FOMOCO Trivia Questions of the Week: 1. What is the connection between Ford Motor Company and Dodge which dates way back to Ford’s very beginning? (This is a toughy.) 2. President Dwight David Eisenhower was inaugurated on January 20, 1953. His parade car was a shiny, new, white convertible of 1953 vintage. What was the make and model of this new presidential ride? 3. One of President Eisenhower’s crowning national achievements, was something that many of us still use on a daily basis. What was this monumental project? 4. I don’t know about you... but I’m a real dog lover. Do you know who performed the 1953 hit song ‘The Doggie in The Window’? 5. Here’s one for all you history buffs. After thirty one years as leader of the Soviet Union, this man suffered a stroke on March 1, 1953. He would die a few days later. What was his name and who was his successor? 6. On May 5, 1953, famed English writer Aldous Huxley experimented with a psychedelic hallucinogen which inspired his book, ‘The Doors of Perception’. What was this substance which was once used by native Americans in the Southwest, was made illegal in the Unites States in 1970, but is still exempt from legislation in Canada? 7. On January 19, 1953, 68% of all televisions in the United States were tuned in to one program to watch the leading lady of one of America’s early sitcoms give birth. What was the television program and who were the actors who played the leading couple? 8. Here’s one for my baseball consultants, Jim Riganti, Mark McKee and Larry Kenetski. Born January 8, 1953, this right-handed, MLB relief pitcher was arguably the first pitcher to make effective use of the split-finger fastball, which he called "The Jewel". He played for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves. Who was this major league pitcher who received the National League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year award in 1979; 1981; 1982 and 1984? (Probably an easy one, right guys?)
 
Answers to this week’s FoMoCo Trivia Questions many be found at the end of this story. You can e-mail The FIN MAN at mailto://the_fin_man@msn.com.
 
What can be said about the Ford from 1953? Well, lots. For starters, it was the fiftieth anniversary of the Ford Motor Company, founded by Henry Ford in 1903. (This accomplishment was reinforced by a special horn button in the center of the steering wheel which proudly proclaimed the milestone with the inscription, "50th Anniversary 1903-1953".) Henry, along with a handful of other investors, moved into a converted factory and with $28,000 in seed money, started the Ford Motor Company, and automotive empire that survived the great depression and now, in difficult economic conditions, has emerged as the healthiest of the American ‘big 3’. The list of automotive ‘firsts’ and historically significant industry achievements attained by Ford Motor Company would fill volumes.
 
Not only was the 1953 Ford a significant milestone for undeniably one of the most successful American automobile companies, but the Sunliner convertible was also chosen by the Indianapolis 500 as pace car for the year. This was just the second time that a Ford was chosen to pace the Indy 500, the first time being in 1935. Ford would be the chosen pace car again in 1961; 1964; 1968; 1978 and 1994. Now I don’t know the politics behind the decision on just what car will be chosen as pace car of the year, but I do know there seems to be a bit of ‘favoritism’ going on here. Just look at the record. For the past eight years, Chevrolet has been the pace car for the race that made Indianapolis famous. Come on guys... give the Ford fans a break here!
 
Ford was well established as a great value for the common ‘man’ in America, if there really was (or is) such a thing. Affordable, economical to drive, and relatively dependable in the long haul, Ford was the brand of choice for millions of Americans year after year... 1.24 million to be precise, for the 1953 models. Ford would be noted for many three-year styling groups through the years and the 1952-1954 model series was true to that marketing strategy. Not much was changed after the new models were introduced in 1952. Ford’s biggest competitor, Chevrolet, led the year in sales by a slim margin (1.35 vs. 1.24 mil) with their totally redesigned 1953 models. That gap would likely have been much narrower if ‘53 been a debut year for a totally redesigned Ford.
 
The entry level Ford model for 1953 was the ‘Mainline’ series... a stripped down car for those on a tight budget. Buyers could purchase a brand new Ford Mainline 2-door sedan, powered by a six cylinder engine, for just $1,734.00. That price included a steering wheel with horn button (not a horn ring); ONE sun visor and a padded armrest on the driver’s door only! (It did NOT include a multi-disc CD player, automatic climate control or navigation system.) Available options were few and far between back ‘in the day’, but DID include a six-tube, deluxe AM radio ($88.00) (an eight-tube version was available for a cool $100.00); power brakes ($35.00); overdrive ($108.00); Ford-O-Matic transmission ($184.00); deluxe heater ($71.00); re circulating heater ($44.00); electric clock ($15.00); directional signals ($15.00); windshield washer ($10.00); tinted glass ($23.00)’ and white sidewall tires at $27.00. ‘Master Guide’ power steering was introduced mid year (June 16th) and cost an additional $125.00.
 
Consumers wanting a bit more in their Ford chose the Customline series which included chrome window moldings, a chrome horn half circle, two sun visors, arm rests on both sides, front and rear and passenger assist straps on the interior ‘B’ pillars to make exiting the back seat easier. Exterior trim added horizontal chrome strips on front and rear fenders, plus a slanted chrome trim piece on the rear quarter ‘scoop’. The mid-level Customline was Ford’s best seller for 1953 totalling 761,662 units and accounting for more than half of all Fords sold that year.
 
The Crestline series, shown above, was Ford’s flagship series for 1953. It included full wheel covers, additional chrome trim at the base of the side windows and was only available with V-8 power. It also offered the only 2-door hardtop (the Victoria) and convertible models. The pillarless Victoria hardtop had a base price of $2,120 and found 128,302 buyers. Sunliner sales totalled 40,861 and buyers paid an additional $110.00 for the privilege of going topless.
 
Ford’s venerable flat head V-8 had been powering Ford automobiles since 1932 and of the 1.24 million Fords produced for 1953, 876,300 included this engine. The V-8 displaced 239 cubic inches (that’s 3.9 liters for all you gen-Xers in the crowd) and produced 110 horsepower at 3,800 RPMs. A Holley two-barrel carburetor fed the gasoline which was running around twenty cents per gallon at the time.
The bright and sassy Sunliner shown above is decked out in ‘Coral Flame’, one of twenty-eight possible choices on Ford’s generous palette for 1953. The stylish Victoria hardtop in this week’s story, is trimmed in Sungate Ivory over Raven Black. Other hues included Greenbriar Green, Silverstone Gray, Mexicali Maroon, Hawaiian Bronze, Hawaiian Bronze Metallic, Sea Island Green, Sheridan Blue, Sandpiper Beige, Glacier Blue, Carnival Red, Timberline Green, Hawthorne Green, Woodsmoke Gray, Fern Mist, Sportsman Green, Shannon Green, Seafoam Green, Culver Blue, Glenmist Green, Polynesian Bronze, Alpine Blue, Meadowbrook Green, Flamingo Red and ‘Dark Brown’? (Hey– what happened to the creativity here??? It must have been time for the lunch bell to ring when they got around to naming the brown hue.)
The early edition, abbreviated print version of this story prompted a number of comments about the 1953 Ford. Fin Man reader Bill Switzer of St. Louis, Missouri remembers the ‘53 Ford as a tough car. He recounted a personal experience he once had while riding shotgun in a ‘53 Ford. His friend, who was driving the car, skidded sideways into a telephone pole at 35 MPH. The pole impacted the Ford on the passenger side, right where Bill was sitting. Bill was none the worse for wear but I’m sure the Ford needed a bit of TLC after the incident.
 
I’m sure many of you remember Roger Adams of local Oldsmobile fame. He was general manager of Carlson Oldsmobile in Ladue, Missouri when my father worked there, and later went on to open his own GM dealer in Rolla, Missouri where he sold Buick, Oldsmobile, Cadillac and GMC trucks. Roger now sells cars for Bomarito Cadillac in St. Peters, Missouri. His wife Judy wrote: "Wow Bruce! Your article in the Post this morning overwhelmed Roger and me. Here is our love story :) In 1953 my mom bought me a red Ford convertible at Weber-Diebel on Grand. I went to Ferguson High School and she was tired of driving me every day. Roger and I had known each other almost all our lives meeting when he was 5 and I was 3 in Sunday School. Went to Twillman School, then he went to Riverview and I went to Ferguson since Hazelwood was not built at that time. Well, when I got the car he only had eyes for IT and asked me out. I was engaged to another who was in Korea and told him but he said, only as friends. You know the rest of the story, married 53 years two fantastic children and 4 grandsons as a result of a 1953 RED FORD CONVERTIBLE. Thanks for the great article as always, Judy Adams."
 
You can e-mail me with your old car stories at mailto://the_fin_man@msn.com.
 
It looks like Halloween weekend will mark the closing of the 2009 collectible car show and cruise season with a St. Louis Nova Car Cruise, Friday, October 30th at Culver’s on I-55 and Richardson Road in Arnold. St. Charles County residents will be a stone’s throw from the Soprano’s Pizza & Pasta Car Cruise with pizza and beer specials at 1266 Bryan Road in O’Fallon, MO. Chuck-A-Burger on the ‘Rock Road’ will hold one final Friday cruise night for the season and Lebanon, Illinois’ Maid-Rite Restaurant will hold a special Halloween Costume cruise with cash prizes, attendance prizes, a 50/50 drawing and music provided by D.J. Terry Young. Pinckneyville, Illinois will be hosting their big, annual Mardi Gras Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show with attendance prizes, a 50/50 drawing (last year’s winner split $8,956.00), Mayor’s Choice award, a craft fair, flea market and an evening parade. And finally, Custom Sounds and Hot Shots will host the Creepy Car Cruise & Costume Contest at 12160 St. Charles Rock Road, just east of I-270. For more details and to ensure the events are still on schedule, contact the specific venues.
 
The next event on the calendar is an indoor swap meet Sunday, December 27th at the Belle-Claire Fairgrounds.
So, hop in whatever will start, go out for a double header weekend of fun to see the fall foliage and some great cars, trucks and bikes too!

 
FOMOCO Trivia Answers: 1. The brothers, John and Horace Dodge, were two of the twelve principle investors who backed Henry Ford and helped create the Ford Motor Company. The Dodge brothers had not yet entered the automobile business, but were component manufacturers who supplied many of the mechanical parts for the Ford Model Ts in the early years. 2. President Eisenhower rode in his inaugural parade in a white, 1953 Cadillac Eldorado– the first Cadillac to bear the Eldorado badge. 3. One of the most notable achievements of the Eisenhower administration was the creation of the Interstate highway system. 4. The 1953 hit song that begged the question "how much is that Doggie in The Window" was sung by Patti Page. 5. Joseph Stalin was succeeded by Nikita Khruschev. 6. The hallucinogenic drug first used by Huxley in 1953 was Mescaline, also known by native Americans as Peyote. 7. The program, which was the most-watched television program for four of its six seasons, was ‘I Love Lucy’ starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. 8. Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on January 8, 1953 was MLB relief pitcher Howard Bruce Sutter. ("Bruuuuuce"!)


Bruce Kunz - a.k.a. "The FIN MAN
thefinman.com

Others may talk about the golden age of American automobiles...
The FIN MAN lived it!