In 1953, Ford celebrated its 50th anniversary with a bang—or rather, a vroom. William Clay Ford, Henry’s grandson, took the wheel as the Indy 500 pace driver, cruising in style in a Sunliner convertible. Ford’s trusty flathead V8 was still the engine of choice, now with power brakes and steering as options. And if you opted for a radio, your dealer would pre-program it with the hottest stations, ensuring your drives were as lively as the engine under the hood. Talk about a ‘tuned’ experience!
Ford’s 50th anniversary is in 1953 and Henry’s grandson, William Clay Ford, is the Indy 500 pace driver this year; he is piloting a Sunliner convertible (with a simulated continental kit hanging off the back). As in previous years, the ‘53 Ford flathead V8 is a top choice for new car buyers and the 239 CID (3.9 L) engine still dependably puts out 110 hp (82kW).  A new attraction this year is that power assisted brakes and power steering are on the options list for the working man’s V8 Ford, trickling down from the more uptown Lincoln and Mercury Divisions. Worth mentioning is an unusual Ford guarantee in 1953; if you take the radio option your Dealer will deliver your vehicle with all the most popular area stations already programed into your radio pre-sets.
239 CID Flathead V8 3 Speed Automatic
MCF thanks Gateway Classic Cars for images provided here.
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