Ford Parklane

Ford Parklane
1956 Ford Parklane station wagon
Overview
Production	1956
Body and chassis
Class	Station Wagon
Body style	2-door station wagon
Related	Ford Ranch Wagon Ford Fairlane
Powertrain
Engine	223 CID "Mileage Maker" 1bbl. 137 hp (102 kW) I6 292 CID "Thunderbird" 4bbl. 200-202hp V8
Transmission	3-speed manual Ford-O-Matic automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	115.5 in (2,934 mm)
Length	197.6 in (5,019 mm)
Width	75.9 in (1,928 mm)
Chronology
Predecessor	Ford Ranch Wagon
Successor	Ford Del Rio

The Ford Parklane is a car that was produced by Ford in the United States for one year only, 1956. Launched to compete with the Chevrolet Nomad, it was a two-door station wagon, based on the Ford Ranch Wagon, but unlike that low-end workhorse model, it was equipped with all the fittings of Ford's top-end Fairlane models of that year, including the distinctive stainless steel side 'tick' and a well-appointed interior. An AM radio was $100, while the 4-way power seats were $60. Brakes were 11" drums.

As a Nomad competitor, it was a successful one, since 15,186 were built in comparison to 7,886 of the competition. The problem was that neither figure was particularly impressive; the Nomad (based on a Chevrolet concept car of 1954) wasn't doing all that well even before competition came over the horizon.

Two-door wagons in general have proven rather hard to sell; those who need the carrying capacity of a station wagon normally carry passengers and want easy access to those rear seats. A low-end model like the Ranch Wagon appeals to a market segment who primarily want the vehicle for its hauling capacity but occasionally need to carry people, but a higher-specification car isn't what those buyers need.

A prototype for a 1957 Parklane was built, but instead Ford produced the slightly downmarket Del Rio as their 1957 two-door station wagon, making the Parklane a single-year only model, and quite a rarity. Starting in 1958, the name ("Park Lane" separated by a space) was used for the top-line Mercury series.

The Nomad, being based on a concept car, was always better known, but its main reason for fame - its use by surfers needing a vehicle to haul their boards around - came only after both cars were long discontinued. Surfers, although the perfect market for such a vehicle, never tended to buy new.