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1959
Ford Skyliner
Provided by Hemmings
 VALUES
TODAY
Low: $4,000
Avg.: $18,000
High: $28,000
Starting with the flamboyantly attractive Fairline 500-series
cars in 1957, the Skyliner was an instant hit among enthusiasts throughout
America. Here was all the top-down fun of a full convertible and the practicality
of a hardtop. The first year sales for this model were 20,766.
And the disappearing top gave you bragging rights wherever
you went, leaving spectators in awe as it slowly but surely went through
the drill: first the rear-hinged deck rose up, then the top unbolted itself
from the windshield header, next the entire top rose up on metal arms
and began backing into the rear deck opening. Meanwhile, the front portion
of the top was folding up to clear the opening. Down went the top into
the compartment, then down went the deck itself, leaving a smooth, uninterrupted
flow of sheetmetal from the rear passenger area to the taillamps. It was
quite a show, and one that retractable owners never tired of giving.
Indeed, the opening/closing mechanism developed originally
for the retractable went on to be used for the 1961-67 Continental four-door
convertible and the T-Bird convertibles from 58 through 66. But as impressive
as these top mechanisms were, nothing quite measured up to seeing a metal
top rise up and then disappear into the rear deck, then reappear again
perfectly in place.
Ford for 1959 boasted all new styling, a far more conservative
design than the facelifted 58s with their anodized trim and eggcrate grille.
Ford bucked the design trend of the times with the ’59s, as GM and
Chrysler tried to outdo each other with the height and configuration of
their fins while the Fords had no fins at all. This helped the cars win
the Gold Medal for Exceptional Styling at the Brussels World’s Fair.
Even their quad headlamp treatment was restrained and attractive and,
all in all, the cars are as pleasant to see today as they were on the
showroom floor over 40 years ago.
The rectractable for 1959 was on the new body shell and was
perhaps the best looking of the 57-59 efforts, thanks in some part to
the roofline following the shape of the regular Fords (which the stylists
had borrowed from the T-Bird), thereby giving these cars a more integrated
"family" appearance.
Because of the extra mechanism required for the top’s
operation, the retractable was the heaviest of the 59 Fords with a shipping
weight a bit over two tons. Due to the extra weight, the cars could be
ordered only with V-8 engines: anything from a 292/200 hp to a "Thunderbird"
352 rated at 300 bhp. Total sales of the 59 retracs amounted to 12,915,
making them the scarcest of the flip-tops then and today.
In seeking a 59 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner today, the collector/restorer
should check for rust in all the usual places, of course. But even more
critical with these cars is the operation of the top itself. After four
decades of use and wear there could be plenty of electrical/mechanical
gremlins to vex the hobbyist, and a careful checking of the components
and their condition is mandatory.
As with any other collector car, buy the best example you
can find commensurate with your budget. Get a good one and you’ll
have the same pleasure the owner of the new retractables did when they
pulled up, pushed a button and gathered a crowd as the big steel top folded
up effortlessly into the trunk.
Buck Rogers lives.
Base price: $ 3,346
Base weight: 4,064 lbs.
Body: Five-passenger all-steel retractable two-door hardtop
Frame: Ladder type with X-bracing, reinforced for retractable
Wheelbase: 118 inches
Length: 208.1 inches
Suspension: Independent coil with A-arms
Suspension (rear): Semi-elliptic leaf springs
Brakes: Four-wheel hydraulic internal expanding drums
Engine: 292 c.i.d overhead valve V-8, 200 b.h.p @ 4400 rpm; 8.8:1 compression
ratio
Transmission: Ford-O-Matic torque converter with automatic Planetary gear
train
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