Beschreibung:

Ford Motor Company executives must have faced 1955 with both anticipation and anxiety—the year was shaping up to be one of the strongest—but also most competitive—in automotive history. The new Fords for 1955 would be taking on new and improved cars from both Chevrolet and Plymouth. Those other members of the traditional “big three” would be debuting modern OHV V8 engines in their 1955 models, while Ford had introduced its OHV V8 in 1954, after having offered the “flathead” V8 since 1932. Although more evolutionary in appearance than competitive offerings, the 1955 Fords featured, for the first time since 1952, all-new body styling. New Fairlane models capped the Ford line; they could be easily identified by their distinctive stainless steel body-side trim, which rolled down off the front fender to a “vee” on the door, before continuing in a straight line to the rear of the car. The 1955 Ford line would also benefit from the halo generated by the new Thunderbird, a 2-passenger personal car that shared many of design attributes with top-line Fairlanes of that year. The sole traditional Ford convertible for 1955 was the Fairlane Sunliner, Model 76B. Weighing in at 3,382lbs., it had a factory base price of $2,324. Ford convertibles were very popular cars in the 1950s and the 1955 edition would be no exception. Nearly 49,996 Sunliner convertibles would be built before the year was out. Total 1955 Ford passenger car production would amount to 1,451, 157 units, making the year the second-best yet for Ford cars (more than 1.8 million Model Ts had been built in calendar 1923). The offered Sunliner’s VIN indicates that it had a 272cid Ford Y-block V8—the only V8 offered in Ford regular passenger cars for 1955—under its hood when it left the factory. According to the vendor, the present engine is a larger 312cid version of the Ford Y-block. This statement is supported by the ECZ - A block code, which is correct for a 1956 292/312cid engine. (The 312cid Ford “Thunderbird Special” V8 was introduced as an option for the 1956 Thunderbird and was offered later in the model year as an optional engine for most Ford passenger car models.) The convertible is equipped with a 3-speed manual transmission, with factory column shift, and has a dual exhaust system. Finished in an especially attractive Sea Haze Green and Snowshoe White two-tone combination, with matching interior, the offered Sunliner is equipped with era-authentic accessories including the continental kit rear-mounted spared, fender skirts and a slanting rear aerial for the radio. The Sunliner has recently been upgraded with a freshly installed power steering system that contributes greatly to its drivability. Here is an opportunity to own and enjoy a great example of this very desirable mid-1950s American convertible.