Ford Country Sedan | |
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Overview | |
Manufacturer | Ford |
Also called | Ford Customline Country Sedan Ford Galaxie 500 Country Sedan Meteor Country Sedan [1] |
Model years | 1952–1974 |
Assembly | United States: |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Full-size station wagon |
Body style | 2-door station wagon 4-door station wagon |
Related | Ford Ranch Wagon Ford Country Squire Ford Ranchero Ford Del Rio Mercury Commuter |
The Ford Country Sedan is a full-size station wagon that was built by Ford in the United States from 1952 until 1974. It was part of the U.S. Ford full-size car line available in each year. [2] [3]
The Country Sedan was the mid-trim station wagon in the U.S. Ford range. Unlike the Country Squire, the Country Sedan featured plain body sides. As a full-size wagon, it could carry up to 9 passengers, if so equipped. For every year it was sold, regardless of the model line it was aligned with, the Country Sedan outsold the more exclusive Country Squire due to the more modest standard and optional equipment included while using the same powertrain of the more expensive version. [2]
The Country Sedan was part of the Ford Customline range from 1952 to 1954. Beginning in 1955, Ford moved their station wagons into their own series and the Country Sedan continued to represent the mid-trim level station wagon. During the 1960s and 1970s, the Country Sedan was approximate to the Galaxie and later the Galaxie 500 in trim elements. [4] For 1972, 1973 and 1974 the model was marketed as the Galaxie 500 Country Sedan and from 1975 it was rebranded LTD wagon. By this time the trim level was identical to the Country Squire apart from the absence of simulated wood exterior paneling.
First-generation Country Sedan production [2] | |
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Year | Sales |
1952 | 11,927 |
1953 | 37,743 |
1954 | 48,384 |
Second-generation Country Sedan production [2] | |
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Year | Sales |
1955 | 106,284 |
1956 | 85,374 |
Third-generation Country Sedan production [2] | |
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Year | Sales |
1957 | 49,638 |
1958 | 89,474 |
1959 | 123,412 |
Fourth-generation Country Sedan production (6- and 9 passenger combined) [4] | |
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Year | Sales |
1960 | 78,579 |
1961 | 62,667 |
1962 | 64,197 |
1963 | 87,204 |
1964 | 94,239 |
Fifth-generation Country Sedan production (6- and 10 passenger combined) [4] | |
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Year | Sales |
1965 | 92,037 |
1966 | 92,249 |
1967 | 85,195 |
1968 | 68,709 |
Sixth-generation Country Sedan production (6- and 10 passenger combined) | |
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Year | Sales |
1969 | 47,850 |
1970 | 54,854 |
1971 | 60,487 |
1972 | 55,238 |
(Originally from Ford Country Squire )
Prior to 1961, all Ford wagons utilized a two-piece tailgate assembly that required the operator to lift the rear window and lock it into place via a mechanical support, and then drop the tail gate down to fully access the rear compartment.
For the 1961 model year, Ford incorporated a tailgate assembly that featured a self-storing window that could either be rolled down into the gate via crank on the outside of the gate, or by an electrical motor actuated by the key or an interior switch. A safety lockout measure required that the rear window had to be fully retracted into the gate before it could be lowered.
With the introduction of the 1966 models, all Ford wagons introduced the Magic Door Gate which allowed the tailgate on the vehicle to function as a traditional tailgate that could be lowered, or a door that swung outward for easier access to the seating area. The Magic Door Gate was made possible through a use of a traditional stationary hinge on the right, and a combination of hinges along the doors left side, which carried the weight of the gate as it swung outward when used as a door.
General Motors, Chrysler, AMC, and Toyota would adopt a similar configuration by the end of the 1960s.
A station wagon or estate car, is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door, instead of a trunk/boot lid. The body style transforms a standard three-box design into a two-box design—to include an A, B, and C-pillar, as well as a D-pillar. Station wagons can flexibly reconfigure their interior volume via fold-down rear seats to prioritize either passenger or cargo volume.
A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to the main interior of the car as a cargo area rather than just to a separated trunk. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second-row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume.
The Ford Galaxie is a car that was marketed by Ford in North America from the 1959 to 1974 model years. Deriving its nameplate from a marketing tie-in with the excitement surrounding the Space Race, the Galaxie was offered as a sedan within the full-size Ford range throughout its production run. In the full-size segment, the model line competed against the Chevrolet Impala and Dodge Polara.
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.
The Ford LTD is a range of automobiles manufactured by Ford for the 1965 to 1986 model years. Introduced as the highest trim level of the full-size Ford model range, the LTD moved the Ford range upmarket, offering options and features previously reserved for Mercury and Lincoln vehicles. For much of its production life, the LTD competed against the Chevrolet Caprice ; the Mercury Marquis served as its divisional counterpart from 1967 until 1986.
Buick Estate is a nameplate that was used by the Buick division of General Motors, denoting its luxury full-size station wagon from 1940 to 1964 and from 1970 to 1996. The Estate nameplate was derived from the term country estate in wealthy suburban areas and estate car, the British term for a station wagon.
The Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser is an automobile that was manufactured and marketed by Oldsmobile from 1971 until 1992. Marking the return of Oldsmobile to the full-size station wagon segment, the Custom Cruiser was initially slotted above the intermediate Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, ultimately above the later mid-size Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser.
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 Mercury Colony Park is an American luxury full-size station wagon that was marketed by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company between 1957 and 1991. Distinguished by its simulated wood-grain paneling, the Colony Park was marketed as either the premium-trim or the sole full-size station wagon offering of the division. Following the 1960 demise of Edsel, full-size Mercury vehicles shared bodywork with Ford; the Colony Park served as the counterpart of the Ford Country Squire through 1991.
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 Chevrolet Brookwood is a series of full-size station wagons produced by Chevrolet from 1958 to 1961, and again from 1969 to 1972. It debuted in 1958 as Chevrolet's mid-range model in its station wagon lineup, positioned between the less expensive Yeoman and more luxurious Nomad station wagons. After the Yeoman was discontinued in 1959, the Brookwood was subsequently demoted to entry-level status, before going out of production altogether in 1961. It made a brief reappearance from 1969 and 1972, once again as the least-expensive wagon in Chevrolet's lineup.
The Chrysler Town & Country is an automobile which was manufactured by Chrysler from 1940 to 1942 and from 1945 to 1988 with production interrupted during World War II. Primarily produced as a luxury station wagon, the Town & Country was also available in "woodie" four-door sedan, two-door hardtop and convertible body styles from 1947 to 1950, 1968 to 1969 and from 1983 to 1986. The 1988 model year was the last for the station wagon until the 1990 model year when Chrysler reintroduced the Town & Country nameplate as the rebadged variant Chrysler Town & Country minivan.
The Ford LTD Crown Victoria is a line of full-size cars that was manufactured and marketed by Ford from the 1980 to 1991 model years. Deriving its name from the Ford Fairlane coupe of 1955–1956, the LTD Crown Victoria served as the flagship of the Ford LTD model range in North America. Serving as the Ford counterpart of the Mercury Grand Marquis, the model line was offered as a two-door and a four-door sedan and a five-door station wagon.
Chevrolet Nomad is a nameplate used by Chevrolet in North America from the 1950s to the 1970s, applied largely to station wagons. Three different Nomads were produced as a distinct model line, with Chevrolet subsequently using the name as a trim package.
The Ford Customline is an automobile model that was sold between 1952 and 1956 by Ford in North America.
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 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.
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