane is a station wagon that was produced by Ford for the 1956 model year. In line with the Chevrolet Nomad, the Parklane was a premium two-door station wagon, combining the body of the two-door Ford Ranch Wagon with trim elements of the Ford Fairlane sedan.
The Ford Mainline is an automobile which was produced by Ford in the United States in the models years 1952 to 1956. It was introduced as the base trim level of the 1952 Ford range below the Customline and Crestline models. The Mainline retained its position in the redesigned 1955 Ford range but was discontinued for the 1957 model year when the Ford Custom became the new base model.
Meteor was a marque of automobiles offered by Ford Motor Company of Canada from 1949 to 1976. The make was retired for the 1962 and 1963 model years, when the name was used for the Mercury Meteor sold in the United States. It succeeded the Mercury 114, a Canadian-market Mercury based on the Ford, the "114" name being taken from the car's wheelbase.
The Plymouth Belvedere is a series of American automobile models made by Plymouth from 1954 until 1970.
The Plymouth Plaza is an automobile which was produced by Plymouth from 1954 through the 1958 model year.
The Ford Fairlane is an automobile model that was sold between the 1955 and 1970 model years by Ford in North America. Taking its name from the Dearborn, Michigan estate of Henry Ford, the Fairlane nameplate was used for seven different generations of vehicles. Through its production, the model line would be marketed in a wide variety of body styles, including two-door and four-door sedans, two-door and four-door hardtops, station wagons, and both traditional and retractable-hardtop convertibles.
The Mercury Meteor is an automobile that was produced by Mercury from the 1961 to 1963 model years. Adopting its nameplate from the namesake Ford of Canada brand, the Meteor was introduced as the base-trim full-size Mercury sedan, while the compact Mercury Comet shared a naming convention associated with the ongoing Space Race of the early 1960s. Slotted below the Mercury Monterey, the Meteor was the Mercury counterpart of the Ford Fairlane.
The Newport was a name used by Chrysler for both a hardtop body designation and also for its lowest priced model between 1961 and 1981. Chrysler first used the Newport name on a 1940 show car, of which five vehicles were produced. From 1950 to 1956, the Newport name was then used to designate any Chrysler model with a hardtop body style. In 1961, Chrysler introduced the Newport as a new, low-priced model, offering large, comfortable two- and four-door Chrysler models that were modestly priced compared with the Chrysler 300, the Chrysler New Yorker and the Imperial. For 1961, the Newport was priced below the Chrysler Windsor in the Windsor's final year.
The Ford Falcon is a model line of cars that was produced by Ford from the 1960 to 1970 model years. Though preceded by the Rambler American, the Falcon was the first compact car marketed by the Big Three American manufacturers.
The Ford 300 is an American automobile manufactured by Ford exclusively for the 1963 model year. It served as the foundational trim level within the full-size 1963 Ford lineup, positioned below the Galaxie, Galaxie 500, and Galaxie 500XL models. Distinguished by its minimal chrome trim and lack of luxury features, it was comparable in trim level to the Chevrolet Biscayne.
The Ford Customline is an automobile model that was sold between 1952 and 1956 by Ford in North America.
The Dodge Royal is an automobile produced by Dodge in the United States from the 1954 through 1959 model years.
The 1955 Ford is an automobile which was produced by Ford in the United States for the 1955 model year and, in revised form, for the 1956 model year. A new design would be offered in 1957.
Leading into the 1950s, Ford, along with many other top of the market car manufacturers were capitalizing on the post war boom. Many new advancements in technology and products were being developed during this time that allowed for cars going into the future to have features never seen before or features that were not normal until now. The automatic window, for example, was a new feature that made Americans see their current cars as outdated and technologically behind. The 1960s were one of the best eras for the production of cars, as the war between Ford and Chevrolet heated up and produced some of the most classic and recognizable cars in America still to this day.
The Ford Crestline is an automobile which was produced by Ford in the United States for models years 1952 to 1954.
Full-size Ford is a term adopted for a long-running line of Ford vehicles with a shared model lineage in North America. Originating in 1908 with the Ford Model T, the line ended in 2019 with the Ford Taurus, as Ford withdrew from the full-sized sedan segment in North America. Across 111 years, 15 generations, and over 60 million examples of the model line were produced across over 50 model nameplates. By contrast, the longest-running single nameplate worldwide is the Chevrolet Suburban, in use since the 1935 model year.
The Ford Ranch Wagon is a station wagon which was built by Ford in the United States from 1952 to 1974. 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.
The Dodge Custom is a full-size car which was produced by Dodge in the United States from 1946 to early 1949, and was also called the DeLuxe in a more basic trim package. Dodge was very fluid with model nameplates and during the 1930s updated them yearly based on marketing objectives, while the actual vehicle was largely unchanged for what became known as the "Senior Dodge's" that were available with shorter "Junior Dodges" that were essentially badge engineered Plymouth models during this time period.
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