Over the years, Ford has always been a close (or not so close) second to Chevrolet in automobile sales. But one exception occurred in 1957 when Ford beat Chevy by just 7,000 units, no doubt because the Fords were all-new and the Chevys were in their third styling year of the “Tri-Fives”. The seller offers a 1957 Fairlane (500?) 4-door sedan with two-tone green paint that we’re told is the factory finish. And it has the 312 cubic-inch “Thunderbird Special” V8. Located in Martin, Kentucky, this surprising survivor is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $11,500.
With the 1957-59 redesign, the Fords were leaner than before and especially so against Chevy (but not so much compared to the “Forward Look” Chryslers). Buyers were treated to four trim levels (Custom, Custom 300, Fairlane, and Fairlane 500) plus the Thunderbird, wagons, the all-new Ranchero (a car-based pickup truck), and the Fairlane Skyliner (the retractable hardtop).
We don’t know the history of this Ford, but it’s said to be a Texas survivor due to dry weather. And it may have just 36,000 miles. But how does a car get so unused over 69 years that it retains its original paint and (maybe) interior in very good condition? The 312 V8 was named after the Thunderbird personal luxury car that was the “halo” product for the Ford Division. This one is paired with an automatic transmission, a Ford-O-Matic.
According to the seller, this Fairlane has escaped the restoration shop in fine fashion. If the paint is this good, we assume the undercarriage has no rust, either. We don’t know the seller’s association with the Ford, but he will entertain certain trades (like a T-Bucket or a vintage truck). If that’s the case, add $1,500 to the negotiations. Thanks for the cool Chevy-buster tip, “Pnuts”.
IMHO I believe it’s been repainted. If you look at drivers side back by the taillight, you can see the Fairlane 500 emblem. It looks to be the color of the car, not silver like it should be.
Earl Shieb. They’d paint over anything not covered.
My dad’s first car here in the states was a black 2 door Ford Fairlane 500 bought at S&C Ford in San Francisco I believe in early 1958 when I was 2 years old (I’m 69 now…)
Didn’t Chevrolet/GM suffer a strike in 57? I seem to recall reading about that and it being at least a part of the reason sales of Ford exceeding Chevy. I was only one year old so I certainly would not have been aware of it at the time.
Actually as I recall the 57 Ford was introduced for sale way earlier than the other brands for the 57 model year and also sold way late as opposed to the other manufacturers.
Had a mint cond. ‘ 57 four door, black, 3 on the tree, 312, T-bird on valve covers. Owned by a 89 yo lady. Mint condition apprx. 30k miles. She ask me if I wanted to buy it. She asked me “is $150.00 too much?” Back then I was earning $75 a week.
Still, buying a cool ass car with only 2 weeks of labor. Today, unless you are raking in some serious dough, 2 weeks of labor would buy a car with one foot in the junkyard.
Some may remember the show “Leave it to Beaver”, known for Wards Plymouths, but the first 2 seasons( ’58 &’59), Ward drove a ’57 Custom 300 just like this. In 1959, Chrysler became the sponsor, and he drove nothing but Plymouths. I think I built more ’57 Ford models than any other. In real life, they were horrific rusters, many times with headlights duct taped in, and panels gone. It always seemed odd to me, that ’57 Chevy got all the thunder when Ford actually outsold them all. They were wonderful cars.
I have to agree Howard. One of my earliest memories as a kid was gawking at the red/white `57 Sunliner cvt. across the street–the wife’s car. I couldn’t have been more than 3 and that car just dazzled me! Then it got replaced by a white `63 Bonneville cvt. that I rode in numerous times. `57 Fords definitely made an impression on me.
And wasn’t that same Ford used in Psycho as well?
Government Pyle USMC featured Dodge or Plymouth cars, even in the backgrounds.
Phoenix, Dart, Roadrunner, Barracuda…I think ’68 were the last shows.
Oh yes. The headlights with the salt slosh cavity. We had a Town and Country not long after it rolled off the assembly line. I always loved the gold colored metalized trim inside and outside the doors…along with those fond memories of the family leisurely tooling up A1A from Stuart to Ft. Pierce FL Sunday evenings. Relocating shortly after to Columbus OH (a true rust capital) demanded more duct tape than was produced at that time.
My Dad brought home a Fairlane 500, 312 V-8, Ford-0matic, just like the one in this pictured here. He parked it in the corner of our backyard and it sat there until the tires were flat, the body was down in the dirt and he parked it in 1969. By 1972 when we moved away,the engine was locked up and he sold it for scrap!I mowed around it is how I know dates!
Along with the ’62 Imperial featured above, the 1957 Ford was a standout favourite of mine the moment it appeared in 1956 — but only in Fairlane form — Didn’t care for the stubbier Customs. But the Fairlane 500?.– now THERE was a beautiful car! — but more in the hardtop form, than pillared as in this one. One main problem with these: they were almost instant rust-buckets: they litterally rotted off the roads in a white-hot hurry! But how Ford could take a beauty such as this, and make it gag-ugly for ’58, is something I’ll never understand. At least their ’59 was handsome (unlike either the 1959 Mercury or the Edsel that year). But Edsel turned beautiful for 1960 (too bad they submarined it before giving it even a chance!).
sold in a day. no surprise there looking clean as this is even being a 4dr. buyer got a deal at that price.
That didn’t last, ‘sold’.
Wouldn’t mind this 4dr one bit for my daily driver. That thunderbird special looks just right under the hood. I’d prefer a single color with the paint though, never been a fan of two-tones. I also don’t think it’s factory paint but who’s to tell?
Nice Ford.
As a kid my friend lived across the street from me and his father built really nice hot rods. I was ten years old in 1970 when a friend of his father came over in this car but in a two door painted a dark green with metal flake with custom rims and Taboo painted across both back fenders. Coming down the street you could feel the rumble in your chest I was in love with cars from that day forward I spent the whole afternoon walking around that car day dreaming.
Ward drive a Thunderbird in the 60s. No Plymouths
Nice to know Ford out sold Chevy in 1957; yet I suspect a stock ‘57 Chevrolet V8 is worth 10X of a similar ‘57 Ford full size V8…but full respect the styling cues of the 57-59 Fords especially the station wagons…
SOLD!
ad says sold
Back then, my Dad would never buy Ford or Chrysler products. He said they had a bad residual value.
Although at 80yo, he did buy a ’06 hemi charger.
For my Dad it was a new 1957 Plymouth. 2 infact as the first one was stolen. (Who would want a plain Jane 4 door, six cylinder 3 on the tree? ) The replacement by the insurance company was a a 2dr hard top Fury with V8, 4 barrel! Those 2 were the beginning of a parade of 7 total ’57 Plymouths. No Chevvies or Fords for Dad at the time. Later on he did buy a Falcon wagon beater and then we restored a ’58 Corvette for his daily driver. My first exposure to one of these was owned by a classmates brother’s car. He thought it was fast. I was unimpressed as my Granny’s Oldsmobile was much faster. (’57 Olds 88 with a cam, dual exhaust and head work.)
I do like the style of these and growing up in the rust belt, I can attest to the tin worm fascination with these Fords.
On the movie, Thunder Road, Luke Doulan got killed in a 57 ford when he crashed into a power substation at the end of the movie.