While most of the country is buried under snow, collector car enthusiasts are left to daydream about the sunny, convertible-friendly summer days ahead. Sometimes, the best time of year to shop for a ragtop is during the off-peak driving season when many of them are seeing little use, stored away on battery tenders, and under covers.
The Pick of the Day is a 1955 Ford Fairlane Sunliner listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Wadsworth, Ohio. (Click the link to view the listing)
“Meticulously restored original luxury 1955 Ford Sunliner convertible,” the listing begins. “This beautiful car is in great condition, straight, clean, very nice. Excellent paint, interior, underside, details, and under hood. 13,300 miles showing.”
This convertible showcases a unique black and yellow color scheme – technically referred to as Raven Black and Goldenrod (denoted by color code “AV” on the trim tag). Exterior features include a power-operated black cloth top, a continental kit, a dual exhaust system, and period-correct wide whitewall tires. The same two-tone theme continues to the refurbished interior with vinyl seating throughout. Lap belts have been added for safety.
For 1955, the Fairlane was the top trim level of the Ford lineup, slotted above the Mainline and Customline models. One of the engineering features that was new for this year was a panoramic windshield that had been rolled out on competing models from other brands. The Sunliner name was reserved for the convertible body style. A new generation would follow two years later in 1957, which was the same year that the retractable-hardtop Skyliner joined the Sunliner in the family of Ford convertibles. The Sunliner name continued through the mid-1960s before retirement.
Power for this full-sized Ford comes from a 162-horsepower 272cid Y-block V8 coupled with a three-speed Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission. The electrical system has been upgraded to 12 volts, and the steering and braking systems are both power assisted.
The seller states, “It runs and drives great with a working power convertible top, continental kit, fender skirts, lots of chrome, badging, and more. This is a spectacular car.”
The seller is asking $56,900 or best offer for this summer ready Sunliner.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
Exactly what Paul Drake would drive, investigating for Perry Mason.