Poor Ford (and the rest of the industry) got blindsided by Chevy’s 1950 Bel Air hardtop coupe, the first in the low price field. Both Ford and Plymouth worked overtime to bring out their hardtops for 1951 model year, but Ford’s Victoria was not ready until later in the model year. What to do? Dress up a Tudor sedan, rush it out for a late 1950 model year intro, and hope for the best.
That hope didn’t pan out, as the Crestliner sold rather modestly. This 1951 version sold even more modestly, but then the new Victoria hardtop did arrive finally.
Here’s the 1950 version:
Basically the same as the 1951, except for a bit of change in the side trim. Actually, for the $200 higher price, it was a pretty nicely trimmed Ford, with a vinyl top and spiffy upholstery, among other things. The Victoria added another $200, but it sold in huge numbers, over 110k in 1951 alone, despite the late start. Meanwhile the Crestliner chalked up some 17k sales in 1950 and 9k in 1951. I’ve never seen one, that I remember anyway.
The ’51 Victoria makes me wonder how much of the 1949-51’s underlying structure carried over into the ’52s. Otherwise it seems like a lot of engineering and design work for half a model year.
Studebaker did it too, finally bringing out a hardtop for 1952- the last year of their 1947-52 bodystyle… I think a fair amount of convertible body stampings were used. At least they got a full year out of it.
automakers later learned to black out the “B” pillar to create/fake the look
“B”
Eh?
This is called ‘putting lipstick on a pig’ .
These cars were stodgy and have terrible build quality, they rattled like Moroccas and leaked like sieves but the overall shape seems to have been pleasing as they sold O.K. and have always had a strong following in the used car market .
-Nate
The 1950 and 1951 models were considerably improved in build and material quality. The customers who bought 1949 models – particularly the first few months of production – paid for the privilege of doing Ford’s final field testing.
More misplaced marketing: “Famous 100 HP V8, the same type used in America’s costliest cars!” For most Americans, a V8 was “the same type used in Fords”. They weren’t aware that Caddy ALSO used a V8.
My dad drove his dead father’s ’51 Chevy until I was 8. Gf had kept Chevy coupes for work before that (and big Buicks for trips), but when a sexy hardtop was available, he bought a 4 door sedan (as did my other grandfather). In memory, it was a lot larger than this Ford, but less modern.
A local gentleman and lawyer had 3 of these he had collected over the years, and upon his passing a year ago, family decided to move them on.
I remember he had two at a local car show several years before his passing, and they were very high quality, well preserved examples. His name was Garelle Stewart from the Fargo-Moorhead area of the Red River Valley. If any one here is interested in pursuing availability and price, his daughter Audrey Farol may be located thru directory assistance.
(I have no vested interest in sale; only helping any here in locating one or all 3 if interested)
“Thanx a bunch!” I never knew where the Red River Valley was before now, just remember the old-time song! L0L
Mr Green Jeans! Garylle Stewart must have been quite a ‘character’ to be in the SEEDY hoss-racin’ biz, then the even SEEDIER lawyerin’ biz! On his passin’ I’ll bet he was REAL disappointed he couldn’t take his ill-gotten gains with him! 😛
Never realized that airfoils could be so…non-aerodynamic. Crestliner sales were crestfallen.
I liked the Crestliner, but I’m a Crusty old Codger! 😛
The ad writer is correct: The color combinations are stunning, like a Taser to the eyeball.
LMBO! Or a good BACKHANDER???
rolly, I just looked at the ‘color combos’ and…..yech! I had a 1955 Plymouth (circa 1974) with the same red and black too! By then the car was a ‘clasSICK’ though! L0L
Taser, Looks more like a cross between Puke Green and Piss Yellow.
Ford gave the Crestliner treatment to the whole lineup by mud 1950 – the Mercury Monterey, Lincoln Lido and Cosmopolitan Capri. Those GM hardtops must have been a real market tsunami, in a way similar (kinda sorta) to the Mustang 15 years later. Was Kaiser the only company that didn’t have a hardtop by 1952?
J P, I reckon that’s where “Pony Cars” got their name? I had a 1964 1/2 Mustang conv. Never shudda sold it!
I have only ever seen a 50 Crestliner, and didn’t know until years later what it was. I just thought it was a somewhat oddly trimmed Ford. The example I saw was black and brown, which looked kind of blah.
As someone born in the early 50s, I don’t remember ever seeing any Ford or Mercury painted that shade of green…I wonder how much more attractive the pictured car might have been to buyers 70 years ago if the black paint had been replaceable with white? (And still keeping the black fabric roof covering?)
As unattractive as some think these cars are, in my opinion the 53 and 54 model is definitely dumpier looking.
For me, these Ford shoeboxes exemplified the era.I used to hate them, but over the years they have grown on me. TCM had a segment where they showed a ’49 at the curb that lights up the headlamps. The cars just seem so right and honest. Of the two pictured here I’d go with the green and white one. I like both’s contrasting colors in the interior. Up until this point low priced cars were pretty drab inside.
Howard, I was never a fan of the early 50s style cars. (they looked like NFL footballs) I was born right in the middle of that mess too! When I was a young teen, the 1955-57 Chevs were the rage in Vancouver! The hardtops were more popular than ‘posts’.
The DC-3 is tail number N25625 or N25626. Both originally Chicago & Southern Air Lines, and owned by them in 1950. Neither are flying right now, N391U (formerly N25625) is stored in Miami, and XA-RTC (formerly N25626) is stored in Mexico. Nice to know the plane is still around. I wish individual cars were as easy to track.
My father bought a 50 Ford Custom, Black, 2dr sedan, V8, 3 on the tree with over-drive. His first new car. I just never liked any of these fat fender cars from this era.
My dads next car was a new 1963 Ford Galaxie 500, only shared genes between the 50 and the 63 was the color.
1955 was the start of the new era of style and that’s what I like.
Good old Crestliners! PHEW! Funny last ditch effort to say to Chevy, “We’ve got one!” then there was the Plymouth Belvedere. Dodge lucked out in that Chrysler gave them the Briggs-bodied two-door hardtop with the dowdy Dodge front and rear – not that the Chrysler and De Soto were much better when they sported the two-door hardtop body. Well, here is an exciting Belvedere for you!
I wonder what if Chrysler had decided to give hardtops more earlier and given the green light not only to the Town & Country hardtop in 1946 but also one hardtop version for Dodge, DeSoto and Plymouth?
“Pillared Hardtop” anyone?
Uhmmm, just how did the lady in the formal ball gown gracefully enter and exit the back seat of this pillared two door sedan that fooled nobody?
Was this the first appearance of a vinyl roof on a production car? Interesting that at this time the vinyl roof fizzled and disappeared for about 15 years. Then in the mid sixties it returned with a vengeance, appearing on everything from Cadillacs to compacts. Twenty years later and they were gone again.
Although it might be hard to believe today, these shoebox Fords with their integrated fenders were quite the styling hit back in the day. Indeed, the 1949 Ford was one of the most important cars in Ford history. Old man Henry had run the company into the ground in his last years and after the war it was teetering on bankruptcy. Young HF II hired Ernie Breech and the Whiz Kids to bring company management and operations up to modern standards, then bet the farm on the new ‘49 Ford. It was a sales success and returned Ford to solid financial footing.
’56 Seville had a vinyl roof, but it didn’t “take” either.
Kaiser between the featured car and the Cad.
Maybe others?
I looked for something cool at the Henry Ford Museum, but the only “Crestliner” item is this drawing of the front-fender nameplate die-casting, dimensioned down to .01 inch: https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/artifact/465507#slide=gs-367650
Oddly enough, for the A-Body ’50 Chevrolet Bel Air and Pontiac Catalina, the process to create those hardtops was to design a top stamping and three-piece rear window to attach to the convertible body shell. Other than some minor stamping for the full-width rear seat mounting and package sill and not quite so heavily reinforced chassis frame, that was all it took to create this hugely popular new body style. Chrysler essentially did the same method for the Dodge, DeSoto and Chrysler hardtops.
Ford management had to understand how these competitor’s hardtops came to be but chose to drag their feet because they thought the hardtop would be a flash-in-the-pan market failure. Dolling-up their Ford/Mercury/Lincoln two door sedans with vinyl tops, convertible-style interiors and special side trim was obviously a half-hearted attempt to grab whatever preference among FoMoCo loyal customers there was for this new style.
Although one can see little justification for creating a hardtop for the Lincoln Cosmopolitan which was a corporate orphan from the start, delaying until mid-’51 for the Custom Deluxe Victoria hardtop show how badly Ford missed the boat. The lack of 1950 and 1951 Mercury and shared-Mercury-body Lincoln hardtops disadvantaged both makes versus their competition, revealed how the Lincoln-Mercury Division was the stepchild of FoMoCo.
BTW, the full C-shaped sweep panel of the 1950 Crestliner harks back to those of the Classic Era custom-bodied Duesenberg J as well as European Classics. Ford had a number of former Classic Era custom body designers on staff by this period. Although no particular individual has taken credit for that specific design, doubtless one suggested this elegant treatment for this upscale model.