Crown Vic

 

From the 4th Annual BUG Firefighters Car and Motor Show there is a 1956 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria, a classic American car known for its stylish two-tone paint and sweeping chrome trim. Specifically, the "Victoria" model was a pillarless hardtop coupe—distinctive for having no fixed door frame between the front and rear side windows, giving it a sleek, open look when the windows were down.

If you're at an auto show a handful of identifiers include the "Fairlane" script on the front fender, the distinctive "V" shaped emblem with a crown (a 1956 Fairlane trademark) and the two-tone paint and heavy chrome detailing, common in mid-1950s American automotive design.

The 1956 Ford Fairlane Victoria arrived at a pivotal time in American automotive history, representing the optimistic, forward-looking spirit of postwar America.  This model was unveiled in 1955 and named after Henry Ford’s estate, Fair Lane, in Dearborn, Michigan.

Until the introduction of the Galaxie in 1959 this was Ford’s top-tier model which enjoyed an intense rivalry with the Chevrolet Bel Air.  The 1956 version featured a new safety focus, including optional seatbelts, a padded dashboard and a Deep-Dish steering wheel to reduce chest injury in a crash under the "Lifeguard Design" safety campaign—pioneering at the time.

The drive train ranged from a 223 cu in (3.7L) inline-6 to a 292 or 312 cu in (4.8–5.1L) V8; offering respectable horsepower for the time.  Transmission options included a 3-speed manual, Ford-O-Matic (automatic), and even overdrive.

This is a smart-looking drive from whence I arrived on the scene.