1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Club Sedan 🇮🇹

1957 was a big year in the American auto industry. The economy was firing on all cylinders, people were buying cars and the competition for customers was fierce. The Big Three all made complete styling changes in a bid to gain an edge over their rivals. But, only one company would emerge as the top seller for the model year. For 1957, Ford bested everyone, most notably long time sales rival Chevrolet.

Despite Chevrolet’s new styling that would be destined to become an automotive icon, Ford styling brought the buyers to the show rooms. Each of the Big Three introduced some version of tail fins in 1957. Ford’s take on this styling theme was called “high-canted fenders” and was a bit more subdued than their cross town rivals with thin fins jutting out at an angle from the top of the fender rather than straight up like Chevrolet or Chrysler.

The new Fords did not resemble the previous model year cars in any way. The cars were longer with the Fairlane nearly 9 inches longer on a 1.5 inch longer wheelbase. 14 inch wheels became standard giving the cars a lower stance. Bodies were wider but the effect was exaggerated because they were more squared off than previous years. The width was accentuated by a grille with horizontal bars that extended from edge to edge across the front of the car. The headlights were now set very high and wide on the fenders with pronounced “eye-brows” over top of them. For the first time, the hood would open at the rear.

Restraint on the use of brightwork was not an option. The Ford Fairlane 500 made use of a split horizontal molding that started at the headlights and extended  to the rear edge of the doors where the tail fin started. Then it merged into a single molding over the top of the fin. The split portion of the molding from the headlight to the rear fin was filled in the center with a patterned brass. The effect was dramatic without being as over the top as the Chevrolet Belair.

The fresh styling also got fresh interiors with a staggering array of different fabric combinations. The seating was more than adequate for six adults and the headroom was increased giving the interiors a spacious and airy feel.

Overall, the styling inside and out of the new cars was heavily influenced by the 1955 Mystere show car.

Powertrain options ranged from a 223 cubic-inch “Mileage Maker” six-cylinder to 272, 292, and 312 cubic-inch Y-block V-8s. Horsepower ratings ranged from 144 with the six-cylinder to 300 with the rare supercharged V-8.

The all new Ford Custom, Fairlane and Thunderbird series proved to be a big success. The combination of great styling and improved performance that enabled Ford to beat Chevrolet. Today, the 1957 Fords are considered by many to be the most stylish Ford products of that decade.