As a 7 year old, I excitedly recall the day my proud parents took delivery of a brand new blue 1954 Zephyr from the local GM Jackson Ford dealership in Launceston Tasmania. Back then, most Fords in Australia were imported from England in crates for local assembly and distribution. The new car smell, especially the red leather seats, has remained with me to this day. Cherished memories indeed.
Amazing video. 2 ford family. One could get a job, raise a family, the husband works while the wife stays home with the kids and runs errands, affords 2 new Fords, those were the days...
Have my father's 1954 Ford Mercury Monterey, with Merc -o- matic. Bittersweet orange, with white roof. My favorite car and always will be. So many good memories
you are lucky , we had a Black Monterrey with the red with silver threaded interior. Dad put in a T bird engine in it when the original gave out. , not sure which engine though but remember we had a few coffee cans of bolts from the old engine I played with as a kid. the days when you saved stuff like that.
@Jerry Olson , Back then , many people previously worked in factory assembly lines... Women and Young adults as well as older people did that assembly line work for the previous War Effort... These people that became buyers of cars & trucks were very astute with how things worked and understood the mechanical importance of good basic designs and bright engineering... The commercials and info-mercials reflect this.... This is one of the reasons that these people became to be known as the 'Greatest Generation'....
Education were better in America during that time and before, so the audiance actually understand the topic and details. Today, you get entertainment, so that people do not get confused and think about there education.
I love these old commercials as it’s explained they had a high compression engine. If I remember correctly the 239 was around 7.5:1, which in 1954 was a big upgrade.
My grandpa got a 1954 Ford. He didn't trust the new tubeless tires, though. He had tubes installed right off. He was also the first guy in our remote rocky mountain valley to get a TV. It had a towering antenna, but was still snowy. We picked up one channel, sort of. Idaho Falls. I loved watching Lone Ranger, Superman and Sky King!
-If you run over a nail with a tire with a tube in it you Will have a flat tire in a few seconds. Run over a nail with a tubeless tire The nail will act as a plug and will not go flat or just have a very slow leak That will at lease hold you over till you get to a service station.----Old gramps just can't figure this out He is to set in his old ways. Like talking to a brick wall So you just as well say nothing.
Superman was filmed in part around the corner from My Grandparents' LA, Hollywood N Bronson Ave home at 'RKO Gower Pictures on der 40 acre backlot where many classic movies and TV series were filmed... & I rarely missed an episode of Superman on KTTV Ch 11 in LA
A relative owned one from 1955 - 1968. A basic 4 door sedan 6, manual trans, radio & that was it. He drove that car on a lot of road trips across the country, very reliable, reasonably good fuel economy for the day. I always thought that the speedometer was so cool with it's heads up design. That speedometer was on the '55 T-Bird too.
Drove one from LA to Houston in 72, through the desert. That car was so hot I could not keep my hand on the dash. That old Ford purred right on past a Sedan Deville with hood up and Steam blowing.
I'm sold! Going out to buy a 1954 Ford before dinner. Actually, manufacturers in the 1950's did a more thorough job explaining engineering features than we see today. Economics of ownership is also explained in detail. Ford's claims, of course, can be argued well by their competition. But the details of these commercials seem to be more informative than anything offered today. Just as a historical perspective, these ads are (mostly) for 1954 Fords. One of the top features was power steering, something we take for granted today as a standard feature. Chrysler was the first to offer power steering in 1951, it worked fine but was an old design where the patent had expired. Buick and Cadillac offered the most advanced patented power steering design in 1952 and by 1954 Ford is selling it as a low price option. A lot of lug nuts have rolled under the bridge since then but it was an exciting time of technical and novelty competition. Ah to be young again in 1954.
there is a pretty good one on the 64 merc comet, even explains why moly filled top rings were good, never knew why , the moly metal in the ring retains oil , helping of course with wear and friction
Quite right. It was a wonderful time to mature through. Our suppliers in those days felt it important to detail technical advantages. In decades since the approach was been to assume the viewer is technologically ignorant.
@@autobug2 The 50's was basically the future and cars reflected this with aesthetic being that of a thousand years and even now still hold up in looks.
Madhav Prasad yes its is. I em from Norway . I have driven that 1954 Ford with power seats and power steering, and I can tell you with normal driving is better than new car today. suspensjon is more soft than new Cars, because new Cars is so wery stif not confortable. For me I dont like new Cars today. prefer old Cars.
@@tomsvenkesen2476 Amen, amen, amen! Today's cars are all in the Japanoid mold, so they act just like Japanese cars - rough ride, small and cramped, easily rusted, etc.
@@michaelbenardo5695 easily rusted? After five years in the Northeast, you could put your foot through the floor of one of these 1954 Fords. Modern cars don't rust through at all except maybe in Canada where they salt the roads almost year round.
The ball-joints were a great innovation... They became more reliable, when the ball joint that carried the weight of that part of the car (usually the lower) were positively loaded, rather than negatively loaded... The positively loaded ball-joints were the ones that pressed the ball into the socket (lower control arm above the steering knuckle fitting) vs. The negatively loaded ball joint, that pulled the ball, in it's socket (lower control arm below the steering knuckle fitting)... The negatively loaded ball joints tended to pull out of the socket when they became worn...This caused a sudden complete failure of the suspension support, on that front wheel, which often caused catastrophic accidents...
@@michaelbenardo5695 Yes, kingpins are very durable, which explains WHY they are still used in heavy trucks and heavy off-highway construction equipment... But for cars & light trucks, un-equal length control arms and ball joints, and McPherson Strut type of suspension systems work the best... They are much more responsive and give smooth-controlable handling...
@@michaelbenardo5695 but the front ends shook like crazy when they wore out, which was faster than with ball joints, and were much more difficult to repair. Ball joints improved ride and handling because they could move in any direction to absorb bumps.
Our family had a '54 Ford.when I was about eight. I remember that dashboard with the clear speedometer dome as if it were yesterday. It was an used driver training car with a extra brake pedal on the passenger side. It was a little dangerous because we kids sometimes had our feet resting under it and could interfere with the braking.
My dad bought a brand new Y block 1954 Ford. He drove it from San Angelo, Texas to Kansas City and the engine burnt up. Ford refused to fix it. Came out later that the first year top end lubrication channels in the heads and block were too small and with non-detergent oil at the time they quickly plugged up. My dad became a lifelong Ford hater. His next car was a V8 Chevrolet and he never looked back. The Y block lubrication eventually got fixed and hot rodders liked this engine because it sat low.
It is easy to fix that problem with the early Y block. Just use a later-model camshaft with a grooved center journal, or have a groove machined in an earlier one.
My grandmother had one of these, bright canary yellow. I really used to like it because it was kind of exotic, it was 10 years old and auto styling had moved on from the bulbous-looking cars of the mid-50s.
My Grandpa drove a 1953 Custom that He bought used for years. It was a tough car. It was before Automatic Transmissions and Power steering. It was a still Great driving car. I learned how to drive a Straight Gear car without power steering or an Automatic Transmission.
This was back in the days when manufacturers told you WHY their products worked. Nowdays it's all a sales pitch about how COOL you are to use their product. Ego doesn't keep you dry all day long people. Pride doesn't keep the bank account in the plus.
@ Guinness77100, Great observation!!! Even though the styling of the cars in the mid 50's to the early 70's was very good, the vehicles were usually extremely easy to work on, had decent reliability and easy to find parts for because of the high degree of interchangability of the parts between many models.... Wonderful vehicles, they were!!!
pretty neat how these old commercials actually show the new mechanical improvements and have cut in half models or stripped the cars instead of just showing new interior features
johnny just knocked up his girl in the station wagon. now mom and dad's grandson is on the way and a shotgun wedding for johnny and his girl. johnny joins the army for a paycheck to support his new family. that's how it happened in 1954 with the old school rules back then.
@Shaggy Dogg, 😂And let me guess, Johnny's folks wondered why the footprints were on the ceiling and headliner after coming home from the Drive-In movies from the previous night!!! Right?😂
We got a Ford like that in '54 down under, probably a face lifted earlier model with a flat head engine. probably left over unsellable stuff in the USA. No ball joint suspension or OHV till the new Model in 55.
if you are a gear head... you will find some interesting technical explanations here.Unfortunately, 1954 was the first year for the Overhead Valve V8... which had lubrication problems in the valve train. the cure was running an external oil line to the rocker boxes, to provide more oil. One has to wonder if the 52 or 53 which had the same body and transmissions, isn't a better bet.. that engine having benefited from continuous development since 1932 ? These certainly were comfortable and well made cars, and in the hard top and convertible models.. pretty good looking compared to the other cars of 1952-54. Today many of us morn the passing of the station wagon.
The entire Y Block family had the lubrication problem; 239-256-272-292-312 engines. One of the main reason for the problem was the oil passages at the top of the engine were too small. The crankshaft got all the oil it needed but the valve gear ended up starving over time, something not helped by the lower quality oils of the time. The Lincoln Y Block did not have this problem. The correction you mentioned was an aftermarket solution and Ford ever really fixed the problem at the factory even though the Y Block stayed in production until 1964 in the USA.
We made a lot of money installing rocker arm oilers on "Y" block Fords in my father's garage. We also made money adjusting the valve tappets because they were manually adjusted, and not hydraulic like on GM cars. If they weren't adjusted every few months, the engine sounded like a Jack Ass in a tin barn. That "Y" block 8 was the worst thing Ford ever invented.
My first car was a 4 year old 1949 Ford V8 Flathead. Being a teenager, i beat the crap out of it and that motor didn't fail me in any way. Yes, they were built FORD TOUGH !!
Actually, you don't need external oilers. Just replace the cam with a later one with a grooved center journal, or have a machinist groove yours, and plug that oil tube that dumps some of the oil out so that it drains through the return holes. That way, the oil supply to the rockers will be continuous instead of intermittant.
14 DIFFERENT BODY STYLES !! And THAT'S just for FORD ALONE !! All we basically get TODAY are lousy 4-DOOR-SEDANS and SUV'S !!! Few Convertibles and coupes ...and NO 2 or 4 Door PILLARLESS HARDTOPS, STATION WAGONS , or OTHER VARIATIONS . Most cars today Only come in 5 Basic COLORS : BLACK, WHITE, RED, SILVER, and DARK GRAY !!! Back in the 50's & '60's ? 20 to 30 different color combinations...with even some 2 tone and 3 tone colors available ...and a wide variety of engines and interior choices !! And American Car Companies WONDER why cars AREN'T SELLING !!!
People don't deserve these automobiles they we had in the 1950's after all the harassment and shit they put on them out of pure jealously. Lousy people deserve hideous lousy computer appliance chip cars. How many goddamn lies I've heard about how their inefficient and unsafe and don't work and rust and can't drive faster than 50 or can't turn, falls apart after two years, bad manufacturing, slavery, racism, sexism, bad ideals...honestly it never ends, the things these kids come up with is so unrealistic to anything, but of course when they read the internet for all their questions, their biased and the modern platforms egotistical response will offer both negatives and false given information that they all believe wily nilly.
The cars were luxury and people who were enjoying high status has those cars. Gasoline was cheap and cars were heavy. The 1954 Ford was beautiful and stylish.
People with status never bought these cheap rattle traps . They bought Buick’s ,Lincoln’s , olds and Chrysler. Fords were for clerks, civil servants and truck drivers
For the 1954 Ford, having power steering, power brakes and an automatic transmission was a big deal, especially in a regular car! Plus the first year of the overhead valve engine. Also the instrument panel was new. Best year of the 1952-54 Ford series.
In 1962 my entire family migrated from New England to South California. We drove in 2 cars and the trip too over 9 days. One car was a 1947 Chrysler. A huge, powerful Luxury car in every sense. The second car was a 1955 Ford sedan. The Chrysler made the trip without so much as a hick-up. But that 7 year old Ford kept breaking down! Thus the nearly 10 days for what should have been a 5 day trip! Not that I've got anything against Fords, no. I've driven many of them. But, my Uncle may just have had the only "Lemon" to leave the plant that year! 😉
Yea, I'm from Texas too, and I never go anywhere without my trusty branding iron. Whether I'm leaning against my fence, or pointing out the insignia on my car, my branding iron never leaves my side. I don't leave home without it.
Here we have a video documentary of the Ford Motor Company’s planning efforts to sell new automobiles to the public. Ford is one of the “Big Three.” The big three is group of the three largest traditionally US based automakers. Ford is named after Henry Ford who is generally credited for implementing the assembly line production method which made possible delivery of large numbers of automobiles at a relatively affordable price.
14 different body styles.......14! You can barely get 3 now, and you'll pay 40k minimum. Sad thing is, I swear these guys put in WAY more engineering than they do today. It was a race for advancement back then, now it's a race to replacement.
I would say in the '50's they put way more into "styling" than they did engineering. Seems like underneath the skin cars had hardly progressed from the late 1930's to the late '50's.
@@21stcenturyfossil7 17 body styles, 6 different companies at the same dealer in-company, 20 colors including the middle price choices and high price (20$-40$). Sometimes 25 for the special series that they generously sometimes applied to other models such as the Iridescent Dark red of a Lincoln, onto a Ford coupe/sedan. Now I'm not done yet modern consumer, because there was as well different spoke wires, and hubcaps, beautifully designed tires that worked wonders in the snow compared to now ( why do you think tires were thin for 100 years until the 2000s) with imperial beauties in its design. Choice of a black wall or white wall. Interior color choices all up to you, but not just that..also a lost trait: interior design. Spaceship triangles lining the seating all in iridescent cape blue, with a dark satin midnight blue under striped pattern. Meticulous cloth and material picking. Fibreglass dashboard, calm mellow lighting, a beauty of pure calm quietness as soon as one enters the automobile. And room, handling why even manual steering felt just like modern days power steering while back in say 1950, $100 dollars extra and you could get a offered power steering put into your motor vehicle which made turning as tender as cutting a rich steak, infact my mother would pinky drive at 40 miles per hour when she would cruise on the roadway. They are superior in almost every way, and you fools have been reviewing them 70 years after their debut hahaha.
@@JackF99 From the late 30s to the EARLY 50s, that was true of many, but soon, engineering took off, so that by the late 50s, early 50s cars seemed ancient by comparison.
@curbozer Boomer What do you mean, "they rebelled so much in the next decade"? They rebelled in the '50s! Ever heard of "Rebel Without a Cause", a 1955 movie?
@@karp6130 Black folks didn't start appearing on commercials, and I don't mean Uncle Ben's rice or Aunt Jemima Pancake mix, until about 1968. Soon after the Trumpster was in office, though, most commercials returned to Lilly White.
(13:01) Bill Kennedy, narrator of the famous Superman introduction ("Faster than a speeding bullet!") and Detroit movie host for over twenty-five years.
I was 13 years old in 1954 and got my driver's license a year later. Those were NOT the good old days in the world of automobiles. Points, plugs, condensers, carburetor cleaning, oil baths for filters required frequent maintenance or replacement. Mufflers were not a long-term item. No catalytic converters, so exhaust fumes were a way of life. Seat covers had to be replaced, and seat-cover businesses were almost on every corner! . Cars had to be greased on a regular basis, which involved putting the vehicle on a lift and squirting grease into special nipples. Radial tires had not come out, so factory tires could last perhaps 12,000 miles at the most. No air-conditioning except in luxury brands. You could order an optional under-the-dash unit, which eliminated any thought of sitting in the middle seat (cars did not have bucket seats then). No. safety belts, crush zones, or any of the safety features on today's vehicles. A major wreck then was likely fatal; today we can open a door and step out. No padded dash. Interior surfaces such as dashboard and door sills were steel. Chevrolet actually had a pointed steering column aimed right at your chest! Ball joints began to develop 'play' at about 45,000 miles if you were lucky. Wheel alignment was a normal maintenance item. Radios were AM only, although FM radio was offered as early as 1952. But it was the 1970s before FM surpassed AM in audience acceptance. What do I dislike about today's cars: Total lack of styling. And black interiors! Confining and depressing.
I don't mind the dual points on my 54 New Yorker. If you greased the chassis at recommended intervals, the ball joints would last about 75,000 miles, but most people did not. You could indeed get AC starting in 53 or 54, but only the well to do commonly did, as it cost about $500.00 or more, which was a lot of money then. Oil bath air cleaners are great for the engine, but they are more work to maintain. Front-end alignment then and now is mostly a huge racket. If you keep your front end greased, the alignment will not change for a long time, unless you slam through a huge pot hole or something. Today's cars are too ugly, too cramped inside, too small, too complicated, to non-adjustable, and too hard to work on. (I do my own work).
When automobile manufactures invested good money in advertising their products, highlighting their features, and pushing for two cars families, when only one of them was the bread winner. Compare them with today's cars, most of them are 4 wheels boxes, similar interiors and zero advertisement.
@@glennso47 Yeah those cars were not the safest compared to todays cars. I remember sitting next to the back window in a 63 chevy station-wagon and hitting the metal dash board when mom hit the brakes. I really like how they explained new features in their commercials though.
It seems like almost everything was an option on a ‘54 Ford. Even turn signals were still optional. Evidently, my mom drove a 2 door, V8 in maroon. I wouldn’t be born for another 3 years.
My first vehicle was a 56 Ford PU with the 292 Y block. Ran very smooth, but was a gutless wonder. I could leave a black patch on the road...in reverse.
54 was a big turning for Ford , the body did not change but the release of the Y block, ball joint & many options made them great low price cars The best looking 50s Ford is a toss up between 56 & 59..
brian critchley My first car was a used '53 Customline....that I bought in 1962z. My in-laws had a 53 Chevrolet that for a starter had a poor heater. The Ford was a much better car all round. I didn't known until watching the video that Ford went to a ball joint suspension in '54. I had to replace the king pins. Dealer told me that previous owner didn't grease the car frequently and it was driven on gravel roads.
My first car was FX Holden, the most pathetic pile of junk ever made, I then had a MK11 Zepher six it was better but I then bought a 55 Ford This was a real car..
I would have replaced the little plugs with grease fittings. It is easy. "Greasless" front ends are bad, but most motorists hardly ever grease the front end anyway.
@@commando340 It was much nicer, and probably less likely to have any "bugs", but in most years, it was a puffed-up Ford. 49 - 51 and 57 - 60 being the notable exceptions to that.
Not to be outdone, Chevy answered with their own V8 in a newly restyled lineup the next year (1955). They even added a Plus-Power Package to bump the horsepower up to 180. After that, it was all over for any independent that couldn't come up with their own hot V8 to follow suit. Packard brought out a V8 in 1955 too, but paired to their Ultramatic transmission it was sluggish off the line, and the Ultramatic wasn't designed to handle that much torque either.
My first car in 1966, a black 54 Ford Customline. King pin system in front (replaced them). Did 100mph with marvelous V8 burble. Fitted 4 people across the seats (slept in it too). Sat on the mudguard with my feet in the engine bay while I removed the heads. Try doing that on a modern car !
I bought the 54 convertible brand new. It burned a bout a quart of oil in about every week from the time I bought it. I went to the dealer and was told I would have to call the Ford hq in New Jersey ( I lived on Long Island NY). I was told that I would have to live with the problem because the car was equipped with Overhead Cams which they said was experimental. There was no warranty back then. It had vinyl seats and in the summer you could burn your rear end if the top was down on a sunny day. Just the opposite in the winter. Them seats got real cold. Other than that as Jersey Joe says you knew it was a Ford. I think I paid about $1600 out the door.
im 82 --i owned one just like this --before i finished making the payments it was in the junk yard. the car was 2 years old when i bought it -the payments were for three years -- what a piece of iron. ---thank you ford.
24:20 With short stroke there's reduced distance, work is force x distance, so to do the same work per stroke the force would have to increase, so a more intense explosion which itself can cause problems, so I suppose it's a balancing act.
A short stroke engine revs more freely, but a long stroke engine has more low-end torque, everything else being equal. In other words, a RB Chrysler 383 vs a B Chrysler 383. The RB has a 3.75 inch stroke, the B has a 3.38 inch stroke.
The thing is. When did 'John Q Public' ever have the opportunity to watch these advertising boosters ? I have no recollection other maybe a national car show. If I knew where to view this in 1954 I probably would have been sold on buying one. I like the hidden safety features & advancements belonging to Ford here.
![[A Must See] '49 Ford Documentary 🚗 Amazing Ford Historical Reel](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/waGPvziLUBQ/mqdefault.jpg)
![[A Must See] '49 Ford Documentary 🚗 Amazing Ford Historical Reel](/img/tr.png)
As a 7 year old, I excitedly recall the day my proud parents took delivery of a brand new blue 1954 Zephyr from the local GM Jackson Ford dealership in Launceston Tasmania. Back then, most Fords in Australia were imported from England in crates for local assembly and distribution. The new car smell, especially the red leather seats, has remained with me to this day. Cherished memories indeed.
Hood to see a fellow Aussie here. As a 27 year old. I grew up with XF. I remember and lust over a Mk1 Zephyr or Pilot
Amazing video. 2 ford family. One could get a job, raise a family, the husband works while the wife stays home with the kids and runs errands, affords 2 new Fords, those were the days...
And if the wife DID work, and both were UNION MEMBERS, they were almost rich!
Taxes were too high for both to work. Baby care extra clothes extra travel. They made less
@@ronnieblack7726 When bring home more money, it is more, regardless of the taxes. $5.00 is more than $2.00.
Most families could only afford 1 car, 1 TV that everyone crowded around, tyoical annual pay was perhaps $7,000.
@@ms.annthrope415 But more and more people were becoming 2 car families, thanks to the Labor Movement.
Have my father's 1954 Ford Mercury Monterey, with Merc -o- matic. Bittersweet orange, with white roof. My favorite car and always will be. So many good memories
What a beautiful car, epic classic.
you are lucky , we had a Black Monterrey with the red with silver threaded interior. Dad put in a T bird engine in it when the original gave out. , not sure which engine though but remember we had a few coffee cans of bolts from the old engine I played with as a kid. the days when you saved stuff like that.
I really love the way they explained the engineering features in these ads. Now they blast you with entertainment distractions.
@Jerry Olson , Back then , many people previously worked in factory assembly lines... Women and Young adults as well as older people did that assembly line work for the previous War Effort... These people that became buyers of cars & trucks were very astute with how things worked and understood the mechanical importance of good basic designs and bright engineering... The commercials and info-mercials reflect this.... This is one of the reasons that these people became to be known as the 'Greatest Generation'....
Education were better in America during that time and before, so the audiance actually understand the topic and details. Today, you get entertainment, so that people do not get confused and think about there education.
@@aqvamarek5316 wow.
I had a '54 Ford 4-door many years ago and had installed a '57 engine from a junkyard. Served me well for several years.
My first car was a 1954 Ford, loved it.
My first car was a 1954 Ford also. wish I still had it.
I love these old commercials as it’s explained they had a high compression engine. If I remember correctly the 239 was around 7.5:1, which in 1954 was a big upgrade.
My grandpa got a 1954 Ford. He didn't trust the new tubeless tires, though. He had tubes installed right off. He was also the first guy in our remote rocky mountain valley to get a TV. It had a towering antenna, but was still snowy. We picked up one channel, sort of. Idaho Falls. I loved watching Lone Ranger, Superman and Sky King!
Don't forget Fury and RinTinTin!! ;-)
Reach for Nabisco!
I have a 54 four door sedan factory v8 car and AC
-If you run over a nail with a tire with a tube in it you Will have a flat tire in a few seconds. Run over a nail with a tubeless tire The nail will act as a plug and will not go flat or just have a very slow leak That will at lease hold you over till you get to a service station.----Old gramps just can't figure this out He is to set in his old ways. Like talking to a brick wall So you just as well say nothing.
Superman was filmed in part around the corner from My Grandparents' LA, Hollywood N Bronson Ave home at 'RKO Gower Pictures on der 40 acre backlot where many classic movies and TV series were filmed... & I rarely missed an episode of Superman on KTTV Ch 11 in LA
A relative owned one from 1955 - 1968. A basic 4 door sedan 6, manual trans, radio & that was it. He drove that car on a lot of road trips across the country, very reliable, reasonably good fuel economy for the day. I always thought that the speedometer was so cool with it's heads up design. That speedometer was on the '55 T-Bird too.
I thought they already had mostly automatics???
@@drpoundsign Those models offered both transmissions
@@drpoundsign MANY folks bought 6 cyl cars with 3-speed MANUAL transmissions1
And other 55 Fords too!
all death traps compared to today's vehicles....
Grandpa bought a 54 Ford Wagon, in Socal, it was modified with Weiand Heads on the 292 V8. That was my Surf Wagon in the 60's.
Drove one from LA to Houston in 72, through the desert. That car was so hot I could not keep my hand on the dash. That old Ford purred right on past a Sedan Deville with hood up and Steam blowing.
Brings back memories of a family trip to Florida in my dad's 54 Ranch wagon. Rode a lot of miles in the rear facing 3rd seat.
I'm sold! Going out to buy a 1954 Ford before dinner.
Actually, manufacturers in the 1950's did a more thorough job explaining engineering features than we see today. Economics of ownership is also explained in detail.
Ford's claims, of course, can be argued well by their competition. But the details of these commercials seem to be more informative than anything offered today.
Just as a historical perspective, these ads are (mostly) for 1954 Fords. One of the top features was power steering, something we take for granted today as a standard feature. Chrysler was the first to offer power steering in 1951, it worked fine but was an old design where the patent had expired. Buick and Cadillac offered the most advanced patented power steering design in 1952 and by 1954 Ford is selling it as a low price option. A lot of lug nuts have rolled under the bridge since then but it was an exciting time of technical and novelty competition. Ah to be young again in 1954.
I was going to say exactly the same thing. Thanks.
there is a pretty good one on the 64 merc comet, even explains why moly filled top rings were good, never knew why , the moly metal in the ring retains oil , helping of course with wear and friction
its actually a slide show on 65 Comet features
Quite right. It was a wonderful time to mature through. Our suppliers in those days felt it important to detail technical advantages. In decades since the approach was been to assume the viewer is technologically ignorant.
Nonsense, this presentation is nowhere near 1965
Cars were so beautiful back then
Roomy, smooth ride, nice features, quite, colorful, and fantastic styling.
@@autobug2 The 50's was basically the future and cars reflected this with aesthetic being that of a thousand years and even now still hold up in looks.
ture
Handling and safety though...
@Kenny Smith shut the fuck up
She parallel parked and no mirrors, she's a beast
My Dad had a new 54 Ford Customline 2 dr sedan that he let me use when I started driving. It had the I Block 6 and Fordomatic.
America's R & D was top notch back then. Truly fabulous.
Madhav Prasad yes its is. I em from Norway . I have driven that 1954 Ford with power seats and power steering, and I can tell you with normal driving is better than new car today. suspensjon is more soft than new Cars, because new Cars is so wery stif not confortable. For me I dont like new Cars today. prefer old Cars.
@@tomsvenkesen2476 Amen, amen, amen! Today's cars are all in the Japanoid mold, so they act just like Japanese cars - rough ride, small and cramped, easily rusted, etc.
@@michaelbenardo5695 And have the silly styled, angry Samurai eyes headlights.
@@michaelbenardo5695 easily rusted? After five years in the Northeast, you could put your foot through the floor of one of these 1954 Fords. Modern cars don't rust through at all except maybe in Canada where they salt the roads almost year round.
The ball-joints were a great innovation... They became more reliable, when the ball joint that carried the weight of that part of the car (usually the lower) were positively loaded, rather than negatively loaded... The positively loaded ball-joints were the ones that pressed the ball into the socket (lower control arm above the steering knuckle fitting) vs. The negatively loaded ball joint, that pulled the ball, in it's socket (lower control arm below the steering knuckle fitting)... The negatively loaded ball joints tended to pull out of the socket when they became worn...This caused a sudden complete failure of the suspension support, on that front wheel, which often caused catastrophic accidents...
I always felt that king pins were safer and more durable.
@@michaelbenardo5695 Yes, kingpins are very durable, which explains WHY they are still used in heavy trucks and heavy off-highway construction equipment... But for cars & light trucks, un-equal length control arms and ball joints, and McPherson Strut type of suspension systems work the best... They are much more responsive and give smooth-controlable handling...
@@michaelbenardo5695 but the front ends shook like crazy when they wore out, which was faster than with ball joints, and were much more difficult to repair. Ball joints improved ride and handling because they could move in any direction to absorb bumps.
Our family had a '54 Ford.when I was about eight. I remember that dashboard with the clear speedometer dome as if it were yesterday. It was an used driver training car with a extra brake pedal on the passenger side. It was a little dangerous because we kids sometimes had our feet resting under it and could interfere with the braking.
I had 1956, I LOVED it!!
My dad bought a brand new Y block 1954 Ford. He drove it from San Angelo, Texas to Kansas City and the engine burnt up. Ford refused to fix it. Came out later that the first year top end lubrication channels in the heads and block were too small and with non-detergent oil at the time they quickly plugged up. My dad became a lifelong Ford hater. His next car was a V8 Chevrolet and he never looked back. The Y block lubrication eventually got fixed and hot rodders liked this engine because it sat low.
It is easy to fix that problem with the early Y block. Just use a later-model camshaft with a grooved center journal, or have a groove machined in an earlier one.
I Love The 1954 Ford Car! I Also Love This 1950 Ford Style!
My grandmother had one of these, bright canary yellow. I really used to like it because it was kind of exotic, it was 10 years old and auto styling had moved on from the bulbous-looking cars of the mid-50s.
My Grandpa drove a 1953 Custom that He bought used for years. It was a tough car. It was before Automatic Transmissions and Power steering. It was a still Great driving car. I learned how to drive a Straight Gear car without power steering or an Automatic Transmission.
53 Fords did indeed have optional Automatic Transmission and Power Steering.
6:36 That's impressive. There are a lot of cars on the road today that don't have space-saver hinges in the trunk.
I enjoyed the video, a lot; the accurate closed-captioning, even more!(I've hearing loss.) Thank-you.
Esas son joyas sobre ruedas , que nunca mas se fabricaran, por eso amo los autos clasicos Americanos.
I have a hubcap from a 1954 Ford. My grandpa gave it to me to hang in my room.
Love these old spots! Thanks. 👍
I still remember this ad: Great, New, '55 Ford, Coming November 12! On the only TV station in Waco in 1954.
This was back in the days when manufacturers told you WHY their products worked. Nowdays it's all a sales pitch about how COOL you are to use their product. Ego doesn't keep you dry all day long people. Pride doesn't keep the bank account in the plus.
@ Guinness77100, Great observation!!! Even though the styling of the cars in the mid 50's to the early 70's was very good, the vehicles were usually extremely easy to work on, had decent reliability and easy to find parts for because of the high degree of interchangability of the parts between many models.... Wonderful vehicles, they were!!!
pretty neat how these old commercials actually show the new mechanical improvements and have cut in half models or stripped the cars instead of just showing new interior features
A sign that their civilization must have appealed more to intelligence and less to emotion today’s civilization?
Johnny gets the station wagon for dates?! Way to go mom and dad!
Jonny stained the seats again
johnny just knocked up his girl in the station wagon. now mom and dad's grandson is on the way and a shotgun wedding for johnny and his girl. johnny joins the army for a paycheck to support his new family. that's how it happened in 1954 with the old school rules back then.
@Shaggy Dogg, 😂And let me guess, Johnny's folks wondered why the footprints were on the ceiling and headliner after coming home from the Drive-In movies from the previous night!!! Right?😂
Wow a 2 Ford family....today I can't afford one
What an incredible post. Thank you.
We got a Ford like that in '54 down under, probably a face lifted earlier model with a flat head engine. probably left over unsellable stuff in the USA. No ball joint suspension or OHV till the new Model in 55.
if you are a gear head... you will find some interesting technical explanations here.Unfortunately, 1954 was the first year for the Overhead Valve V8... which had lubrication problems in the valve train. the cure was running an external oil line to the rocker boxes, to provide more oil. One has to wonder if the 52 or 53 which had the same body and transmissions, isn't a better bet.. that engine having benefited from continuous development since 1932 ? These certainly were comfortable and well made cars, and in the hard top and convertible models.. pretty good looking compared to the other cars of 1952-54. Today many of us morn the passing of the station wagon.
The entire Y Block family had the lubrication problem; 239-256-272-292-312 engines. One of the main reason for the problem was the oil passages at the top of the engine were too small. The crankshaft got all the oil it needed but the valve gear ended up starving over time, something not helped by the lower quality oils of the time. The Lincoln Y Block did not have this problem. The correction you mentioned was an aftermarket solution and Ford ever really fixed the problem at the factory even though the Y Block stayed in production until 1964 in the USA.
We made a lot of money installing rocker arm oilers on "Y" block Fords in my father's garage. We also made money adjusting the valve tappets because they were manually adjusted, and not hydraulic like on GM cars. If they weren't adjusted every few months, the engine sounded like a Jack Ass in a tin barn. That "Y" block 8 was the worst thing Ford ever invented.
My first car was a 4 year old 1949 Ford V8 Flathead. Being a teenager, i beat the crap out of it and that motor didn't fail me in any way. Yes, they were built FORD TOUGH !!
Actually, you don't need external oilers. Just replace the cam with a later one with a grooved center journal, or have a machinist groove yours, and plug that oil tube that dumps some of the oil out so that it drains through the return holes. That way, the oil supply to the rockers will be continuous instead of intermittant.
@@oldgysgt Many ChryCo engines also had solid lifters, not just Ford engines.
14 DIFFERENT BODY STYLES !! And THAT'S just for FORD ALONE !!
All we basically get TODAY are lousy 4-DOOR-SEDANS and SUV'S !!!
Few Convertibles and coupes ...and NO 2 or 4 Door PILLARLESS HARDTOPS, STATION WAGONS , or OTHER VARIATIONS . Most cars today Only come in 5 Basic COLORS : BLACK, WHITE, RED, SILVER, and DARK GRAY !!! Back in the 50's & '60's ? 20 to 30 different color combinations...with even some 2 tone and 3 tone colors available ...and a wide variety of engines and interior choices !!
And American Car Companies WONDER why cars AREN'T SELLING !!!
People don't deserve these automobiles they we had in the 1950's after all the harassment and shit they put on them out of pure jealously. Lousy people deserve hideous lousy computer appliance chip cars. How many goddamn lies I've heard about how their inefficient and unsafe and don't work and rust and can't drive faster than 50 or can't turn, falls apart after two years, bad manufacturing, slavery, racism, sexism, bad ideals...honestly it never ends, the things these kids come up with is so unrealistic to anything, but of course when they read the internet for all their questions, their biased and the modern platforms egotistical response will offer both negatives and false given information that they all believe wily nilly.
The Little Lady sure knows how to press buttons!
The cars were luxury and people who were enjoying high status has those cars. Gasoline was cheap and cars were heavy. The 1954 Ford was beautiful and stylish.
People with status never bought these cheap rattle traps . They bought Buick’s ,Lincoln’s , olds and Chrysler. Fords were for clerks, civil servants and truck drivers
Fords, Chevys, and Plymouths were in no way a luxury. They were cars for the common man.
For the 1954 Ford, having power steering, power brakes and an automatic transmission was a big deal, especially in a regular car! Plus the first year of the overhead valve engine. Also the instrument panel was new. Best year of the 1952-54 Ford series.
Actually, the 54 was more a prototype for the 55, rather than a continuation of the 52 - 53, despite the carryover styling.
Wish ford would bring back those old school round tail lights I thought those were cool
In 1962 my entire family migrated from New England to South California. We drove in 2 cars and the trip too over 9 days. One car was a 1947 Chrysler. A huge, powerful Luxury car in every sense. The second car was a 1955 Ford sedan. The Chrysler made the trip without so much as a hick-up. But that 7 year old Ford kept breaking down! Thus the nearly 10 days for what should have been a 5 day trip!
Not that I've got anything against Fords, no. I've driven many of them. But, my Uncle may just have had the only "Lemon" to leave the plant that year!
😉
Yea, I'm from Texas too, and I never go anywhere without my trusty branding iron. Whether I'm leaning against my fence, or pointing out the insignia on my car, my branding iron never leaves my side. I don't leave home without it.
Here we have a video documentary of the Ford Motor Company’s planning efforts to sell new automobiles to the public. Ford is one of the “Big Three.” The big three is group of the three largest traditionally US based automakers. Ford is named after Henry Ford who is generally credited for implementing the assembly line production method which made possible delivery of large numbers of automobiles at a relatively affordable price.
Muito bom o vídeo! Bem feito pra época.
I love how they always say "...in it's field." haha!
Loved them 54' spring seats until I got a hemorrhoid, then I only loved Preparation H.
14 different body styles.......14! You can barely get 3 now, and you'll pay 40k minimum. Sad thing is, I swear these guys put in WAY more engineering than they do today. It was a race for advancement back then, now it's a race to replacement.
I would say in the '50's they put way more into "styling" than they did engineering. Seems like underneath the skin cars had hardly progressed from the late 1930's to the late '50's.
Fewer body styles but more cars, very different cars, all at the same dealer.
@@JackF99 Stretch that out to the 80's
@@21stcenturyfossil7 17 body styles, 6 different companies at the same dealer in-company, 20 colors including the middle price choices and high price (20$-40$). Sometimes 25 for the special series that they generously sometimes applied to other models such as the Iridescent Dark red of a Lincoln, onto a Ford coupe/sedan. Now I'm not done yet modern consumer, because there was as well different spoke wires, and hubcaps, beautifully designed tires that worked wonders in the snow compared to now ( why do you think tires were thin for 100 years until the 2000s) with imperial beauties in its design. Choice of a black wall or white wall. Interior color choices all up to you, but not just that..also a lost trait: interior design. Spaceship triangles lining the seating all in iridescent cape blue, with a dark satin midnight blue under striped pattern. Meticulous cloth and material picking. Fibreglass dashboard, calm mellow lighting, a beauty of pure calm quietness as soon as one enters the automobile. And room, handling why even manual steering felt just like modern days power steering while back in say 1950, $100 dollars extra and you could get a offered power steering put into your motor vehicle which made turning as tender as cutting a rich steak, infact my mother would pinky drive at 40 miles per hour when she would cruise on the roadway. They are superior in almost every way, and you fools have been reviewing them 70 years after their debut hahaha.
@@JackF99 From the late 30s to the EARLY 50s, that was true of many, but soon, engineering took off, so that by the late 50s, early 50s cars seemed ancient by comparison.
Everyone looks very wholesome and clean.
I know. It is a bad reflection on today's society when that is evident.
Wot no African Americans! Really weird commercials. Jim Crow laws collaboration.
@curbozer Boomer What do you mean, "they rebelled so much in the next decade"? They rebelled in the '50s! Ever heard of "Rebel Without a Cause", a 1955 movie?
Brainwashed Republicans.
@@karp6130 Black folks didn't start appearing on commercials, and I don't mean Uncle Ben's rice or Aunt Jemima Pancake mix, until about 1968. Soon after the Trumpster was in office, though, most commercials returned to Lilly White.
(13:01) Bill Kennedy, narrator of the famous Superman introduction ("Faster than a speeding bullet!") and Detroit movie host for over twenty-five years.
My brother had a 1953 Chevy, and my Mom had a 1957 Ford, black/white.
My LA Dad bought a 53 Ford Brand New from an LA Dealership for about $2500. 'Was a Nice Ride...
I miss the old color combos in the interiors you could get , today most are grey , booorrring !!
Amen! I also love the Chrome, the real chrome plate, not the plastic chrome.
Black interiors, too. I was looking at Honda Odysseys last fall and there are 4 or 5 interior colors. More than most companies.
I like how, toward the end, they specify that the competitor's car is equipped with a heater. Weird to think those were optional back then.
Heaters remained optional through most of the 60s. Almost all cars had one, but they dinged you for it.
This era was the real America!
For you maybe.
@@chrisn7259 As far as life was for people who weren't White, that is very true, but cars were WAY nicer then.
Ideals explained to public is a good thing. Today this is not so much done or presented well.
GREAT VIDEO ONE OF THE BEST
I was 13 years old in 1954 and got my driver's license a year later. Those were NOT the good old days in the world of automobiles.
Points, plugs, condensers, carburetor cleaning, oil baths for filters required frequent maintenance or replacement.
Mufflers were not a long-term item. No catalytic converters, so exhaust fumes were a way of life.
Seat covers had to be replaced, and seat-cover businesses were almost on every corner! .
Cars had to be greased on a regular basis, which involved putting the vehicle on a lift and squirting grease into special nipples.
Radial tires had not come out, so factory tires could last perhaps 12,000 miles at the most.
No air-conditioning except in luxury brands. You could order an optional under-the-dash unit, which eliminated any thought of sitting in the middle seat (cars did not have bucket seats then).
No. safety belts, crush zones, or any of the safety features on today's vehicles. A major wreck then was likely fatal; today we can open a door and step out. No padded dash. Interior surfaces such as dashboard and door sills were steel. Chevrolet actually had a pointed steering column aimed right at your chest!
Ball joints began to develop 'play' at about 45,000 miles if you were lucky. Wheel alignment was a normal maintenance item.
Radios were AM only, although FM radio was offered as early as 1952. But it was the 1970s before FM surpassed AM in audience acceptance.
What do I dislike about today's cars: Total lack of styling. And black interiors! Confining and depressing.
I don't mind the dual points on my 54 New Yorker. If you greased the chassis at recommended intervals, the ball joints would last about 75,000 miles, but most people did not. You could indeed get AC starting in 53 or 54, but only the well to do commonly did, as it cost about $500.00 or more, which was a lot of money then. Oil bath air cleaners are great for the engine, but they are more work to maintain. Front-end alignment then and now is mostly a huge racket. If you keep your front end greased, the alignment will not change for a long time, unless you slam through a huge pot hole or something. Today's cars are too ugly, too cramped inside, too small, too complicated, to non-adjustable, and too hard to work on. (I do my own work).
I was built in 54!
When automobile manufactures invested good money in advertising their products, highlighting their features, and pushing for two cars families, when only one of them was the bread winner.
Compare them with today's cars, most of them are 4 wheels boxes, similar interiors and zero advertisement.
Just got a 54 ford crestline
Dad had a early 50s Ford 2 door. I remember the passenger door use to swing open all by itself on left turns.
My dad had a Plymouth that did that. It was a car on loan for a few days while his Chevy was in the shop.
@@glennso47 Yeah those cars were not the safest compared to todays cars. I remember sitting next to the back window in a 63 chevy station-wagon and hitting the metal dash board when mom hit the brakes. I really like how they explained new features in their commercials though.
Just after I finnish my time machine, first stop will be 1954 to buy atleast 3 Fords :D ....
Back when Ford was proud to make good affordable cars in America .Wish they still did.
It seems like almost everything was an option on a ‘54 Ford. Even turn signals were still optional. Evidently, my mom drove a 2 door, V8 in maroon. I wouldn’t be born for another 3 years.
I see some of these commercials were filmed in new subdivisions in north west Detroit. Man has area changed,
My first vehicle was a 56 Ford PU with the 292 Y block. Ran very smooth, but was a gutless wonder. I could leave a black patch on the road...in reverse.
Maybe the valve timing was one tooth off.
Now I realize why Jan. 6 is so popular today
I have a 1954 ford custom line coupe waiting for restoration or more likely a conversion to a classical old school gasser.
This is so hypnotic... I need a ford for 54 with the new y block v8... Need to go to my ford dealer. I need 2 fords.
Like / Gary from Michigan 🚂
The real American car stuff and good
Beauty and the beast
どの車もカッチョイイですね。後ろに出たテールライトが好きです
Now I want one 😁👍👍👍
In the day when a family could buy 2new cars and make a house payment on just 1 paycheck. Forget about it now.
My dad worked for the phone company, every two years he bought a new pick up truck and mom had a new car, on just dad's paycheck!!!
54 was a big turning for Ford , the body did not change but the release of the Y block, ball joint & many options made them great low price cars The best looking 50s Ford is a toss up between 56 & 59..
brian critchley My first car was a used '53 Customline....that I bought in 1962z. My in-laws had a 53 Chevrolet that for a starter had a poor heater. The Ford was a much better car all round. I didn't known until watching the video that Ford went to a ball joint suspension in '54. I had to replace the king pins. Dealer told me that previous owner didn't grease the car frequently and it was driven on gravel roads.
My first car was FX Holden, the most pathetic pile of junk ever made, I then had a MK11 Zepher six it was better but I then bought a 55 Ford This was a real car..
@@observant98 He was probably telling you the truth. Most people hardly ever greased the front end, then blamed the car for the resulting problems.
I learned to drive in a 54 Ford.
Bet that was hard... 😐
No ball joints on that chase showen
Good shit Maynard!
Outside Rearview Mirror: Optional. Ford put ball joints on my 2000 Grand Marquis that had no grease fittings. THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL BROKE OFF!
So what
I would have replaced the little plugs with grease fittings. It is easy. "Greasless" front ends are bad, but most motorists hardly ever grease the front end anyway.
amazing ! i like the ad instead of splitting the car in 2 buy 2 cars one for him and one for her!
my father bought one 54 new thanks for posting!
My dad Had a 1950 Ford woody wagon a 1954 ford and 56 mercury
Mercury was a better car in every way.
@@commando340 It was much nicer, and probably less likely to have any "bugs", but in most years, it was a puffed-up Ford. 49 - 51 and 57 - 60 being the notable exceptions to that.
Not to be outdone, Chevy answered with their own V8 in a newly restyled lineup the next year (1955). They even added a Plus-Power Package to bump the horsepower up to 180. After that, it was all over for any independent that couldn't come up with their own hot V8 to follow suit. Packard brought out a V8 in 1955 too, but paired to their Ultramatic transmission it was sluggish off the line, and the Ultramatic wasn't designed to handle that much torque either.
dlwatib Chevy engines in those days loved oil. It wasn't pleasent to have to be behind them in traffic.
They were number one at that.TIME
28 models,,, amazing!
I wasn’t born then but damn these look nice
Estos son los verdaderos autos.............
Con acero fuerte, no plastico.
My first car in 1966, a black 54 Ford Customline. King pin system in front (replaced them). Did 100mph with marvelous V8 burble. Fitted 4 people across the seats (slept in it too). Sat on the mudguard with my feet in the engine bay while I removed the heads. Try doing that on a modern car !
@silverbird58 Yes, noted that. Mine registered as a '54 in Australia. Maybe a bit behind the US version ? I still have a king pin in my toolbox.
Sure it was a 54?
@@beb5816 If it was built in Canada, the early 54s had king pins and a flathead engine, late 54s had ball joints and an OHV engine.
I bought the 54 convertible brand new. It burned a bout a quart of oil in about every week from the time I bought it. I went to the dealer and was told I would have to call the Ford hq in New Jersey ( I lived on Long Island NY). I was told that I would have to live with the problem because the car was equipped with Overhead Cams which they said was experimental. There was no warranty back then. It had vinyl seats and in the summer you could burn your rear end if the top was down on a sunny day. Just the opposite in the winter. Them seats got real cold. Other than that as Jersey Joe says you knew it was a Ford. I think I paid about $1600 out the door.
Things like that persisted up to the 90s. I love American cars and don't like Japanese ones, but they sure treat the buyer better than Detroit does.
im 82 --i owned one just like this --before i finished making the payments it was in the junk yard. the car was 2 years old when i bought it -the payments were for three years -- what a piece of iron. ---thank you ford.
Bought a second hand sunliner when I travelled back in time...picked it up at a steal..$315.00.Couldn't get it back thru the portal tho.
back when a man's factory job was plenty to support him, his wife, their children, a mortgage, and a new car - no college required. what happened?
24:20 With short stroke there's reduced distance, work is force x distance, so to do the same work per stroke the force would have to increase, so a more intense explosion which itself can cause problems, so I suppose it's a balancing act.
Lots of cynlinders?
A short stroke engine revs more freely, but a long stroke engine has more low-end torque, everything else being equal. In other words, a RB Chrysler 383 vs a B Chrysler 383. The RB has a 3.75 inch stroke, the B has a 3.38 inch stroke.
i dont know why but my dad was watching this xD
2018?
I love how the i6 made 115 and the V8 made 130 lol.
The I6was a fairly good engine. Those Y-blocks were boat anchors.
@@desertbob6835 yeah the small-block Chevy was so much better it found its way into Ford hot rods.
Good old Shoebox Fords.
The thing is. When did 'John Q Public' ever have the opportunity to watch these advertising boosters ? I have no recollection other maybe a national car show. If I knew where to view this in 1954 I probably would have been sold on buying one. I like the hidden safety features & advancements belonging to Ford here.
in the 1950's car companies sponsored a lot of TV shows. Desoto and You Bet Your Life come to mind.
You are correct. Very few families had a television in 53=54. I never saw this at the movies, but I was more interested in the cartoons.
@@carlosportini1979 Actually quite a few did have TV then.
@@carlosportini1979 Not so. Lots of people had TVs by then. Not many had a COLOR TV.
Good sales pitch, I’m going to test drive one.
My first car was a 54' ford manual 3 speed and a 6 cyl. oil burner.
maravilhoso,parabéns ❤❤❤❤❤😅.