Ford Skyliner
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner | |
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| Also called: | Ford Skyliner |
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| Manufacturer: | Ford Motor Company |
| Production: | 1957–1959 |
| Predecessor: | Ford Crown Victoria Skyliner |
| Class: | Full-size car |
| Body style: | retractable hardtop |
| Related: | Ford Fairlane |
- See also Ford Victoria Skyliner for the 1954 Ford and Ford Crown Victoria Skyliner for the 1955–1956 Ford Crown Victoria, both with plexiglass roofs.
The Ford Skyliner was an innovative full-size automobile with a retracting hardtop produced by the Ford Motor Company in the late 1950s. Based on the North American Ford Fairlane, the Skyliner had a complex mechanism which folded the front of the roof and retracted it under the rear decklid. This mechanism was prone to failure, and the large top took up vast amounts of trunk space, limiting the car's sales. But the concept of a retractable hardtop had much appeal and was resurrected in the 1990s with the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class and other later vehicles.
The Skyliner, which was produced for model years 1957, 1958, and 1959, had a squared-off roofline style that was admired by the public and found its way on most Ford two-door hardtops until 1965, including the Thunderbird, Galaxie, and Fairlane.
The Skyliner name was previously applied to another Fairlane derivative, the Crown Victoria Skyliner. This vehicle had a clear plexiglass roof panel over the front row of seats.
Today, the Skyliner has become a very valuable collectible car, with high-point restored specimens costing upwards of $50,000 (2006).
