1957 Ford Fairlane 500 V8 Club Victoria

Ford offered four different engines in six stages of tune in 1957. The entry level version was a 223-cubic inch Mileage Maker overhead-valve six. The V-8 engine came in three sizes, displacing 272, 292 and 312 cubic-inches. Ford described the 272 as 'basic' but the others were 'Thunderbird' V-8s, whether installed in a Thunderbird or a Ford passenger car. The 312 cubic-inch version was the 'Thunderbird Special' and came in three guises, a single-carb 245 BHP version, dual-quad 270 bhp or supercharged 300 bhp unit with a Paxton centrifugal blower. Most of the superchargers were used to power the Thunderbirds, but Ford advertised it as 'available in any series.'

This Ford Fairlane is one of 27 Victoria hardtop coupes built in 1957 with the F-Code supercharged engine. It had a minor engine rebuild in December of 1976 and the original parts were retained and remain with the car.

The car was purchased in 1976 from the original owner, who took delivery from Texas Motors in Fort Worth. Currently, the odometer shows 86,000 miles. The car is fitted with a push-button AM radio and a heater.

In 2011, the car was offered for sale at the St. John auction presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $90,000 - $120,000 and offered without reserve. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $71,500, including buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2011