Ford Customline

Last updated

The Ford Customline is an automobile model that was sold between 1952 and 1956 by Ford in North America.

Contents

Ford Customline
1954 Ford De Luxe Fordor Sedan FSZ226.jpg
1954 Ford Customline “Fordor” Sedan
Overview
Manufacturer Ford
Production1952–1956
AssemblyMain plant
Dearborn, MI [1]
Branch Assembly
Twin Cities, MN
Somerville, MA
Richmond, CA
Norfolk, VA
Memphis, TN
Louisville, KY
Long Beach, CA
Kansas City, MO
Edgewater, NJ
Dallas, TX
Chicago, IL
Chester, PA
Buffalo, NY
Atlanta, GA
Australia [2]
Body and chassis
Class Full-size
Body style two-door sedan
four-door sedan
Layout FR layout
Chronology
Successor Ford Custom 300

First generation (1952–1954)

First generation: 1952 to 1954
1952 Ford 70B Customline Tudor Sedan DAG289.jpg
1952 Ford Customline Tudor Sedan
Overview
Manufacturer Ford
Production1952-1954
Body and chassis
Class Full-size
Body style 2-door sedan [3]
4-door sedan [3]
2-door coupé [3]
2-door station wagon [3]
4-door station wagon [3]
Layout FR layout

1952

The Ford Customline was introduced in 1952 as the mid-range model in that year’s US Ford range, positioned below the Ford Crestline and above the Ford Mainline. [3] It was offered in 2-door sedan, 4-door sedan, 2-door coupé & 4-door station wagon body styles. [3] The coupe was marketed as the Club Coupe [3] and the station wagon as the Customline Country Sedan. [4] 1952 Customlines were available with 215 cubic inches (3,520 cc) inline six-cylinder or 239 cubic inches (3,920 cc) V8 engines. [3] Production totaled 402,542 units. [3]

1953

The 1953 Customlines continued the 1952 bodies with only minor changes. [3] Production totaled 761,662 units. [3]

1954

The 1954 Customlines used the 1952-53 bodies with only minor changes. [3] The Customline range now included a new 2-door Ranch Wagon. [5] Engines were now 223 cubic inches (3,650 cc) inline six-cylinder or 239 cubic inches (3,920 cc) overhead valve V8. [3] 1954 Customline production totaled 674,295 units. [3]

Second generation (1955–1956)

Second generation: 1955 to 1956
1956 Ford Customline BFA553.jpg
1956 Ford Customline Victoria
Overview
Production1955-1956
Body and chassis
Class Full-size
Body style 2-door sedan [3]
4-door sedan [3]
2-door hardtop coupe [3]
Layout FR layout

1955

The 1955 Customline was redesigned with new longer, lower and wider bodies. [3] It continued as the mid range trim level, now positioned below the new Ford Fairlane and above the Ford Mainline. [3] It was offered in 2-door sedan and 4-door sedan body styles only, [3] with the wagons now included in their own series which comprised the Ford Ranch Wagon, Ford Country Sedan and Ford Country Squire. [3] Customlines were available with 223 cubic inches (3,650 cc) inline six-cylinder or 272 cubic inches (4,460 cc) V8 engines. [3] 1955 Customline production totaled 471,992 units. [3]

1956

The 1956 Customlines utilized the 1955 bodies with only minor changes. [3] A Customline Victoria 2-door hardtop was added to the range. [3] 1956 Customline production totaled 368,653 units, and was manufactured in several branch assembly plants the company had continued to operate in the United States. [1] [3]

The Customline was not carried over to the 1957 model year. [6]

Australian production

The Customline was also produced by Ford Australia from 1952 to 1959. [2] Cars were assembled using Australian built bodies and imported chassis kits which included all front sheet metal. [7] In addition to the Customline sedan, a limited number of station wagons [8] and the Australian developed Mainline Coupe Utility were produced. [7]

The 1952 model was updated in 1953 and 1954 along the lines of the US Fords. [9] All were powered by the Flathead V8 which went into Australian production in 1952. [9] This included the 1954 model which was fitted with the older Chassis and engine rather than the new overhead valve Y-block V8 which had been introduced in the US for 1954. Australian 1954 Fords also used King Pin front suspension and still had 1952 rear Quarter Panels. >[bilsborow archives]

The 1955 body was used for four model series in Australia. [10] The 1955 model was powered by the overhead valve Y-block V8 which had entered partial Australian production with locally sourced components. [11] The 1956 model featured the 1956 US Customline grille, 12 volt electrics and a new Fordomatic automatic transmission option. [11] The 1957 model retained the 1956 body but featured a large V8 badge positioned in the grille and utilized 1956 Ford Fairlane trim. [9] The 1958 model used the 1955 Canadian Meteor grille with a four-pointed star and 1956 Meteor side trim. [9] The 1958 ‘star model’ was badged as either a Customline or as a Fordomatic [11] [12] Production ended in September 1959 with the introduction of Australian assembled 1959 Fairlane 500, Custom 300 and Ranch Wagon models. [10] An estimated 18,000 examples of the 1955-1959 sedan were produced. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Comet</span> Motor vehicle

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".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Galaxie</span> American full-size car

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Parklane</span> Motor vehicle

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Country Squire</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford Country Squire is a series of full-size station wagons that were assembled by American automaker Ford. Positioned as the top-level station wagon of the Ford division, the Country Squire was distinguished by woodgrain bodyside trim. From 1950 through the 1991 model years, eight generations of the Country Squire were produced. Following the discontinuation of Edsel Bermuda, Mercury marketed the Mercury Colony Park as a divisional counterpart of the Country Squire, sharing bodywork and trim while the Mercury was not available with a six cylinder engine and was more expensive due to the optional equipment on the Ford that was standard on the Mercury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet Bel Air</span> American full-size automobile

The Chevrolet Bel Air is a full-size car produced by Chevrolet for the 1950–1981 model years. Initially, only the two-door hardtops in the Chevrolet model range were designated with the Bel Air name from 1950 to 1952. With the 1953 model year, the Bel Air name was changed from a designation for a unique body shape to a premium level of trim applied across a number of body styles. The Bel Air continued with various other trim level designations, and it had gone from a mid-level trim car to a budget fleet sedan when U.S. production ceased in 1975. Production continued in Canada, for its home market only, through the 1981 model year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Mainline</span> Motor vehicle

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plymouth Belvedere</span> Motor vehicle

The Plymouth Belvedere is a series of American automobile models made by Plymouth from 1954 until 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Custom</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Fairlane (Americas)</span> Motor vehicle

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Fairlane (Australia)</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford Fairlane and LTD are full-sized luxury vehicles produced in a series of models by Ford Australia between 1959 and 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Meteor</span> American car

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pontiac Chieftain</span> Motor vehicle

The Pontiac Chieftain is an automobile which was produced by Pontiac from 1949 to 1958. The 1949 Chieftain and Streamliner models were the first all new car designs to come from Pontiac in the post World War II years. Previous cars had been 1942 models with minor revisions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1952 Ford</span> Motor vehicle

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 101 hp. The 226 CID (3.7 L) L-head straight-6 was replaced by an overhead valve 215 CID (3.5 L) Mileage Maker with 101 hp (75 kW), while the old 239 CID (3.9 L) Flathead V8 remained with 110 hp (82 kW). This design would continue through the 1954 model year, with an updated design offered in 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1955 Ford</span> Motor vehicle

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1957 Ford</span> Motor vehicle

The mainstream Ford line of cars 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-roofed Crown Victoria Skyliner was replaced by a new model, the retracting-roof hardtop Skyliner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Crestline</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford Crestline is an automobile which was produced by Ford in the United States for models years 1952 to 1954.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Monterey</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercury Monterey is a series of full-size cars that were manufactured and marketed by the Mercury division of Ford from 1950 to 1974. Deriving its name from Monterey Bay, the initial Mercury Monterey served as the top-of-the-line two-door sedan model for 1950 and 1951 to compete with the hardtop models of Oldsmobile and Buick. It came with a vinyl roof covering, upgraded upholstery, and other features. The hardtop was introduced for 1952. During its production, the Monterey would be offered in multiple body styles, ranging from coupes, convertibles, sedans, hardtops, and station wagons.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Fairmont (Australia)</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford Fairmont is a full-size car that was built by Ford Australia as an upmarket model of the Ford Falcon from 1965 to 2008. It featured a higher level of standard equipment than corresponding Falcon models of the same series. As well as offering a more luxurious interior trim with additional comfort and convenience features, for much of its first 25 years the Fairmont also offered a higher mechanical specification; a larger capacity engine and refinements such as disc brakes, power steering and automatic transmission that were extra cost options for the Falcon were fitted as standard equipment for the Fairmont. It was available as a four-door sedan throughout its life, as a five-door station wagon from its introduction through to 2002, and as a two-door hardtop from 1972 to 1978.

References

  1. 1 2 Flory, Jr., J. "Kelly" (2008). American Cars, 1946–1959 Every Model Every Year. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN   978-0-7864-3229-5.
  2. 1 2 1952-59 Ford Customline: Blue-Collar American becomes an Upper-Crust Aussie, www.shannons.com.au Retrieved on 8 November 2013
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 John Gunnell, Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946–1975, Revised 4th Edition, pages 389-397
  4. Ford 6 page sales brochure for 1952 Customline Country Sedan and Crestline Country Squire
  5. 1954 Ford brochure, www.oldcarbrochures.com Retrieved on 9 November 2013
  6. John Gunnell, Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946–1975, Revised 4th Edition, pages 397-399
  7. 1 2 Eddie Ford, The Australian OHV Ford Mainline Coupe Utility, Restored Cars #198, Jan-Feb 2010, pages 51-53
  8. Norm Darwin, The History of Ford in Australia, 1986, pages 137
  9. 1 2 3 4 Norm Darwin, The History of Ford in Australia, 1986, pages 126-131
  10. 1 2 The Australian 1959-60 Ford Fairlane, Restored Cars No. 84, pages 4-6
  11. 1 2 3 Aussie originals: Ford Customline, www.uniquecarsmag.com.au Retrieved on 11 November 2013
  12. Ford Motor Company of Australia advertisement for the 1958 Ford V8 Customline and Ford V8 Fordomatic, www.flickr.com Retrieved on 11 November 2013
  13. Ford Customline, www.motoring.com.au Retrieved on 11 November 2013