1955 Ford Victoria hardtop now with second owner
THE OLD CAR DETECTIVE
Graham Finley of Stoney Creek, Ontario, is the proud owner of a 1955 Ford Victoria 2-door hardtop that looks like it just rolled out of the showroom. He writes:
“I was on holidays in Los Angeles, California, in 1976 and saw it parked at a shopping center. I could see that it still had the original paint even though it was dull and the tops of the fenders were starting to show primer through the paint. As we were standing there, an elderly lady came along and got in. She told me she had bought it new in 1955.
“I offered to buy it from her but she said she needed to commute to work, so I gave her my name and address, never believing I would ever hear from her again. Just two weeks later, I received a letter saying she had retired and would sell me the car if I was still interested. I wired her the money right away.
“After getting it home, I put it in storage for year because I had other cars I was more interested in restoring. In 1999, I got serious about restoring it. The car was an easy restoration because there was no rust and it had never been in a collision. I repainted it, chromed the bumpers, replaced the outside door handles, new seat upholstery, and rebuilt the 272 cubic inch V8 engine.
“The car is well optioned: power steering, power brakes, power windows, power seat, push-button radio, electric self-winding clock, tinted glass, back-up lights, and fender skirts. The wire wheels are 14” Kelsey-Hayes from a 1963 Thunderbird Sport Roadster. The colour is called Buckskin Brown and Snowshoe White.”
Ford brought out its first two-door hardtop named the Victoria in 1951 and it was an immediate success. In 1955, Ford offered fresh new styling which included a wraparound windshield and side trim that started from above the headlights, dipped down along the side, and then went straight as an arrow to the rear of the car. These cars look just as good today as when they were new.
You can see Graham Finley’s ’55 Ford and over a hundred other classics and street rods at the 10th Annual Cruise for Kids at Delta Secondary School at 1284 Main St. East in Hamilton on Friday, June 3rd from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Rain date Monday June 6. For info, call Mr. Behrens (Delta) (905) 549-3031 EXT 233 or Tom Harber (905) 870-5632.
•• • • • I’m always looking for more stories. Email billtsherk@sympatico.ca or write Bill Sherk, 25 John St., P.O. Box 255, Leamington, Ont. N8H 3W2. Everyone whose story is published in my column will receive a free autographed copy of my book: “Old car detective favourite stories, 1925 to 1965.