The Country Squire was Ford’s top-of-the-line station wagon for more than 40 years (1950-91). At first, it was a true “Woodie” but as that niche was dying off, it quickly became an all-steel-bodied wagon with exterior woodgrain trim instead. This 1958 edition was built in the middle year of the 4th generation of the Country Squire (1957-59). It’s a stunning wagon that no doubt turns heads wherever it goes. And this one has the Thunderbird Interceptor 352 V8 under the hood, which was also used for police work. Available here on eBay and located in Woodside, New York, the bidding has reached $31,100 for the kind of wagon you won’t see very often.
Country Squires always stood out in the crowd and the 1958 models were no exception with some adjustments in styling to add quad headlights. The 1957 introduction was the first time Ford would redo its cars since 1952, so a change was overdue. For offered six versions of their 2-and-4-door station wagons for ‘58, the most exclusive being the 9-passenger Squire at about 15,000 copies. These would be popular for years to come but found themselves replaced by the SUV in the 1990s as times were changing.
With just 46,000 miles covered in 63 years, at least one somebody decided this car was a keeper from the very beginning. We’re told it’s in original condition and spent much of its life indoors. The Ford is said to be rust-free, and no mention is made if any of the paint has ever had to be redone. The seller has owned the car for many years, and it looks to have been largely used for shows given all the literature and posters that come with the wagon. Since more attention was placed on the woodgrain applique in those days compared to the stick-on variety of later years, there don’t appear to be any flaws with the paneling.
We understand that all of the new-for-1958 FE (Ford/Edsel) 352 cubic inch V8’s were called Interceptors. The ones with a 4-barrel carburetor were dubbed Interceptor Special. At 300 hp, the latter is what was used in the T-Bird and those were marked with Thunderbird Interceptor labels. The seller says this is the version of the engine that also served in police work and there is a gold emblem on the glove box door that signifies that. In any case, it’s said to be a strong runner with dual exhaust.
The interior looks spotless, and we wonder if the hat on the front seat comes with the deal. The upholstery is said to be original, and the tailgate area is probably as nice as you’ll ever find for being as-built. The seats fold down for the rare occasion you might want to haul something. It’s a well-optioned wagon, as you might expect for a Squire, including power steering, Town & Country radio, padded dashboard, and windshield washers (none of which was standard on cars in those days).
To improve the quality of the ride, the seller has recently installed new Coker whitewall tires that look vintage but are radials for better performance. Cars of this vintage that were registered in New York usually didn’t have titles, but the seller says a clean transfer of ownership should occur. While the auction has no reserve, we’re also told the seller will consider offers (isn’t an online bid an offer?). Hagerty and NADA peg the top value of one of these wagons at between $60-90,000, so the condition and rarity of equipment could drive the bidding to go much higher.
I can imagine a scenario back in the late 50’s. You have your family on a mini vacation and you roll up to a picnic area. Another picnic goer stops by to admire your new car. You are proud to show him what you have and when you lift the hood that seals the deal. You have a nifty new wagon with a cop engine! Pretty soon word gets around and all the guys come around to envy your new ride.
And that’s how Cars ‘n’ Coffee began.
Beautiful car, I’d love to be the next caretaker of it.
That is one seriously cool wagon!
Outstanding write-up as well, Russ. When I saw that hat in the ad, I thought the exact same thing – seller should definitely include it.
This Country Squire deserves all the money. Fantastic job, seller.
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Now that’s my kind of wagon! And yeah, that hat seriously needs to be inseparable from the front seat…
NY did not issue titles until 1973. Car will have a transferable registration: owner signs a transfer statement on back of registration, buyer takes it to DMV along with form verifying sale price for sales tax payment, new registration and plates issued.
Great write up. The ’58 Ford was either love it or hate it, again, single headlight fans hated it, I liked it. I thought by 1958, they would have used fake wood, but I read, real wood lasted until 1965. I can see the monetary attraction here, the Country Squire was for the elite, we had the lowly “Ranch Wagons”, with none of the glitz. And rust, I’ve seen ’57-’59 Fords with the headlights falling out, so very few of even the cheapies survived. Looks sweet on top, but I see a leaking differential and no underside shots, tells me, it’s going to need work. They all do. Certainly out of my league, maybe an Aspen/Vail thing but a fantastic find none the less.
Howard, I learned to drive in the family 1960 Ford Country Squire and the “wood” was some kind of vinyl print with the lighter wood trim a fiberglas-like material.
The 1960 was bigger, heavier and ours had originally been a Hertz car that Hertz seconded to Raybestos brake company before we bought it. Ours had the Three speed Cruise-o-matic and a 2 barrel 352, single exhaust so it didn’t breathe very well.
No a/c but power everything else, the only cars I saw with a/c were the ones my dentist grandfather bought. However, as a high school kid, there were some advantages to having a big station wagon for taking the basketball team for burgers after the game or going tt the drive-in to see…actually, the movie didn’t matter.
A very unusual, rare, and desirable Country Squire. `58 was an off year for the auto industry due to a recession, but Ford updated the `57 body pretty well, but the tacked-on quad headlamps weren’t loved by all. Seen this car written up before elsewhere; It’s quite likely THE nicest `58 Squire in the country right now.
Oh my word…. Ford Wagons from 1957 forward hold strong appeal for me. Imagining one of these completely loaded with factory a/c, pw, ps, and whatever other boxes could be checked.
Recalling a fully restored, fully loaded ’58 Edsel Bermuda Wagon for sale on eBay several years back, offered by an Edsel Restoration Shop out of New York.
Still don’t understand why FoMoCo dropped the in-dash factory a/c and went to the under dash a/c on everything below the Lincolns and Thunderbirds after 1958, In-dash factory a/c didn’t return to the lesser FoMoCo models until 1965.
With any luck maybe the hat is replacing the surf board.
Hats on the East Coast, surfboards on the West Coast!!
OK, here is the problem with this ’58 Country Squire wagon. The bidding is in the low 30s. The car has been for sale for a long, long time and the best I can remember, he wants like in the mid 50s.
So, it continues on unsold.
I had a 58 Country Sedan in baby blue with just 25,000 original miles and with this same motor. A great car tghat I had terrific fun with..grfeat people and “stuff” carrier. Sad to see it go but did a couple of LA to Sonoma and back runs..
Ford offered a 361 cubic inch FE big block engine in the 1958 and 1959 model years. It was the engine used in the 1958 smaller Edsels based on the Ford chassis (Ranger, Pacer, Bermuda, Roundup and Villager) but was also offered to law enforcement and municipal emergency fleet buyers in 1958 as the Police Power Pack.
A note. Unless the seller replaced the original wheels with later 14″ it’s gonna throw wheel covers. The originals aren’t stiff enough for the soft radial sidewalls and flex enough that the wheelcovers fly off. Consider a set of early ’70s Torino wheels if you buy.
She sure is a beautiful car. If wishes were horses I’d own it and if i had another wish I’d require all new cars to be designed with at least half as much flair and detail…
Wow what a beauty! Were these 352 FEs precursors to the later 390s? Blocks would have to be about the same I would think. Seller wont have any problem getting his price on this stunner.
@HC
There were quite a few FE engines made. It began with the 332, then the 352 such as this ’58 wagon has. And they also included the 360 truck engine, 361 used in Edsel, the 390 you mentioned, 406, 410 used in Mercurys, the 427 and the 427 SOHC Cammer and the 428.
Thanks Larry D. Im familiar with the big blocks 390 and after, just wondered what its precursor was like the 332 and the 352. FE big blocks are great
Second of three cars my grandmother had was a ’58 Ford Two-Door.
Three speed on the column, behind a 352 FE 4-barrel. I’d swear that the ID on the air cleaner housing identified it as a “Thunderbird V-8” Seems like there were birds on the valve covers too. I was young, think I will ask my brother, he actually drove it.
My mom’s best friend, who often babysat us had a black ‘58 like this one with red interior that she’d gotten new. Shortly thereafter her husband died in a freak accident, leaving her the car, her house, several children and little else.
She had the car until the mid sixties, and I rode around in it for many years. I often think of that car and that lady.
Charles Bronson had one of these without the wood trim in the late 1950s series “Man with a Camera” which ran for 2 seasons. It’s free to watch on Tubi.
Great series!
LOTS to love about this one, worth a personal visit. But we’re definitely in the “Gotta go see it first” price range now.
Anyone know for sure if those are the correct Valve Cover decals for the Interceptor 352 option for 1958? Somehow look totally WRONG to me..
I do believe there’s been work done on her through the years, true 46k original miles or definitely for a car that’s higher in actual mileage. ‘Refreshened-up’ painted surfaces inside that engine compartment for one. BLACK (instead of what i believe should have been BROWN Floormats for two. Too-puffy DashPad for three. Damn, am getting whine-y now aren’t i…