The Pick of the Day is a 1953 Ford Country Sedan with a story worthy of our “My Classic Car” series, except this station wagon is being offered for sale on the marketplace of ClassicCars.com.
According to the private seller located in Paradise Valley, Arizona, the Ford wagon originally was owned by a couple in Oregon. After their passing, the car went to a grand niece in Oklahoma, where it was kept in the farm-family barn for several years before being sold to a man in Virginia, who did the wagon’s restoration.
“When I saw the car online one day, I was surprised since it was identical to the one my parents bought new in 1953 and kept until 1960,” the seller reports.
“As a child, I crossed the country every summer from Spokane, WA to Pittsburg, PA to visit grandparents.”
Thus, the purchase of the wagon in 2011 was nostalgic, “as many classic car acquisitions are for many of us,” the seller adds, “and I have truly enjoyed it.”
The seller notes that 1953 was the final year that such vehicles came with Ford’s famed flathead V8 engine. It also was Ford’s 50th anniversary and the badge on the steering wheel celebrates that milestone.
“This car has been garaged and covered for the last nine years that I have owned it and only driven a few miles every couple of weeks for exercise or down to the local car show about five miles away where it always draws a lot of interest,” according to the advertisement.
The seller reports that the car runs well and has been carefully maintained and serviced and has had no major mechanical issues since its purchase.
“The only change since I purchased it has been a dual exhaust system (original exhaust system is included with the vehicle).”
The seller says the two-tone and original (blue-and-cream) Ford paint remains in good condition and the chrome is nicely polished. Windows and seals and in excellent or good condition. The speedometer has been disconnected because of being noisy.
“There is no way to know the exact mileage other than it is doubtful I added more than 1,000 miles in the nine years since I owned it,” the seller says. “The odometer showed 66+K when I disconnected it.”
The car has a 3-speed manual transmission with overdrive, the seller notes, and the clock and radio are original but not working, while the radio antenna was not present when the seller purchased the vehicle.
The asking price is $48,500.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
My mom and dad had one of these as the family car back in the day. The Ford wagon replaced Dad’s 49 Merc with the Carson top. With three kids and a fourth one on the way, Mom told Dad it’s time to get a family wagon! The wagon made a few trips from Phoenix Arizona up in the northern California back in the ’50s.
My Dad bought a ’53 Mercury that was similar to the Ford. He got the wood siding. Great car!