I’ve always had the opinion that it’s easy to go overboard with the accessories catalog when restoring an old car, especially a fifties car. If said fifties car didn’t come with a Continental kit, fender skirts, spotlights, or a record player, I’d just as soon leave them on the shelf. But that’s just me, and there were catalog accessories that you don’t always see at the car show that can actually add to driver and pedestrian safety, and this 1953 Ford Crestline Victoria has a few of them, in addition to being a very nice car. Barn Finds reader Mitchell G. has sent in this Flame Coral example from craigslist in Ballston Lake, New York. In addition to its tasteful accessories, it has a well-detailed engine compartment, trunk, and interior to go along with its flathead V8 and $21,000 asking price.
The first of this Ford’s safety-minded add-ons are these road lamps, “an aid to safer night driving.” Anyone who’s driven a car with a six-volt electrical systems knows that the headlamps are a far cry from modern LEDs, so a little extra visibility might help you on the way home from those late night cruise-ins. This car also has back-up lights, over ten years before they became required standard equipment.
The engine is Ford’s 239-cubic-inch Flathead of song and myth, back for one final model year (in the United States). For 1953, the sales literature for the Victoria said that the “Strato-Star V-8” was the “only V-8…in the low-price field,” and it produced 110 horsepower with a 7.2:1 compression ratio. This car has the optional Fordomatic transmission, which is somewhat misunderstood by the casual car fan. Designed by Borg-Warner and destined to be used in some format throughout the next several decades of Ford production, the 1953 Fordomatic was not a two-speed; it normally started out in second gear, although low could be manually selected. It wasn’t until the Cruise-O-Matic was introduced in 1958 that the transmission would start in low from a standstill when the selector was in a “Drive” position (confusingly, Fords often had two “Drive” positions). With the Fordomatic, the Victoria had a standard 3.31:1 axle ratio with a 3.54:1 optional.
The engine bay of this Victoria is nicely detailed, certainly above and beyond for a nice driver.
The interior upholstery doesn’t seem to match the original patterns, but it’s in nice shape and few people will notice. It does have seat belts, which are a nice addition for just a little extra peace of mind out on our crowded roads. The ’53 Ford’s dashboard is exceptionally clean and harmonious for a ’50s car, with easy-to-read gauges in front of the driver and a small, tasteful clock mounted up high where everyone could see it.
With wide whitewalls and demure chrome tips on its dual exhausts, this is a fine example of a tasteful ’50s Ford. The period color charts I found in my research don’t show Coral Flame as being available in a two-tone color combination, but adding a white roof later on was common back in the ’50s, and it’s just another example of a minor customization that doesn’t detract from a really nice car.
My mother’s car but white over light blue. Automatic made it slow as mud but after sneaking a slight lowering and using my friend’s ’55 Olds spinner hub caps made a great Friday night cruiser. Nice car here.
Thanks Aaron. Very clean and sharp Ford. Cool 50’s color. I like it.
In 1953, Ford was celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding and installed special commemorative horn ring buttons to mark the occasion. My mother had a ’53 Ranch Wagon, so this year Ford has always piqued my interest. Nice color on this one.
From 1989 until 2019 I owned a 53 Ford F-100 panel delivery truck with this emblem on the steering wheel horn. I sold for the more comfortable 69 F-100 pickup, previously changed from the base 6 cylinder to a Mustang 302 with AOD transmission. But my father’s first new car was a 53 Ford Country Sedan wagon, also with this emblem for the 50th anniversary. I was 5 years old when it arrived and 16 when he traded it in 1964. Lots of memories like traveling thru the snow on a Christmas Eve to a family gathering with chains on rear tires. I wish that he gave it to me, but it was a trade for a 64 Ford wagon. That one did go to me some years later in the early 70’s.
My Aunt had a Ford Jubilee with that emblem.
The nicest 53 Ford I have seen, wish there was room in my garage for just one more.
Beautiful Ford! The colors are great as is the condition. The price seems reasonable for such a car.
My first car was a 53 Ford. I still have a fondness for that era of Fords.
Re “but adding a white roof later on was common back in the ’50s”. We had a gray 1950 Buick and my Dad had the roof painted a cream color. My 4 or 5 year old self was so excited when he had it done. Guess it doesn’t take much to get a nascent geared excited.
Can someone please tell me how to distinguish among the 52, 53, and 54 Fords?
Mainly it is the changes in the grilles that distinguish the three years. The 53 Ford has the bigger center “bullet”. 52 and 54 had smaller rounds on both sides. 52 and 53 Fords had the 239 110 HP flat V-8 while 54 had a 239 overhead valve V-8, except in Canada where the flathead V-8 continued. There was also a 223 overhead valve 6 cylinder available starting in 52.
grill parking light’s also different tail light lenses and side trim
Great paint color, but an off strange color interior!
Ballston Lake is right near me, oddly enough! For those who don’t know, it’s in Saratoga County. The 1952 Ford has a simpler side trim, and just the Ford crest on the trunk-lid, which makes the rear look oddly narrow. Ford must have realised this, and they made a horizontal trunk-trim with a little dip in the middle on the ’53: the car instantly looked wider. The tail-lights are different also. The ’52 has a wide outer hub, rhen a mid-size inner-hub; the ’53 has a wide hub, a medium hub, and a narrow hub, three sreps. The ’54 is a slight variant on rhe ’53, and the horizontal trim-piece on the trunk is wider than on the ’53. Oddly, the ’54 grille treatment returns more to the 1952 theme, leaving the ’53 to stand out as different. The 1952 Ford was well ahead of its time, even a bit radical, when it first came out. But it was “classic” in a way that allowed Ford to get three years out of it, then drastically face-lift it to get two MORE years, before they did a complete re-style for 1957. This question about telling the ’52, ’53, and ’54 Fords apart reminds me of a similar one about telling the ’49 and ’50 Fords apart, or distinguishing the 1950, 1951, 1952, and 1953 Cadillacs. Here’s one for you: how do you tell the 1948 Ford from the ’47? (you need sharp eyes for details on this one!). And the 1946 variant on the senior Cadillac persisted virtually unchanged through 1949 — an extension of the 1941 styling. But how utterly dignified those Cadillacs were!
Ballston Lake is right near me, oddly enough! For those who don’t know, it’s in Saratoga County. The 1952 Ford has a simpler side trim, and just the Ford crest on the trunk-lid, which makes the rear look oddly narrow. Ford must have realised this, and they made a horizontal trunk-trim with a little dip in the middle on the ’53: the car instantly looked wider. The tail-lights are different also. The ’52 has a wide outer hub, rhen a mid-size inner-hub; the ’53 has a wide hub, a medium hub, and a narrow hub, three sreps. The ’54 is a slight variant on rhe ’53, and the horizontal trim-piece on the trunk is wider than on the ’53. Oddly, the ’54 grille treatment returns more to the 1952 theme, leaving the ’53 to stand out as different. The 1952 Ford was well ahead of its time, even a bit radical, when it first came out. But it was “classic” in a way that allowed Ford to get three years out of it, then drastically face-lift it to get two MORE years, before they did a complete re-style for 1957. This question about telling the ’52, ’53, and ’54 Fords apart reminds me of a similar one about telling the ’49 and ’50 Fords apart, or distinguishing the 1950, 1951, 1952, and 1953 Cadillacs. Here’s one for you: how do you tell the 1948 Ford from the ’47? (you need sharp eyes for details on this one!). And the 1946 variant on the senior Cadillac persisted virtually unchanged through 1949 — an extension of the 1941 styling. But how utterly dignified those Cadillacs were!
And the 50-52 Chevies as well.
I believe the 47 still used the rocker style Ignition switch with locking column and the 48 used Ignition key only.
Exterior color combination is correct! Color of the body is not ‘Coral Flame‘, as stated by the seller. The color on the body is called ‘Flamingo Red‘ and this color was available with a roof painted in ‘Sungate Ivory‘.
Ford color names are a little bit confusing since the red was called ‘Coral‘ and the color that looked like coral was called ‘Red‘.
I think the interior is not correct, but it looks very nice and correct. ’53 Ford hardtop seats were fitted with a Nylon woven fabrik in blue, green or brown with vinyl bolsters in a darker shade. Dashboards of hardtops were painted in metallic colors of blue, green or goldtone and were never painted in bodycolor. Maybe there has been a custom interior available as a spring option, or to celebrate the 50th anniversary, but this is beyond my knowledge. Body data plate will show trim number and bring clarity.