Ford’s convertible was one of the best-selling soft tops in the country for 1951, with sales of 40,924 examples. This was Ford’s flagship model, and despite being costly to design and build, it was an image maker for the company. It brought folks into Ford showrooms, even if they drove home in a basic Fordor sedan. As the top-of-the-line, it came only with Ford’s 100-hp flathead V-8 as standard equipment. Convertibles featured a hydraulic power top for added convenience – the switch was located at the lower edge of the steering column just to the left of the steering wheel.

The company could not help itself from using trendy names and superlatives to describe the new models. Inside was a newly revised “Luxury Lounge” interior featuring color-matched carpet. Color-keyed “Fordcraft” fabrics, new steering wheel and full circle horn rings, and a new “Chanalited” instrument cluster with “Glow cup” controls on a new “Safety-Glow” instrument panel were also highlighted.

Finished in Culver Blue, this car has been part of the late-Don Gibson’s collection since 2010. A detailed restoration to original resulted in the car scoring 998 points out of 1,000 while receiving a Dearborn Award from the Early Ford V-8 Club of America in 2014. Just 30 miles have been traveled since restoration. Spare keys, copies of the Dearborn Award judging sheets, and a photo album of the restoration process are included with the sale. In addition, fender skirts painted to match are included but not installed. It is equipped with the popular flathead V-8 and three-speed manual transmission with optional overdrive as well as optional heater/defroster, clock, radio, and whitewall tires. A beautiful example of an early Fifties Ford, it will look great at a Cars & Coffee or in competition with the very best at a marque club event.