1956 Ford Fairlane

Ford celebrated its 50th Anniversary in business in 1953. To mark the occasion, Ford released a hardcover book entitled Ford at Fifty, which both looked back at the company's history and ahead to the promising future. On the cover were the futuristic X-100 and X-500 show cars, both of which displayed Ford's growing emphasis on dream car-inspired styling and Worth More features enhancing passenger comfort.

Ford vehicles sold well during the early 1950s, offering customers strong value and conservative value. The flathead V-8 had reached its development peak and clearly, a dose of innovation was in order. After the introduction of the all-new Y-Block V-8 engine for 1954, the 1955 Ford models were completely redesigned, with wider, lower, and longer bodies finished in two-tone finishes with distinctive brightwork and striking interiors.

Ford sold the Fairlane between 1955 and 1970, with its name being derived from Henry Ford's estate, Fair Lane, near Dearborn, Michigan. Initially, it was a full-sized car but later became a mid-sized car from the 1962 model year. The first generation Fairlane was sold in 1955 and 1956 and served as a replacement for the Crestline as Ford's top-of-the-line full-size offering. It included six different body styles including the Crown Victoria Skyliner which had a tinted, transparent plastic roof. Other body styles included a convertible Sunliner, a Victoria hardtop coupe, a sedan, and a Crown Victoria coupe. All were given the trademark stainless-steel 'Fairlane stripe' on the side. Power was sourced from a 223 cubic-inch straight-six and a 272 cubic-inch V8. An optional Y-block 292 CID V8, called the Thunderbird V-8, was also available.

Full-size Ford models were grouped along the entry-level Mainline Six and V-8, Customline Six and V-8, and the top-of-the-line Fairlane, also in Six and V-8 forms. Few outward appearance changes occurred for the 1956 Fairlane, instead, the focus was on the interior and under the hood. Styling for 1956 was essentially a mild update of the 1955 design. Safety was emphasized, with these production-vehicle enhancements called their Lifeguard Design. Features included a deep-center Lifeguard steering wheel which helped ensure the horn button would not cause injury in a crash, extra strong double grip door latches, Lifeguard padding (optional) for the dash and sun visor, and Lifeguard seat belts (optional). Other updates applied to the Ford line for 1956 included the adoption of a 12-volt electrical system and bolder 'Fairlane stripe' bodyside trim.

The overhead-valve six-cylinder engine had a Holley one-barrel carburetor and delivered 137 horsepower. The 272 CID V8 had 173 horsepower and the 292 CID had 200 horsepower. The wheelbase measures 115.5 inches and its length was 198.5 inches. A three-speed manual transmission with a semi-centrifugal-type clutch, three-speed helical gears, and synchronizers for second and third gears was standard. Three-speed with automatic overdrive was optional, as was the Ford-O-Matic automatic.

A total of 665,106 examples of the Fairlane were sold in 1956, accounting for nearly fifty percent of Ford's total US sales. The most popular body style was the Town Sedan which found 244,672 willing buyers. The Club Victoria had 117,735 sales while the two-door Club Sedan had 142,629 sales.

The top-line Fairlane series was very successful, and with it, Ford consolidated its market position during the challenging 1956 model year.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2019