1952 Ford

1952 Ford
1952 Ford Crestline Victoria
Overview
Manufacturer	Ford
Also called	Ford Mainline Ford Customline Ford Crestline Ford Courier
Production	1952–1954
Assembly	Chester, Pennsylvania Long Beach, California Saint Paul, Minnesota Chicago, Illinois
Body and chassis
Class	Full-size Ford
Body style	2-door sedan 4-door sedan 2-door station wagon 4-door station wagon 2-door coupe 2-door hardtop 2-door convertible 2-door sedan delivery 2-door coupe utility (Australia)
Layout	FR layout
Related	1952 Meteor (Canada)
Powertrain
Engine	215 CID (3.5 L) OHV I6 239 CID (3.9 L) Flathead V8
Dimensions
Wheelbase	115 in (2,921 mm)
Width	73.9 in (1,877 mm)
Height	62.1 in (1,577 mm)
Chronology
Predecessor	1949 Ford
Successor	1955 Ford

The Ford line of cars was again refreshed for 1952, although remaining similar to the all-new 1949 Fords. This time, curved one-piece windshield glass joined a new "Mileage Maker" straight-6 engine with 101 hp. The 226 CID (3.7 L) L-head straight-6 was replaced by an overhead valve 215 CID (3.5 L) Mileage Maker with 101 hp (75 kW), while the old 239 CID (3.9 L) Flathead V8 remained with 110 hp (82 kW).

The model lines were again reshuffled, with the base model now called "Mainline" and mid-level called "Customline". The top "Crestline" included the "Sunliner" convertible, and the "Victoria" hardtop, a tradition going back to 1932 with the Ford Victoria 2-door coupe. The station wagon continued with the "Country Squire". Inside was a "flight-style" control panel and new pedals suspended from below the dashboard. A voltmeter, gas gauge, temp. gauge, and oil pressure were standard. The clock and radio were in the center of the dash. The grille sported a single center "bullet" surrounded by a chrome ring as well as "jet intake" corner markers. New trunk hinges were used that would not crush the contents of the trunk. The brake and clutch pedal were now suspended. Wheelbase was 115 in (2,921 mm).

In these years, an overdrive transmission option was available.

1953 was Ford's 50th anniversary. The big news for 1953 was the availability of power-assisted brakes and steering, which had previously been limited to the Mercury and Lincoln lines. The center grill bullet lost its ring and was now flanked by vertical black stripes, while the corner markers were plain rectangular lights rather than the circular "intakes". All 1953 Fords featured commemorative steering wheels marking the company's 50th anniversary. Mechanical changes included two-inch wider tread, and a k-bar frame with five cross-members.William Clay Ford paced the Indianapolis 500 in a Sunliner convertible with a dummy Continental tire kit (Coronado kit). This was also the last year for real wood trim on the Country Squire wagon. Toward the end of the year, Ford added "Master-Guide" power steering as an option on cars with V8s. Full instrumentation was still used. An unusual service provided by Ford was that the radio preset buttons would already be set to local stations by the dealer. The heater was $74.