In 1954 and 1955, FoMoCo offered two products as a hardtop with a transparent roof. In ’54, there were the Ford Crestline Crown Victoria Skyliner and Mercury Monterey Sun Valley (in ’55, the Sun Valley was based on the Montclair, the Ford on the Fairlane). If buyers didn’t want a full-fledged convertible, they could go this route and at least have plenty of sunshine (or maybe too much). Located in Webster, Massachusetts, the seller has or had one of these rare cars, plus a couple of ordinary Monterey’s (for parts, we presume). This trio is/was available here on Facebook Marketplace as a package deal for $8,000, though the listing is six months old.
The heart of the Sun Valley/Skyliner offering was their green-tinted plexiglass roof panel. In concept, it sounded like a really great idea. However, the temperatures inside the cars rose greatly on hot summer days and air conditioning wasn’t yet a big option. FoMoCo came up with a sliding cover that could be opened and closed from the inside to help keep temps down, but then that just negated having the transparency at all. In 1954 and 1955, Ford built 15,143 Skyliners while Mercury only peddled 11,548 Sun Valleys (84% sold in 1954 until the main flaw was discovered by buyers).
This ’54 Merc was found in Arizona, so rust may not be an issue. It found its way to New England where it joined two other Monterey’s (presumably both from 1954) that the seller has, or maybe it was the other way around. The primary car offered here is said to have 74,000 miles and the majority of the work done over the years was to dismantle the interior. We assume the Sun Valley has a 256 cubic inch overhead-valve V8 that produced 161 horses with a 4-barrel carburetor (also an automatic transmission).
We don’t know when the Sun Valley last ran, but we’re guessing not on the seller’s watch. He/she has no time to put things together again or even restore it, so the rarity is ready for a new home. It has a title, while the two parts cars do not. No mention is made as to what is usable from either of them. If the whole see-thru concept intrigues you and you’re looking for what could be a nifty project, you might want to ping the seller to see if these autos are still around or were sold and the listing simply wasn’t taken down.
Ford’s 1954 version was called “Crestline Victoria Skyliner.” The “Crown” came in 1955 with the Fairlane name, but in 1955, “Skyliner” wasn’t used. It was the 1955 “Fairlane Crown Victoria with transparent top,” which was changed to “Fairlane Crown Victoria Skyliner’ for 1956.
I believe the shade was a two-piece snap-in affair with a zipper up the middle. When Ford reintroduced the fixed sunroof on the 1977 Lincoln Continental, it had a sliding sunshade like a traditional sunroof. When Ford tried for a third time with the fixed sunroof on the 2009 Mustang, a roll-up shade was used. I have a 2011 Mustang GT with the glass roof, and the shade still allows a decent amount of light in, while eliminating glare.
They made both the Ford and Mercury versions of the glass top in 1956 too. Not just 54-55. From what I understand it wasn’t a very popular thing after people realize the “greenhouse effect” and how hot it got inside those cars. And yet Ford in its infinite wisdom thought it would be a good idea bring it back in the mustang. I’ll never understand that decision either. But it will make for a future collectable as not many of those were sold either.
Unlike 1954-55 Sun Valleys, no production records exist proving a `56 Sun Valley was ever made. Someone cut the roof of a `56 Montclair coupe and inserted a plexiglass panel like a `55, but it wasn’t factory even though the seller tried to pass it off as such. I know; I’ve studied these since I was 9.
Check again, there were 603 1956 Crown Victoria’s with the glass roof. Which isn’t many but they are out there. Do a Google search once and you will see an original 1956 glass top show car that sold at the southerby auction for over $100k
Terrible photos, with bric-a-brac covering the entire selling point of the car, its roof! Too bad too because I like 54-56 Mercs. Hopefully it can be brought back to life without too much effort and money, it seems like a pretty decent deal.
I’m not sure exactly what it is about a ’53-54 Merc 2dr, but it is absolutely my most favorite body style of any car ever designed. Just beautiful. Maybe one day I’ll own one; for now, I’ll have to settle for my 1/64th version. LOL
We inherited a 1954 Ford Skyliner from my grandfather. The transparent top was stylish but with no A/C we would broil in the summer heat. It had a nylon snap in shield but while it kept the sun off the heat was still terrible. Mechanical issues prevented us from keeping it for very long.
I loved the Sun Valleys in this color combo. I remember seeing one in the movie “Peggy Sue Got Married” and fell in love with it. What a beautiful car.
Back in the mid seventies, when I was young I had a non running junk, imo 56 Merc Sun Valley. At the time I was playing with a 57 TBird collecting parts to fix it up. I saw an ad in Hemmings from a gentleman who had TBird parts for sale and was looking for Sun Valleys. He had the parts I needed, price wise out of my reach, so I offered to swap the car for the parts. He accepted sight unseen, was there that weekend in NY with a trailer and the parts I needed. I sold him some excess 56 parts I had, he loaded the car up and away he went. If I remember he was either from Massachusetts or Connecticut. A few years later I discovered somewhere that they made approximately 125 1956 Mercury Sun Valleys. I may be wrong, but I remember seeing that somewhere a long time ago. He was more than happy to take It off my hands and I was more than happy to have the Thunderbird parts and some cash
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Moms had one of these for a very short time. Only it wasn’t a Sun Valley. Just a regular Mercury hardtop. It was her younger brothers and she got it when he bought his Jaguar.
It was this same color, same car really just no transparent roof. I know my father didn’t like it, big V8, 4bbl, auto, ww tires. All the thing he hated. We had it for the summer. Come fall it got replaced with a 1949 Plymouth, maroon, 6 cyl. 3 on the tree. I hated it. But that was my father, cheap to the bone.
I loved that car. The Dagmars, the big emblems front, rear and sides. The really cool airplane controls for the heater and ventilation, just cool car. These always look good in this mint green, although I hate green this is nice.
I think this was around 1962 or so.
Mark F: I was referring strictly to the Mercury Sun Valleys, and not Crown Vics. I’m aware that 603 `56 Skyliner Crown Vics were produced. Just clarifying.
These are neat cars and relatively rare, but there is always a problem buying a car that is not running?? You don’t know if the transmission is working, condition of the brakes or the front end. I have found out the hard way when you buy a vehicle like this there will be more unpleasant surprises than positive ones, if you can get it cheaper it will leave you some wiggle room financially just to make the car drive and able but the question always is how much money am i willing to invest when for the same price more or less you can probably get a running vehicle