A facelift on the '48,the true redesign, Henry Ford II's mark on the company. The flathead V8 trusty? from a manufacturing standpoint is was more of a dance with the devil..96% casting reject rate in '32,oil consumption issues till '36,casting and heat issues throughout the entire run. No other auto manufacturer could have 'rode it out', profits from the model T were so vast Ford could force a bad design to be a success. The V8 was a testament to how stubborn Mr. Ford actually was.
I was in grammar school in '52. It was a 2 room school and the 5-8 grade teacher (also principal) drove a model A sedan. One day we were having a school picnic (remember them?) and the principal drives up in a brand new pink and white '52 Ford 2 door H.T. with a continental kit. Well, you can imagine the reaction of the 20 or 30 country hick kids. It was like seeing a real live space ship right before our eyes. Kind of like this but '52.
The 52-54 Fords were basically the same style with the exception of the overhead valve in '54. Many of us baby boomers learned how to drive and wrench on these cars, I still like them. HRP
I was five years old when my dad picked me up from kindergarten in a new 52 Ford. He was a Chevy guy and the neighbor asked why a Ford.. I remember dad saying he liked the key twist starter and the one piece windshield.
I always lined the styling of the 52 with the exception of those horrid round park lights. Apparently ford listened to the masses and changed them to a much cleaner park/signal light in 53
My Dad bought his first brand new car in late 53. He bought a 1954 Ford Customline, radio and heater but with the NEW 239 CI Y block, 3 on the column. It was the family car, then my mothers car, then back to my dad, on to my brother and finally my car 10 years later. I still love looking at that body style….2 doors, 4 doors….doesn’t matter
Probably the least appreciated 50's Ford. I've had this one for years, it's got some nagging mechanical issues I really should take care of and then drive it a lot more. Maybe this year.
My Dad bought a new 52 Sunliner convertible and went to the factory to pick it up to drive back to California. We the kids got to sleep on the back seat and floor.
I built a 52 just like yours in 57/58, tube grill, frenched headlights, 53 upper grill surround, blue paint, your car could have been my car, I dig it!
My Dad bought a new 53’ two door right before he graduated from college so he had a new car to go into the Air Force with. He had a new 49’, but sold it in 1950 to pay for school - spent school years in a 40’ Studebaker he bought for $40. Korean War was going on and new cars were scarce. Dealers got whatever showed up on the truck. Dad told them he at Xmas 52’ that he needed a new car by April, and he would take the first 6cyl/stick base model two door they got. They called him in February to tell him they had his car - a no option Polynesian Bronze two door. He drove home that weekend to get it only to find someone had scraped the paint all down the drivers side. It was early metallics, and their touch-up stuck out like a sore thumb. Not knowing when they could get another similar car, he bought it with the agreement that if the touch up continued to bug him they would paint the bottom half (window trim down) of the car. So a few weeks later he had them paint the lower half tan. I still can’t believe he’d have a pretty metallic bronze painted over in tan, rather than repaint the bronze. All these later he couldn’t remember why, other than maybe the tu-tone looked like a fancier model. Fast forward two years later the now dashing young pilot is in town on leave. Stops at the Ford dealer to get tires on the 53’, and leaves the owner of a bright red loaded to the gills 55’. “I just couldn’t help myself!!” Next was a wife, and kids, and he didn’t have a new car for himself for thirty years . . .
The Jalopy Journal
