Before the Fairlane 500 or Galaxie 500 would be at the top of the Ford food chain, there was the Crestline. It was only offered from 1952 to 1954 and was a step up from the Customline, which itself was a notch above the Mainline. This beautiful ’54 edition of the Victoria Hardtop Coupe is said to be original and may only have 24,000 miles. If it runs as well as it looks, its asking price of $14,500 could make it an attractive acquisition. Located in Norton, Kansas, this Ford is available here on craigslist. Our thanks to T.J. for this cool tip!
During its three years in the Ford line-up, the Crestline only saw minor changes each Fall. New in 1954 was the Skyliner version of the Victoria which had the tinted acrylic glass panel in the front section of the roof. Those were not as popular as the “regular” hardtops like the seller’s car, which would have been one of 95,000 built compared to 13,000 of the glass top jobs. Crestline’s were powered by either a 223 cubic inch inline-6 motor or the 239 CI overhead valve V8, which replaced the flathead.
The seller provides no information as to why this car looks so good after 68 years or why it supposedly only has 24,696 miles. It looks to have been restored, yet the seller says the opposite. Given that it’s photographed on a trailer, either the seller towed it farther than it should go under its own power or the Ford was a remarkably clean barn find that doesn’t run. Clarifying this would help the car find its way to its next home. Instead, “Steve” says to call for details.
Whatever the case, the body, two-tone white over yellow paint, and chrome all look first class. And the white and green interior looks just as tidy, waiting for someone to hop in and drive it to local car shows or the Sock Hop on Saturday night! These cars were not rare sights in the mid-1950s, but are lesser seen in the 21st Century.
Whenever I see a car on a trailer I assume there is a reason why. If it’s a “runner”, seller should have taken the time to drive it off the trailer before taking pix.
Just noticed, no battery in sight on the under the hood shot…
Nice looker. Reasonable price. Mileage claim is an insult to our intelligence.
I think this car ,could be a great buy. If I could, I would want to see it in person or at the very least have a nuetral 3rd party look at it. It appears to be just a matter of some TLC to have a very nice driver quality car with out breaking the bank. Too bad seller, is not anxious to give out much information.
The Crestline designator first appeared in 1950 & 1951 as a late-to-market stopgap (special paint and trim package) model to vie with the early Chevy/Pontiac hardtop models. With the intro of the Victoria hardtop in mid-1951, the Crestline name was then returned to the marketing shelf.
The 50-51 was called a Crestliner. They were to compete with the Chevy Bel Air. 51 production stopped when the Victoria came out.
Judging from the over spray on the hood hinges, I would say this not the original paint!
Back in the late 60’s I bought a 54 Victoria from one of my brothers. It was two tone green inside and out. 239 with automatic, electric windows and seat. It was a nice car but threw a rod right through the side of the block one night as I was heading home from work. So I bought another car while I worked on getting another engine. I found a Thunderbird 312 in a wrecking yard and purchased it. I ended up selling it to a neighbor for a little more than I had in it.
The yellow and white really stands out on this one. I hope it finds a good home.
God Bless America
“Crestliner” in 1950-51
I have been unable to locate phone # or email address for contact. Has anyone spoken with this party? If so, please reply with contact information.