Although often (mistakenly) referred to as a Skyliner, Ford’s official Sales Literature gave this 1955 Fairlane Crown Victoria a model designation of “Transparent Top.” Quite why it chose to do so is unclear, but it reverted to the more user-friendly Skyliner tag for the following year. That technically makes our relatively rare feature car a one-year-only model that presents exceptionally well for its age. It has a few minor issues for the buyer to address, but none will prevent them from indulging in immediate motoring fun. It is worth a close look if a 1950s classic is on your radar.
Vehicle manufacturers often make left-field decisions, and it would be fascinating to know why Ford decided to utilize the “Transparent Top” designation for this 1955 classic. It dropped the previous year’s Skyliner tag, although since it reappeared in 1956, that suggests the change wasn’t warmly received. Our feature car looks stunning in its combination of Tropical Rose and Snowshoe White. The paint holds a stunning depth of shine, guaranteeing that this classic will turn heads and draw crowds. It isn’t perfect, with the seller identifying this flaw on the left rear quarter panel as an issue requiring attention. The evidence of emerging corrosion from under the crack would motivate me to seek a remedy fairly quickly before it turns into a nightmare. The Transparent Top shows no evidence of cracking or distress, and the trim and glass are excellent. The final pieces to this stunning visual puzzle are the Continental Kit and wide whitewalls, making it easy to understand why the term classic contains the word “class.”
Powering this Crown Victoria is Ford’s 272ci Y-Block V8. It sends 162hp and 258 ft/lbs of torque to the road via a three-speed automatic transmission, with the first owner’s decision to include power steering guaranteeing an effortless driving experience. The car’s ability to nudge 98mph on the open road made it an effortless long-distance tourer while its average fuel consumption figure of 14mpg was considered impressive in 1955. Enthusiasts seeking a turnkey classic will be attracted to this Ford because it runs and drives perfectly. The seller doesn’t identify any mechanical maladies, allowing the winning bidder to slip behind the wheel immediately for some classic motoring joy.
The exterior color combination extends to this Crown Victoria’s interior painted surfaces, perfectly complimented by the Dusty Pink and White interior trim. As with the exterior, the inside of this classic isn’t perfect, but it would cause the new owner no embarrassment if they lobbed at a Cars & Coffee behind the wheel. The passenger-side front seat has a small mark, with another visible on the rear seat. The driver’s armrest has a dirty look that might respond positively to one of the many excellent modern cleaning products. However, there are no rips, tears, or signs of abuse. The seller confirms that the factory pushbutton radio is inoperative, as are the fuel and temperature gauges. Any journey in this classic would feel special, an impression heightened by the factory power windows.
Some readers will contend that it is fitting to refer to this 1955 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria as a Skyliner, but I have chosen to utilize the company’s official name. Regardless of your view on that matter, it is worth noting that only 1,999 of these classics rolled off the line during that model year. Cars from this era were often treated as disposable items, and it is unclear how many have survived. This one looks like an absolute peach, needing little to lift it to a higher level. Any work required could be tackled as time and circumstances allow, although it would be tempting to attack those shortcomings during the upcoming winter months so that this Ford will show at its best when the warm weather returns. The seller has listed the Crown Victoria here on eBay in Montgomery City, Missouri. Bidding sits below the reserve at $17,100, but are you tempted to add to that figure? I won’t blame you if you do.
That’s a lot of Pink…I might change that if I was interested. It’s amazing what the automotive wrap industry currently does with modern vehicles. Of course, that is with two 2stage paint. I wonder if you could wrap this unique ’55 in a more subtle hue without ruining the current finish.
Good question. I’ve wondered that too. It sure would be cheaper than
shelling out thousands to actually paint a car these days. My Uncle had
one in red and white when I was a kid.
The closest I ever came to owning one was buying the AMT kit in the ’60s. And yes, I think that kit had the
option of making your model a
transparent top too.
These sure were nice cars, even though considered “old fashioned” compared to the all new Chevy. In my small one never knows what you’ll see, and in an alley, in poor condition, was a Mercury Sun Valley(?) that had this glass top. The car was shot, and neglected, but what got my attention, was the years of different “goops” trying to seal the glass roof. You could just see the progression in sealants they tried. Plus, like a Pacer, they were hot in the sun. I think you could get a cover for the inside.
Again, the continental kit will be a topic of controversy, remember, in the classic car world, you go for typical period correct styling, and the continental kit was the epitome of classy options. That’s right, times change, but then it was a relatively cheap option, freed up more trunk space, and looked classy. Like fake dual lake pipes, fake( or real) twin spots, twin antennas, and of course, the fuzzy dice. It was cool, Daddy-o,,
HoA- Not to mention the top of your head would boil :) I’m guessing you’d have the snap in cover on most of the time…at least out here in the Southland. That said I always liked this design
The paint (obviously) caught my eye too, but for a different reason. The two-tone process added a level of complexity at the factory, but it hadn’t occurred to me that it extended to the interior: the dash was also two-tone. Not like today; for this year’s Belchfire 500 production just order one zillion dash assemblies, all in black.
Pretty car. Unfortunately, on a sunny day you could win the Great British Bakeoff contest.
We had a 55 4-door wagon with 3 on the tree (Ma’s car) and a 6 cylinder. The round radio, clock, and heater controls were cool looking. We got it used and it always smelled like pipe tobacco inside….actually a pleasant smell unlike the smell of cigarettes (in my father’s cars).
What kind of pipe tobacco did she smoke? Borkum Riff always smelled the nicest.
LOL good one, Rusty. It smelled good, Borkum Riff, but smoked hot. I smoked a pipe for a few years in my early 20s and tried lots of different tobaccos. Can’t recall my preferred brand.
And no, Ma didn’t smoke a pipe (we’re from NYC originally, not West Virginia :-).
They made 600 transparent tops in 56.
These cars were called “glasstops” among other things. They made 1999 in the ’55 model year and 607 in ’56. There was a zip-in lining for these transparent tops that would have been foolish not to use. All of the Fords in ’55 had a glass piece in the dome over the speedometer, too. The things they did to be different!
My 87 year old father has a 56. I think they were called star liner. I’ve never heard of the cover. I’ll have to ask him.
The Skyliner first appeared in ’54 and then the ’57-59 retractable hardtops. The ’55-56 Fairlane Crown Victorias had plexiglass tops as well as the hardtops. They’re all beautiful cars.
The 1954 Ford hardtop also offered a Transparent roof option, although not as large in size as this year!