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Ken Leonard | all galleries >> Galleries >> Fabulous Fords Forever Show 2005 Vol. #2 > 1951 Ford Victoria - Click on photo for more
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17-APR-2005

1951 Ford Victoria - Click on photo for more

Nikon Coolpix 8700
1/162s f/6.0 at 12.7mm iso50 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Rick Johnson 24-Oct-2005 19:02
1951 Ford Victoria. Ford's very first pillarless hardtop model. The two-door hardtop was first introduced by GM in 1949 by Buick (Riviera), Cadillac (Coupe DeVille), and Oldsmobile (Holiday Coupe'). Chrysler actually produced prototypes of this model before GM, but did not put them into production. This body style quickly gained popularity with the buying public, and especially during the 1950's, rivaled the four door sedan as the best selling model in the lineup. Ford continued to call its hardtop offerings "Victoria", through model year 1956. In a bit of irony, Ford's most famous "Victoria" wasn't a true pillarless hardtop at all. The "Crown Victoria" as it was known, had fixed pillars hidden by a wide band of flashy chrome that extended over the roof of the car. Ford offered these models in the Fairlane Series in 1955 and 1956, some with partial green plexiglass roof panels that extended from the windshield to the wide chrome band or "crown" that swept from pillar to pillar over the top of the roof.
In another bit of irony, Ford "recycled" the Crown Victoria name and currently uses it on its full-size four-door sedan offering, that does not bear the slightest resemblence to the original Crown Victoria, or a pillarless hardtop for that matter. What a shame that the name couldn't be reserved for a really special and unique future offering.
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