The 1952 Ford looked much like the 1949 car, but it brought a one-piece curved windscreen and a new overhead-valve “Mileage Maker” six. The familiar Custom and Deluxe names gave way to Mainline, Customline and Crestline, and the design ran to the end of 1954.
1952 Ford at a glance
| Maker | Ford Motor Company, Dearborn |
|---|---|
| Model years | 1952–1954 |
| Bodies | sedans, hardtops, convertible, station wagon |
| Base six | 215 cu in (3.5 L) Mileage Maker OHV, 101 hp |
| V8 | 239 cu in (3.9 L) flathead, 110 hp, until 1953 |
| 1954 V8 | 239 cu in Y-block OHV, 130 hp |
| Wheelbase | 115 in (2,921 mm) |
| Trims | Mainline, Customline, Crestline |
| Top models | Sunliner convertible, Victoria hardtop, Country Squire wagon |
| 1953 additions | power brakes and power steering, 50th anniversary |
| 1954 addition | Crestline Skyliner with acrylic roof panel |
| Australian production | October 1952–1955, V8 Customline and Mainline utility |
This page is based on English Wikipedia only.
History of the 1952 Ford
A refresh, not a new car
The 1952 Ford kept the body and chassis of the 1949 car, but the windscreen became a one-piece curved unit and the old 226 cu in L-head six was replaced by a 215 cu in overhead-valve six of 101 hp, called the Mileage Maker. The 239 cu in flathead V8 stayed at 110 hp. Inside there was a “flight-style” control panel and pedals suspended from below the dashboard, with a voltmeter, fuel, temperature and oil-pressure gauges as standard.
Mainline, Customline, Crestline
The 1952 range was reshuffled into Mainline at the bottom, Customline in the middle and Crestline at the top. Crestline covered the Sunliner convertible and the Victoria hardtop, while the Country Squire continued as the station wagon. The grille had a single centre bullet inside a chrome ring with “jet intake” corner markers; a year later the ring went and vertical black stripes flanked the bullet.
1953 and 1954
For its fiftieth anniversary in 1953 Ford added power-assisted brakes and steering, until then reserved for Mercury and Lincoln, and fitted commemorative steering wheels to every car. The flathead V8 finally gave way for 1954 to a 239 cu in overhead-valve Y-block of 130 hp, with a 160 hp 256 cu in version for law-enforcement use. The same year brought the Crestline Skyliner, whose front half of the roof was a tinted acrylic panel, and an Astra-Dial speedometer lit by daylight. Ford Australia built the car from October 1952 to 1955 as the V8 Customline sedan and the Mainline utility, with raised ground clearance for local roads.
Design and features
- Mileage Maker six: a new overhead-valve 215 cu in unit of 101 hp.
- One-piece windscreen: curved glass in place of the flat two-piece screen.
- Flight-style dashboard: suspended pedals and full instrumentation.
- Y-block V8 (1954): the overhead-valve engine that replaced the flathead.
1952 Ford versions
- Mainline: the base trim.
- Customline: the mid-range car.
- Crestline: the top trim, with Sunliner convertible and Victoria hardtop.
- Country Squire: the station wagon, with real wood trim until 1953.
- Crestline Skyliner (1954): hardtop with an acrylic front roof section.
- Australian Customline and Mainline Utility: local assembly from 1952 to 1955.
The 1952 Ford followed the 1949 Ford and shared its flathead V8 with the F-Series trucks. More cars are in the Ford collection.
Sources
- 1952 Ford, English Wikipedia: engines, trims, yearly changes, Australian production
