Istorie
Ford’s 1953 Crestline Sunliner convertible was chosen as the Official Pace Car for the Indianapolis 500, and for the first time in Pace Car history the company offered a replica for sale in its showrooms, building a limited edition of 2000 cars. Pace Cars also featured crossed-flag emblems on the front fenders, black body-side “Official Pace Car” lettering and a Continental kit.
Full description
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 101hp. The 226 CID (3.7 L) straight 6 was replaced by an overhead valve 215 CID (3.5 L) Mileage Maker with 101hp, while the old 239 CID (3.9 L) V8 remained with 110hp.
1953 was Ford's 50th anniversary. The big news for 1953 was the availability of power-assisted brakes and steering, which had previously been limited to the Mercury and Lincoln lines. The center grill bullet lost its ring and was now flanked by vertical black stripes, while the corner markers were plain rectangular lights rather than the circular "intakes". All 1953 Fords featured commemorative steering wheels marking the company's 50th anniversary. Mechanical changes included two-inch wider tread, and a k-bar frame with five cross-members. William Clay Ford paced the Indianapolis 500 in a Sunliner convertible with a dummy Continental tire kit (Coronado kit). This was also the last year for real wood trim on the Country Squire wagon. Toward the end of the year, Ford added "Master-Guide" power steering as an option on cars with V8s. Full instrumentation was still used. An unusual service provided by Ford was that the radio preset buttons would already be set to local stations by the dealer. The heater was $44.
Ford celebrated its Golden Anniversary in 1953 by launching a series of special events to promote a new image. The company produced a historical documentary titled “The American Road”, narrated by Raymond Massey and several former Life Magazine editors designed and published a photo-illustrated book, “Ford at Fifty”. Ford also sponsored a two-hour television special simultaneously broadcast on NBC and CBS, hosted by broadcasting legend Edward R. Murrow and featuring such entertainment luminaries as Ethel Merman, Bing Crosby and Mary Martin of Peter Pan fame. Ford’s 1953 Crestline Sunliner convertible was chosen as the Official Pace Car for the Indianapolis 500, and for the first time in Pace Car history the company offered a replica for sale in its showrooms, building a limited edition of 2000 cars. Ford established the custom of special paint and interior treatments, identifying the special edition cars with a special SS trim code. Pace Cars also featured crossed-flag emblems on the front fenders, black body-side “Official Pace Car” lettering and a Continental kit. The V8 engine was teamed with a Ford-O-Matic transmission, and dual mirrors, a radio, clock, heater, power steering, fender skirts and backup lights completed the equipment list.
This car has covered 81.253 miles.
