Ford introduced its variation of “ponton” styling in 1949, beating Chevy to the punch. With sleek, integrated fenders and no running boards, the new cars were sensational, serving to boost Ford to the top of the sales stack. Ford sold well over 1.1 million cars in 1949. Available in multiple body styles, this generation of Ford eventually became known as the “shoebox”. Curvette found this tidy 1951 Ford Crestliner for us, advertised here in craigslist and located in Bremerton, Washington. The selling dealer wants $16,999; let’s evaluate that price.
This generation of Fords represented several firsts for the company, including the first key-turn ignition system and the first automatic transmission in a production car – both arriving in 1951. The suspension was all-new. This post-war design was the first Ford launched after both Henry and Edsel had passed. On the other hand, the engine options were holdovers from earlier days: buyers could choose either the 226 cid six, or the 239 cid V8. The Crestliner “sport sedan” was a premium vehicle, offered only with the V8. This example has a three-speed column-shift manual with overdrive; the seller says it runs and drives well.
Befitting the Crestliner’s station in life, upholstery was swankier than in lesser models, with special fabrics and colors available. This example is in decent condition, though the passenger’s rear door card is stained and the windlace has seen better days. The trunk contains a few parts as well as a shop manual. A radio and Magic-Air under-dash heater are part of this car’s original equipment.
The Crestliner was distinguished by its two-tone paint job, vinyl roof, and extra exterior brightwork. The two-door styling and rounded roofline were meant to mimic a convertible – the company hadn’t come up with a hardtop yet, but the Crestliner was a good substitute. The windshield was in two parts still; single panes rolled around for 1952. It’s worth mentioning that the seller erroneously identifies this car as a “Crestline”, which was a top trim level on the 1952 Ford. Perusing historical sales results reveals that these cars sold for much more during the 2015-2017 time frame. This handsome bronze ’51 brought over $31k at RM Sotheby’s Hershey auction in 2017; five years later, an even better example sold for $17,300. My hunch is that it’ll take a bit of a discount to shift today’s Crestliner to a new garage.
So, another “war orphan”? Anytime I see a car like this from this era, in this condition,, I can’t help but think of Korea, June 25, 1950-July 27, 1953, we can’t forget that,,,,someone could have easily ordered a new Ford and anchors aweigh. The car looks like something a young man would order, and someone put 40K miles on it. I bet this car sat inside for a long time and refurbished much later. This is really a sharp car.
This is a really great looking Ford. The two tone paint in a great color combination, the vinyl top, swanky interior. If this is original, then its in impressive condition!!! As always, a great, well researched writeup Michelle, I enjoyed it. I wonder what it will sell for?
What’s that huge appendage on the back bumper?
I recently sold a 51 Ford Convertible from my fathers estate for $12k. This is a nice car but the collector market for these vehicles is shrinking rapidly. Will be interesting to see what the final sale price is however those mainly interested in these cars are slowly entering “assisted living” and are highly unlikely to be shelling out big dollars on cars like this.