The Ford Country Sedan is a full-size station wagon that Ford built in the United States from 1952 until 1974. It was the mid-trim wagon in the Ford range: unlike the Country Squire, it had plain body sides. As a full-size wagon it could carry up to nine passengers, if so equipped.
Ford Country Sedan at a glance
| Maker | Ford, United States |
|---|---|
| Built | 1952 to 1974 |
| Body | full-size station wagon |
| Capacity | up to 9 passengers, if so equipped |
| Position | mid-trim Ford wagon, above the Ranch Wagon |
| Difference from Country Squire | plain body sides instead of woodgrain |
| 1952–1954 | part of the Ford Customline range |
| From 1955 | Ford wagons became their own series |
| 1961 | tailgate with a self-storing rear window |
| 1966 | Magic Door Gate, opening down or sideways |
| 1972–1974 | sold as the Galaxie 500 Country Sedan |
| From 1975 | rebranded LTD wagon |
English Wikipedia is the only source used here, so the facts were not cross-checked against a second source. Its sales table was not available in the text we read, so no figures are given.
History of the Ford Country Sedan
A mid-priced wagon
The Country Sedan was the mid-trim station wagon in the U.S. Ford range. Unlike the Country Squire, it had plain body sides, and for every year it was sold it outsold the more exclusive Country Squire, because it carried more modest standard and optional equipment while using the same powertrain.
From Customline to its own series
From 1952 to 1954 the Country Sedan was part of the Ford Customline range. Beginning in 1955 Ford moved its station wagons into their own series, and the Country Sedan continued to represent the mid-trim wagon. In the 1960s and 1970s it was close to the Galaxie and then the Galaxie 500 in trim. For 1972, 1973 and 1974 the model was marketed as the Galaxie 500 Country Sedan, and from 1975 it was rebranded the LTD wagon, with a trim level identical to the Country Squire apart from the absence of simulated wood panelling.
Tailgates
Before 1961 all Ford wagons had a two-piece tailgate: the rear window was lifted and locked into place, then the tailgate dropped down. For 1961 Ford added a tailgate with a self-storing window that could be rolled down by a crank or an electric motor, with a safety lockout. With the 1966 models all Ford wagons received the Magic Door Gate, which worked as a tailgate lowered down or as a door that swung outward, using a fixed hinge on the right and a combination of hinges on the left. General Motors, Chrysler, AMC and Toyota adopted similar layouts by the end of the 1960s.
Design and features
- Trim: plain body sides; the Country Squire carried woodgrain.
- Seating: up to nine passengers.
- Tailgate: self-storing window from 1961, Magic Door Gate from 1966.
Ford Country Sedan versions
- 1952–1954: Country Sedan in the Customline range.
- 1955–1971: mid-trim wagon in its own series.
- 1972–1974: Galaxie 500 Country Sedan.
More Ford cars are in our Ford collection. The wagon above it in the range is the Country Squire, and the one below it the Ranch Wagon.
Sources
- Ford Country Sedan, English Wikipedia: history, trims, tailgates
