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Text by Patrick Bell.
Henry Ford was born 162 years ago on this date in 1863. To mark the occasion, we are going to take a short look at a small town dealer in the summer of 1959, just 12 years after Ford died in 1947 at the age of 83. There is only one image, but we felt it was worth sharing because color images of dealerships from this era are rare. I found no results in a search, so we will work with what we have.
As best I can tell, the location was somewhere in Iowa, going by the yellow license plates with stacked numbers on the left, which signified the county. Unfortunately, I can’t read any of the numbers. The dealership was located on a brick paved street and appeared to occupy a corner lot. Across the street was the dealer’s used car lot; further down the street looked like a residential area.
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The object of the photo apparently was the new Country Sedan in the foreground. It was detailed out and appeared ready to go to its new home as soon as the full wheel covers were installed. Parked alongside it was a 1951 Chevrolet Styleline De Luxe 4-door sedan, and further down a close to new 1959 Custom 300 Fordor Sedan. On the other side of it was a 1949 or 1950 Chevrolet, and way down the street, what looks like a 1958 Oldsmobile.
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Across the street, by the used car lot, was a red and white 1959 Fairlane Town Sedan, with two others to its left that weren’t showing enough to ID. On the used car lot from the right: a red 1959 Ford, unsure of series; a green 1950 Oldsmobile with a visor; a green 1959 Ford Custom 300 Fordor Sedan; a gold and white 1957 Fairlane 500 Town Sedan; a black 1959 Custom 300; and what may have been a 1949–1952 Chevrolet on the left. Two of the ’59 models did not have license plates, so it is possible they were new as opposed to used.
1959 was a good year for Ford sales-wise, with 1,394,687 non-Thunderbird cars produced. That was a close second to Chevrolet’s 1,446,283 and over three times Plymouth’s 458,259. In the station wagon segment, the spread was not nearly as wide, with Ford at number one with 269,338 compared to Chevrolet’s 214,383 and Plymouth’s 120,802. It was very common in the height of wagon popularity for Ford to be the bestseller.
Let’s go a bit over the Fords seen at the lot in today’s image. The featured Country Sedan was offered in a 2-door model, and 4-door in both 6- and 9-passenger versions. Their production came to 132,075, which was 49 percent of the wagons.
The Custom 300 was larger for ’59, as all series now used the 118-inch wheelbase. The Fordor Sedan was the top selling single body style for the year, making the Custom 300 series the most popular.
Elsewhere in Ford’s lineup, the Galaxie was introduced in ’59 as the new top-of-the-line series, featuring “Thunderbird Elegance” by way of the Thunderbird-style roof. It did very well in its first year, placing second in sales behind the Custom 300.
Also seen in the lot, and of Ford variety, the defining 1957. A new kind of Ford for ’57, a major restyle with a “Touch of Tomorrow,” as claimed by the sales brochure. There were two different wheelbases introduced that year, with the Custom, Custom 300, and all wagons on a 116-inch wheelbase, while the Fairlanes were sightly larger, with 118 inches between the wheels. The 1957 Ford did very well in the sales race, besting Chevrolet for the number one spot. The 1958 model year brought a style refresh, a recession, and a sales drop of over 42 percent. For the third year of the cycle in 1959, they went back to the old kind of Ford, with all models on the same wheelbase, along with a reskin. Sales recovered nicely, although not back the the ’57 mark. And then in 1960 came a new three-year cycle with a major restyle.
Thanks for joining us and to all good day!
I used to walk to school and would pass a 59 Galaxie 4 door in the driveway of som older folks. It was the exact color combo of the pictured Country Sedan. This was as late as 1975, so the car I saw suffered from dull paint and some rust, so I love seeing this one with a new car shine!
Wagons were rare here JP special order only which pushed the price up but sedans were assembled new, one of my favourite Fords probably the afterburner tail lights seen as a child who knows but I like em.
Any recent tales of the open road to share?
One of the high school teachers ((circa “77ish)) drove a “63 Ford” to school. Never got up close to it.
Of course it stood out in the parking lot.
Blue. ((medium))
I love the featured Country Sedan wagon, what a beauty. The only thing better might be a Country squire. I grew up with wagons and still appreciate their versatility. Modern SUV and CUVs are similar, but even better in function. I guess that my Flex is the modern equivalent, though it reminds me of the earlier ’55 Ford wagons.
I read a post somewhere recently about how the RAV4 was claiming a title of “best selling” when compared to the Ford F-150. But when Ford cites sales figures, they lump the entire F-series together, and when they do, the figure was something like 750k trucks.
Then this post flashes back to a time when Ford sold basically twice that figure, just in full-size cars. It was an amazing era – independent American manufacturers were fading fast and imports had barely taken hold. I bet GM and Ford wish things were still that way.
Have they got any 59 wagons left over, I like those, a junk yard I part timed in at highschool had one as a tow car, it looked bad it was a write off from a rear end shunt the tailshaft was bent that was replaced the wreckage of the tailgates hot spannered off, mud grips installed and it went to work, it replaced a tidy Chrysler Windsor from the 40s.
As expected it slowly filled with harvested parts and traction improved nice V8 engine the exhaust had not survived the crash, I’d like a nice one even in brown the junkyard example was blue/white.
The tail lights of the ’59 became aquariums. It was amazing to see them even 1/2 full of water but yet the bulb would operate. Car would brake and then you would see waves. Almost a mobile lava lamp. Anybody remember this?
I have always thought that the ’59 Fords looked way better than the Chevys and Plymouths. As a kid I was sleeping in the back seat in one after school because I was scared of the neighbor’s dogs which my parents didn’t know what happened to me and they looked all over the area asking our neighbors had they seen me until my dad happen to walk by the old ’59 Ford and saw me fast asleep. That’s why a ’59 Ford is kind of dear to my heart this day over 50 years later.
I love the ’57 Fords best .
The 58’s & 59’s were good casr too but didn’t look as svelte as the 57’s .
Fun was being a gas station Mechanic back then and having to change the failed starter motor on a Y block Ford V-8 at the pump island on a hot day .
-Nate
My uncle always that the “57 Fairlaine”, was one of his fav cars. Got notched down one by the “65 Lemans”. That one had “a/c”! lol
They had a “53 Ford”, used, before the “57”. Liked it enough to go for the “new: one.