It is easy to mark significant events in my life by remembering the cars involved in most of my adventures growing up and growing older. After 72 years my family will attest that I still have a lot of growing up to do but I can still use the cars in my life to create what I call my auto-biography. Perhaps I find the cars more memorable than some moments of my life, but often the vehicle of the moment was a costar in the story.
My first real memory of a family car was my mother’s 1956 Ford Fairlane four-door sedan. I do vaguely remember my father’s succession of company cars for work. He traveled during the week and we only saw him on weekends so a car for my mother was a necessity in the outskirts of Syracuse NY. Our development was built in 1951 and my parents bought their house in 1955 after moving from North Jersey where my father’s family lived.
Photo by J P Cavanaugh
The Ford was apparently reliable but not very memorable for either me or my sisters. It was black with grey vinyl upholstery. I do remember the V8 symbol proudly mounted on the front fender representing the 272 Y block engine.
In the spring of 1961, my father got a position that took him off the road but also took away the company car. As the ’56 Ford was paid for and rapidly deteriorating from CNY winters he traded it in for a 1960 Ford Fairlane sedan in putrid green with green checked upholstery. It was so much bigger on the outside that it would not fit in the garage and the wild horizontal fins left gouges on the door posts when he first tried to put it in.
It had the 292 version of the Y block and for some reason needed much more attention than the ’56 version. Constant tuneups, radiator flushes, and fan belt replacements were regular occurrences. Perhaps the regular maintenance paid off for the car never let us down on family trips. We were snowbound a few times on trips to see my grandparents, but it always started and got us home if the roads were open.
When my sister entered first grade in 1963 my mother got a job teaching at a local high school. My dad gave her the Fairlane and got a Renault Dauphine from a neighbor.
My mother hated driving the standard shift Fairlane and in the spring of ’64, the Renault was traded in on a ’63 Fairlane 500 Sports Coupe with the 260 v8 and 2-speed Fordomatic. She loved the car and drove it 40 miles each way to her job for the next 5 years.
…
My family has been associated with farming going back generations. My mother’s family settled in western Massachusetts in 1720 and she grew up in the original family homestead, although my grandfather had quit farming as soon as he could.
His brother still raised crops across the street, but all the livestock was gone by the time she married my dad. When my parents settled in central New York in the 1950’s we lived next to a family that still had relatives on their family farm. Summer on dairy farms is a very intense time. I was drafted to work on the farm from the time I was twelve. Haying, collecting stones turned up by plowing, and milking twice a day. My grandfather had warned me that on a farm there was always something to do.
My first summer was spent stacking hay bales on the wagon and then stacking them in the hayloft. The next year I got to drive the tractor with the hayrack to the barn, not a privilege, just freeing up an adult to keep baling. I also got to drive it with the stone boat for collecting rocks turned up by the plowing. My grandfather had also told me that after farming he found everything else in life relatively easy. I had to agree and when I turned 15 I got a summer job in the commissary of a scout camp.
The first year was mostly scrubbing pots and washing dishes in between unloading the daily food deliveries. The next year I had my learner’s permit so I was promoted and drove the camp Jeep station wagon for special deliveries. This was a 1956 Willys station wagon that had been re-engined with a Hudson engine and transmission.
I had a very patient teacher who was motivated by the desire to stay around camp romancing the boss’s daughter while I ran his errands. He was an excellent teacher and a masterful driver. I quickly learned to shift the non-synchro 3-speed transmission, double clutching up and down the hilly dirt roads of the camp.
My mother took on the daunting task of teaching me to drive in traffic that fall. My father left it to her to teach me to drive, most likely because he lacked the patience. She was still driving the 1963 Fairlane 500 sports coupe, which sounded far sportier than it was. It had the 260 small block v8 and the 2-speed Fordomatic transmission. In spite of the fact that it was considered an intermediate size car, it was quite a bit longer and wider than the Jeep I had learned on.
That 1963 Fairlane was going to be my first car.
Car images from Oldcarbrochures.com, some slightly color-corrected to match author’s memories.
Related CC reading:
Curbside Classic: 1956 Ford Fairlane Fodor Victoria – More Doors For Miss Vickie
Someone should do a history of moving model names down market. I’d like to know the reasoning behind it. GM stopped doing it by just abandoning them once the model became stale, with the exception of the resurrected Malibu and Impala.
Interesting idea, Ford wasn’t the only one who did it. Chrysler did the same for Plymouth when the new C-body will be all Fury while Belvedere will be the “new” midsize intermediate who was the full-size Plymouth a model year before. Dodge revived the Coronet nameplate as the counterpart of the Belvedere after being used last time in 1959.
I see that name debasement was used in several different ways with presumably different intentions.
GM, specifically Chevrolet used it as a form of planned obsolescence, 1-upmanship and up-selling. The guy that comes to trade in his Bel-Air that was the middle mode,l meat of the market when new can feel good that this time he can afford to step up to the Impala, never mind that Caprice sitting in the middle of the showroom. Meanwhile the guy with the Impala sees that his “poor” neighbor/co-worker/relative just brought home a new Impala so he better step up and get that new Caprice.
I also think that by using that approach at Chevy, GM was trying to instill/encourage the always keep climbing the (Sloan) ladder mindset. So maybe that guy that moved up from a Bel-Air to an Impala and then Caprice could be encouraged to take a look at a Pontiac or maybe and Oldsmobile as the next rung.
Ford on the one hand seemed to like one approach that an established name could help get an “all new” car a little instant recognition and maybe spread a little existing luster to that new car.
Fairlane of course is a prime example of that where it was used on an “all new” car in the new intermediate segment.
Ford also seemed to like to recycle names sometimes just because it was easier and cheaper to use something that is already trademarked.
There certainly wasn’t much luster to spread from an Edsel name, nor a lot of name recognition by the time they recycled Ranger from a model name to a trim level for the pickup, so having an existing trademarked name seems to be the driving factor there. Once it had a little luster as the top of the line pickup trim they likely were trying to spread that and use name recognition when they moved it to their entrant into the new “mid-size” pickup segment.
Ford was/is definitely the most prolific of recycling names to a different segment or even brand, it seems mainly because it was the easier route since many times it was done long after the name recognition had faded or completely disappeared, or in foreign markets where it hadn’t been used before. Then sometimes bringing those names back home, either as an import or a new vehicle.
(Interesting aside, all 4 of the Edsel’s original model names eventually got recycled with Ford using Ranger and relatively recently the Lincoln Corsair, while Chevy used Citation and AMC picked up Pacer).
Moving the names down market seemed to work for most brands. After all, why bring out a new model to be cheaper than say, a Biscayne.
But it didn’t work well for Pontiac, twice, with the Bonneville. In 1971 the Bonneville was outranked by the new Grand Ville, after all, who wouldn’t want a Grand (Prix, Bonne) Ville? After 5 years in 1976, Bonneville was back at the top with its Brougham version. Then again in 1982, Pontiac really messed up again. They moved the Bonneville down to the intermediate size, doing away with another name that had been successful, the Lemans, and also killing the Catalina in the process. Then there was no way to put the Bonneville back at the top until 1987 with a restyle. In the meanwhile, the Parisienne came in to fill the void left by the missing big car which was selling good again.
Another big mistake I can think of; Buick had the best-selling full size car in the early 2000s, the Lesabre. They also had a decent seller with the Park Avenue. What did they do in 2006? They threw out both names and thought both of those customers would buy the Lucerne. Don’t think they did. This was much what they did in 2005, introducing the Lacrosse to replace the Century and Regal. That first generation Lacrosse looked like a warmed up 2000-2005 Ford Taurus. Lacrosse became a better looking car in 2010. I bought one myself, after three Park Avenues, a Regal, and a Rendezvous. And in 2011, what was back? The Regal.
Lets not forget Chrysler’s LeBaron all the things, sticking it on several unrelated cars simultaneously and to a lesser extent Oldsmobile doing Cutlass all the things.
Lets not forget Chrysler’s LeBaron all the things and Oldsmobile’s Cutlass all the things.
I should have said Mercury specifically was big into recycling names that had no recent or any recognition at all in some cases. It seems like they were just lazy and rather than spend the time coming up with new names they pulled out the dart board, stuck a number of old names on it some luck person got to throw the dart and name the vehicle.
Ancient Lincoln Models
Capri
Zephyr (though Lincoln briefly reclaimed it)
Premier (though used as a trim level)
Not previously used in the US but brands in Canada
Meteor
Monarch
Dug deep from their own back catalog
Montego
Monterey
Marauder
Nice .
I like to looks of the ’56, less so the ’60 but I vividly remember my middle brother’s ’64 Fairlane two door .
-Nate
What IS it that makes “Ford Families” so loyal to FoMoCo?
My favorite Uncle was a “Ford Fanatic”; buying only Ford cars and trucks from the early 1950’s until his passing in 1983.
My surviving Aunt used some of his life insurance money to buy a brand new 1983 Cadillac Sedan Deville, her first new car. I was shocked; I was scandalized.
I used to tease her by telling her their driveway was going to collapse from the shame of having a non-Ford on top of it.
The Caddy proved to be a trouble-prone, terrible quality control POS; spending more time at the dealer than in the family driveway. I assured my Aunt that my Uncle’s spirit was haunting the Caddy as payback for her buying a non-Ford car.
Two days before the warranty expired on the Cadillac Auntie traded it off on a new Lincoln Town Car that she drove until she joined my Uncle almost a decade later. My cousin swore that he could feel his Father’s spirit inside the Lincoln.
Are you sure your mom’s ’56 had the 272? Ford never billed that engine as a “Thunderbird V8” as it was never used in T-Birds. So why would it have the “Thunderbird V8” fender emblem? Plus the brochures show that the 272 wasn’t offered in ’56 Fairlanes — only the 292 (which was a T-Bird engine) and later the 312 (ditto) were. The 272 was only in the Mainline and Customline series. At least per the brochures (which aren’t always 100 percent correct).
I confirm, by checking the ’56 Ford brochure in the first revsion and the later revised version https://oldcarbrochures.org/United%20States/Ford/1956%20Ford/1956-Ford-Brochure/slides/1956_Ford-15.html
https://oldcarbrochures.org/United%20States/Ford/1956%20Ford/1956-Ford-Brochure-Re/slides/1956_Ford_Rev-15.html
Agree with tiger86 on this.
The author responds, he does recall the Thunderbird V8 badge but adds: “I clearly remember my father calling it a 272. I also know he was not particularly mechanically inclined. He was an accountant by degree and an insurance underwriter by trade. He was a financial whiz but hired out all car service and repair. He may have inadvertently misled me.”
When my Dad dated who was to become my mother, he drove a tan ‘36 Ford five window coupe. When he left in February of’42 to drive a tank in the Philippines, his folks kept it for the duration. They would drive it every so often up and down a local street then garaged it. Upon returning home in October of ‘45, he drove it again. We boys began to be born so in the fall of’48 he traded in (sniff, sniff the 36 for a ‘49 two door sedan. Later, when I was 4, the 49 was traded in on a ‘56 two door hardtop. He asked for, and received, the biggest engine he could get in the car. Being the hellion he was, the car hauled ass. I still remember his snapping on the radio and turning up “Rumble “ by Link Wray.
In succession, we had a ‘66 Fairlane, ‘76 LTD…then the trail goes cold…because a Jaguar entered the picture, then a Buick Riviera.
All of my family are long gone and the cars, too. Yet I have some terrific memories.
Good story. In some ways it is familiar to my young life. I have always been pretty much a Ford guy. I got it from my Dad and Grandpa. I have owned other makes and you can find a Chevy in my garage that I have owned for 45 years but that’s another story. When I was in grade school my Dad, like yours was on the road a lot and always had a new company car. When he quit that and opened his own business he had to buy a car. He came home with a new ’60 Ford Fairlane Tudor sedan which was a real stripper. A few years prior I can remember going to the drive in theater in our neighbor’s pink and white ’55 Crown Victoria. My second car in high school was a ’55 Ford Fairlane sedan in baby blue and white. It was a great car. After graduation my Dad suggested that I buy a newer car to commute to college 20 miles away. I bought a ’62 Fairlane two door sedan with the 170 engine. It was a pretty car but I wish I had found one with the 260 . In the words of a Ford mechanic my Dad talked to “that engine is not up to the kind of driving a 19 year old kid will do.” I blew it up twice in the 2 years I owned it. I traded it in on a 4 year old ’64 Galaxie that I owned until I got out of college. It was the biggest piece of crap I ever owned, but that too is another story.
Strange how we can remember the cars of relative’s. My Dad was an Air Force pilot, we moved often, never living around other family until he retired in the mid-60s. First long road trip I remember to visit family was 1955 in our new 1955 Olds ’98’ two door Holiday. I was only age 4-5 but remember Dads brother had a 1953 Studebaker Starliner, red w/white top. What a streamlined looking car back in the day. My aunt & uncle on my fathers side bought basic 4-door Chevrolet’s in boring colors. However, my older cousins (one male and twin sisters) bought new upscale Chev’s until male cousin bought a new 1967 T-Bird 4-door Landau, red w/back top & interior. That broke the history of one brand autos in that family line. Uncle had the largest landscape & nursery business in the area and their home yard always looked neglected. However, on visits I got to drive a selection of new lawn tractors he sold. Aunt & uncle on mothers side, were a hard core Buick family, Uncle always had a large late model top of the line wagon. He was a big man and towed his large fishing boat. He was a train engineer so I guess he liked them big. For whatever reason, that family was chosen to test drive the Chrysler Turbine car. Their custom designed home had beautiful landscaping and for decades always in the local home & garden tours. Yes, I got to ride in the Turbine car but my clearest memory is the Turbine car and our Heritage Burgundy metallic 1963 T-Bird parked side by side on the driveway looking like two jet planes ready for takeoff. Aunt also bought white Buick convertibles or 2-door hardtops. She was a phone company executive and loved driving faster than the law allowed. Many wonderful memories of just aunt and myself taking day long road trips around South Carolina in whatever her current white Riviera would be. She liked going fast & it was always a thrill ride on back country two lane highways. When she passed she left me her pearl white 1998 Riviera. Perhaps she remembered our rides together as much as I did. I kept that Riviera for years in pristine condition then sold it to an older couple that had a winter home in Arizona. This was their fifth 1995-98 Riviera, so I knew it was going to a good home. My parents: they bought new a 1960 T-Bird convertible, 1963 hardtop, 1966 Town Landau. The last two became my cars while I was still in my teens. Dad always took me, and only me, when car shopping. Not sure why even though my older brother became an automotive designer. Perhaps he bought T-Birds because as a pilot he loved the jet-age interiors. Wish I had asked him when he was alive.
My Grandfather on Dad’s side had a ’63 Fairlane up until he bought a ’72 Biscayne. I remember him saying the Fairlane was “too light” I guess on the highway during crosswinds, the heavier Biscayne doubtless was better in this regard. His was a medium blue 4 door, St. Christopher’s medal taped to the dashboard (where some missing gage would have been).
My time with my relatives were always in snippets, we never lived closer than about a 4 hour car ride from them (and often much farther, like 2000 miles when we briefly lived in California with them in Eastern PA), the Fairlane probably was traded in on the BIscayne (which became his last car). I don’t remember anyone else but him driving the car, unlike the Biscayne, which I drove after his passing one time (my Grandmothers never learned to drive) sitting next to my Dad with my diminutive Mother and Grandmother barely visible above the front seat on a trip to visit her brother (whom we never found, he wasn’t home) on a trip back there (we’re now living about 1700 miles away).
The unit body Fairlane (basically a larger version of 1960 Falcon engineering) would also conduct more high frequency noise and road vibration into the cabin than the body on frame Biscayne, making it feel flimsier (“light”) even if it really wasn’t. Not to mention actually being about 1000 pounds lighter.
At least through the 1950’s you would see and hear references to “road holding weight,” even though that’s not exactly a thing.
Also people shrink as they age, almost all in the disc space in their spines. So your upper body gets shorter. A power seat or manual height adjustment (is this still a thing, like in first gen Foci?) is the answer. (I know your relatives were not actually driving in that description.)
Some years ago I gave some directions to a guy about 90 driving a late model broughamish Bonneville, no doubt with a power front seat. As he drove off (over a curb and in front of traffic) I saw that he could barely see over the steering wheel. If I had had the chance I might have shown him how the seat switches work, although that was obviously not the main problem there.
I loved the start of this story. I can think of few cars more grim than a green low-trim 60 Ford with a 292 and a 3 speed. I think the black 56 would have been a far nicer car (at least had it been in comparable condition).
My father was a die-hard Ford guy for most of his life. He would occasionally stray and try something else, but would always come back to something from Dearborn.
I look forward to future installments!