Ford named the Fairlane after Henry Ford’s estate in Dearborn, Michigan, and it launched the car in 1955 as its top full-size model. From the first year, the range included an open car, and the Ford Fairlane convertible became one of the defining shapes of the 1950s drive-in era. Later, the name moved to a smaller, sportier car, and the convertible came along for the ride.
Along the way, Ford tried nearly every way of putting the sky over your head. There were soft-top Sunliners, see-through roofs and even a steel roof that folded itself into the trunk. Some of those cars sold by the tens of thousands, while others were rare even when new.
These are our seven picks for the Fairlanes that capture open-air driving best, from the 1955 Sunliner to the 1967 500XL. The choices are our opinion. However, the production figures, specs and sale results come from auction catalogs, museum records and period histories.
1. 1955 Ford Fairlane Sunliner
The 1955 Fairlane replaced the Crestline at the top of Ford’s line, and it came in six body styles. The Sunliner was the convertible. Under the hood, buyers could pick a 223-cubic-inch six, a 272 V8 or the optional 292 V8 that Ford marketed as the Thunderbird V-8.
The Sunliner also borrowed styling from Ford’s new Thunderbird. RM Sotheby’s catalog for a 1955 Sunliner lists small tailfins, a wraparound windshield, peaked fenders and hooded headlights. It also notes the “Fairlane Flash” side trim that made two-tone paint jobs pop. That car had the 292 Y-block with a four-barrel carburetor, rated at 198 bhp, and RM sold it for $49,500.
In our view, the ’55 is the Fairlane convertible in its purest form. It’s bright, simple and cheerful, and it looks best with the top down on a summer night. If you want the full 1950s experience, start here.
2. 1956 Ford Fairlane Sunliner
For 1956, Ford kept the 1955 body but changed the grille and trim. It also fitted an all-new interior and a 12-volt electrical system. Meanwhile, bigger V8s joined the range, including a 312-cubic-inch engine.
Safety was the big talking point. Ford promoted its Lifeguard safety package that year, and the cars got a padded dash and a new steering wheel. In addition, Ford offered seat belts for the first time.
The Sunliner sold well. RM Sotheby’s describes the convertible it offered as one of 58,147 built for 1956, and that 312-powered car sold for $84,700. Our take: the ’56 is the smarter buy of the first two years, because you get the same great shape, a better cabin and the option of a stronger engine. It’s an open car you can drive every weekend without worry.
3. 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Sunliner
For 1957, Ford restyled every car it built. The Fairlane series sat five inches lower than the 1956 models, rode on a slightly longer wheelbase and stretched nine inches longer overall. As a result, the new Fairlane 500 Sunliner looked long, low and sleek, with modest tailfins at the back.
The new look worked in the showroom. In 1957, Ford outsold Chevrolet for the first time since 1935. Buyers could also order the Sunliner with the 292 Thunderbird V8. According to an RM Sotheby’s listing, that engine came in a 212-hp version.
In our opinion, the ’57 Sunliner is the most elegant open Fairlane of the decade. With the top down, the long flat deck makes it look even bigger than it is. If you’re interested in the closed version of that car, read why the 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 defined mid-century confidence.
4. 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner
The Skyliner was the convertible with a steel roof. At the push of a button, the solid top folded and disappeared under the rear deck. Ford’s own name for it was the “Hide-Away Hardtop.”
It made a grand entrance. According to Curbside Classic, the Skyliner debuted in February 1957, and sales began in April. The first car went to President Eisenhower on April 14. It wasn’t cheap, though. The Skyliner started at $2,942, which was $337 more than the regular Sunliner convertible.
The first year was also the best. Ford sold more than 20,700 Skyliners for 1957, a total it never matched again. The trade-off was trunk space, because the folded roof took up much of it. Our take: the ’57 Skyliner is the most theatrical way to go topless in any 1950s car, and it’s a show stopper every time the roof moves.
5. 1959 Ford Fairlane 500 Galaxie Skyliner
For 1959, Ford added a new top series called the Galaxie. Early in the model year, cars wore both Fairlane 500 and Galaxie badges, so this Skyliner sits right at the crossover point. It’s a Fairlane and a Galaxie at the same time.
The retractable hardtop carried on, now with six electric motors instead of seven. According to the Martin Auto Museum, the system used no hydraulics at all. Instead, it relied on electric motors, lift jacks, limit switches, solenoids and about 610 feet of wiring. Yet the museum says it worked reliably, even though it ate most of the trunk.
Sales had slipped by then. Ford built 12,915 Skyliners for 1959, the last year of the retractable. In our view, that makes the ’59 the collector’s Skyliner: rarer than the first one and dressed in Ford’s crisp new styling. The Martin Auto Museum in Glendale, Arizona, has one in its collection if you’d like to see the roof up close.
6. 1966 Ford Fairlane GT convertible
By the mid-1960s, the Fairlane name belonged to a mid-size car. For 1966, Ford gave it a longer wheelbase, stacked dual headlights and a convertible body again. It also added the GT and GTA, which came with a 390-cubic-inch FE V8 as standard. In GT tune, that big-block made 335 bhp.
The GTA was the automatic version, with a Sportshift transmission that let you shift by hand. RM Sotheby’s says Ford built about 320,000 Fairlanes in 1966. Only 37,342 of them were GTs or GTAs, and just 4,327 were GTA convertibles. RM later sold a 1966 GTA for $62,700.
This is where the Ford Fairlane convertible turned into a muscle car. In our opinion, a GT with the top down and the 390 rumbling is the most exciting open Fairlane ever built. For more on how the car changed Ford’s game, read about how the 1966 Fairlane GT kick-started Ford’s big-block muscle push.
7. 1967 Ford Fairlane 500XL convertible
The 1967 Fairlane changed little from 1966, apart from a modest update to its front-end styling. Yet the 500XL convertible is the one we’d seek out. It had all-vinyl bucket seats, a center console and special rocker moldings, so it felt like a sporty personal car with room for four.
Buyers could also add serious power. RM Sotheby’s offered a 500XL with the extra-cost 390 V8, rated at 320 hp, and a four-speed manual. That car had dual exhaust, power steering and a power top as well.
The XL convertible was rare even when new, since Ford built just 1,943 of them, according to the same listing. Our take: it’s the open Fairlane to buy if you want comfort and power together. For more forgotten summer cars, see our list of forgotten convertibles that once ruled summer roads. RM Sotheby’s sold that Frost Turquoise 500XL for $36,300.
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