I’m going to let you figure that out. As to the truck, it’s one of Convoy’s home built jobs.
Update: Photo dated May 4, 1959
Car Carrier of the Day: The Well Clad Load of…?
– Posted on April 8, 2021
-
-
Curbside Classics Archives
Edsels?
Breezeway Mercuries?
Continental Mk II?
Looks like a Squarebird up front on the lower deck…maybe a ’59?
I had thought I saw a flying wing roof (59-60 GM B/C body) on the top row, but maybe Aaron 65 has a point – those really square ones could be 58-60 Lincolns. That might explain the covers over all of them – they had to be expensive cars.
Hello Paul,
Great period photo . . . ‘55 Thunderbirds brand new! Wow!!
Just as a matter of history, ALL ‘55-‘57 Thunderbirds were built at the Ford River Rouge plant in Dearborn Michigan. Many of the surviving factory invoices indicate ‘Convoy’ as the transportation method, while others show ‘Rail’ as the transportation method. None of them were built in California . . . Although a small number of them were supplied in ‘Knockdown’ form (big crates) to other countries (Mexico &; UK come to mind). And of course, some invoices indicate a delivery address as ‘Factory Delivery’. These cars were generally driven from the plant to a Ford Customer Pickup Center in Dearborn itself, for final pre-delivery cleanup and detailing. These are the cars which people could order at any Ford Dealer, and then travel to Dearborn and pick up their new car ‘at the factory’. Incidentally, Ford offered a plant tour to customers who came to pick up their new car ‘at the factory’ (as mentioned, the Customer Delivery Center a few blocks from the Dearborn plant). People who bought Ford stock – starting in mid-1956 – were also invited to tour the plant as ‘VIPs’. 1956 is when Ford ‘went public’, offering stock to investors outside of Ford . . . But I digress it would seem.
Great photo – thanks again!!
Fred B,
Placentia CA
Something like ’64 Buick?
Thunderbirds 1958 to 1960.
Missiles to Cuba?
1965 Chryslers
whoops
didn’t see photo date
squarebird and some kind of Mercury
Actually, from what I can see from the ‘covered cars’ convoy photo, those covered vehicles are actually ‘57 Fords – sedans and coupes. The other photo, in your commentary – the cars uncovered on the trailer are the ‘55 T-Birds.
And thanks again . . . You brought back so many fond automotive memories an experiences!
Great stuff!
Fred Placentia CA
I’m guessing 1959 Ford Motor Company products. The first two cars (upper and lower decks) look like Thunderbirds, while the middle car on the upper deck looks like a 1959 Ford.
The truck is a pisser. Love it! Thanks to you men for identifying the covered vehicles.
The top front car is almost certainly a Squarebird. The car behind it might be a 1959 Lincoln – I can detect a hint of canted headlights under the cover.
It would make sense that these are both high-dollar cars (it wouldn’t make sense to cover lesser cars in transit), and they are both made at the same plant (Wixom).
On at least three, maybe four, of the cars I’m seeing the spear-point of the ’59 Thunderbird shaping the fabric. The other two are just enough obscured so that I’m not sure. I’m going to go with a load of Squarebirds.
I like the little poofs over the front fender ornaments (something not on the Lincoln).