1958 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner Convertible
• One of 14,713 examples made in 1958
• Rebuilt 352 CID V-8 engine (code FE)
• Cruise-O-Matic three-speed automatic transmission (code 4) and 3.56 gearing
• Colonial White (code E) over Raven Black (code A) exterior with new gold, anodizing side trim and new rocker moldings
• New correct style Black and White (code G) cloth and vinyl upholstery and new trunk liner kit
• New carpet and headliner
• New 8.00-14 wide white wall tires and new brakes and windshield
• Power brakes and power steering
Popularized again during the opening credits of the 1970s retro situation comedy, “Happy Days,” Ford’s Skyliner is good for far more than removing wigs at the drive-in.
Marketed as the “Hide-Away Hardtop, this example was made on June 17, 1958 in Ford’s Dearborn, Michigan (VIN Code F) factory, this example is one of 14,713 Skyliners made in 1958.
Dressed in Raven Black (code A) over Colonial White (code E), with a Colonial White power top that retracts. The car’s paint and trim are in very good order, including the new gold, anodizing trim and new rocker moldings. The large, chrome bumpers fit tightly to the body, the engine bay is very tidy and the cargo area is clean, thanks to a new trunk liner kit.
This car rolls on new American Classic wide whitewall tires, size 8.00-14 mounted on steel wheels and topped with factory wheels covers. The wheel covers are in good, original order.
Under the forward-hinged hood is a rebuilt 352 CID V-8 engine (code FE). Backing the motor is a Cruise-O-Matic three-speed automatic transmission and a 3.56:1 rear end. Driver convenience features include power brakes and power steering. Starting in 1958, Cruise-O-Matic was added, which provided a second “drive” range (D2), allowing for an intermediate gear start.
Inside, the car has a new correct-style Black and White (code G) cloth and vinyl upholstery, new carpet and a new headliner. The front and rear bench seats look fantastic and the black carpet offers a nice contrast to the upholstery. The two-tone inner door panels are in good, original order while the black, metal dashboard with its arcing speedometer and ignition switch on the driver’s side. A large, three-spoke steering wheel faces the driver. A column-mounted shift lever and a factory AM radio complete the interior.
The star of the show here is the Skyliner’s retractable top, which is operated via a complex mechanism that folded the front of the roof and retracted it under the rear decklid. Instead of the typical hydraulic mechanisms, the Skyliner top used seven reversible electric motors, four lift jacks, a series of relays, 10 limit switches, 10 solenoids, four locking mechanisms for the roof and two locking mechanisms for the trunk lid and 610 feet of wiring.
The top largely consumed available trunk space, limiting the car’s sales, though the mechanism operated reliably. Production totaled 20,766 units in 1957, declining to 14,713 in 1958 and to 12,915 in 1959. An electric clock was standard. The fuel tank was placed vertically in back of the rear seat, offering increased safety in a rear collision.
Offering the Skyliner Retractable in Ford’s Fairlane (500) range, Ford was only the second car-maker in history to produce retractable hardtops in series; and the world’s first to reach four- and five-digit mass-production numbers. Ford’s design was also the first series produced coupé convertible featuring a roof using two segments, and during its production run, the Skyliner was the only hardtop convertible available.
Competition to this Ford in 1958 included Chevrolet’s Impala Convertible, Plymouth’s Belvedere Convertible Fury and Pontiac’s Bonneville Convertible Coupe Tempest.
If you’re looking to relive those Happy Days and more, come by and take a look at this 1958 Ford Skyliner at Mission Classics today!
VIN: H8FW243165
This car is currently located at our facility in Brooksville, Florida. Current