1956 Ford Fairlane Club 2-Door Sedan
2024.0032.0001, Savoy Collection
Engine: 292 cu. in. (4.8L) Cast-iron block, OHV, V-8
Output: 202 HP @ 4,600 RPM
Transmission: Ford–O–Matic
Wheelbase: 116 in.
Overall Length: 199 in.
Weight: 3,250 lbs.
No. Produced: 142,629
Original Price: $2,147
Manufacturer: Ford
The big news for the 1956 Ford was not styling and design. The 1955 bodies were reused; the only major change was the top configuration of the two-door hardtops. Chrome trim was moderately revised from the previous year, and reconfigured parking and rear taillights constituted the bulk of the design changes. What was new for 1956 was an emphasis on safety! Lee Iacocca headed up that project.
Seat belts were offered for the first time. The steering wheel was redesigned to reduce injuries in accidents. Padded sun visors and an optional padded instrument panel were available. In a regional sales meeting, the latter provided Iacocca with “egg on his face” and his ultimate claim that “Safety doesn’t sell!” It wasn’t until the mid-1960s, when federal automobile safety laws were enacted that Americans began to take seat belts and other features seriously. This car was purchased from Chip Foose’s Personal Collection.