Ford introduced its “Hide-Away Hardtop” in 1957 and it was exclusive to the Fairlane 500 and not offered by Mercury, Lincoln, Continental, or even the upcoming new brand, the Edsel. Over three production years, nearly 50,000 copies were built, so it was not a limited production automobile. This 1958 edition recently emerged from storage where it had been since 1990. It’s an unrestored original, so it will need a lot of work. Located in Fenton, Missouri, this quirky product of the 1950s is available here on eBay where the first bid of $10,000 has yet to be cast (you can Buy It Now for $15,000).

In the Fairlane series, the Skyliner was only the second mass-produced car to have a retractable hardtop, the other being the 1959 Peugeot 402 Eclipse Decapotable. The Ford’s top operated via a complicated series of movements that folded the front portion of the roof and retracted it under the expansive rear decklid. As such, storage capacity was practically non-existent when the top was down. While many believe the hideaway arrangement was either finicky or unreliable, that doesn’t seem to hold up under further scrutiny.

Ford built 20,766 copies in ’57, another 14,713 in 1958, and finally 12,915 in 1959. When the full-size autos were redesigned for 1960, Ford elected to not carry the product further, perhaps the cost of development had exceeded the payback, even with 10,000s of thousands sold. The seller’s car is closing in on the 100,000-mile mark. An oil change sticker from 1966 says the mileage then was 72,000. After another 26,000 miles, the car was retired in the 1990s for reasons unknown.

This ’58 Skyliner has Ford’s 352 cubic inch V8 and an automatic transmission. Both are original to the machine. Upon reviving the Fairlane, the seller has performed some routine services on the car, such as changing all the fluids, rebuilding the carburetor, installing a new battery, and some other odds and ends. The engine runs, and the car will lot drive and shift through the gears using the emergency brake. The original manual drum brakes are weak and need attention.

The black paint is the same finish the car left the factory with 64 years ago. It’s decent but far from perfect with some visible surface rust. The undercarriage will need more attention, as corrosion there has left some holes, like a gaping one in the rear floorboards. While the 14” wheels on the back are original, the ones up front are an inch bigger and all are wearing 1960-era Ford dog dish hubcaps. The interior may have fared better, and new carpeting will be needed once the floors are redone. Perhaps the most important thing to address is that complicated retractable top. It doesn’t function but the initial relay clicks when the switch is turned on. Besides that, the condition of the rest of the hardware is unknown. and repairing that may not come cheap.