Featured is a very good looking classic 1951 Ford Victoria Hardtop Coupe. The 1950’s were both unique and pivotal for automakers.The 1950’s was also what some described as the beginning of auto mania.
The Victoria model filled the desires of auto buyers who were searching for a posh and stylish post World War Two automobile.This was just two years after Ford introduced their first modern and very different looking post war models.
Ford Motor Company and Hardtops
Shortly after the introduction of it’s 1951 models, the Ford Victoria Hardtop came into being. They did quite well selling over 100,000 models and it would be another year until Lincoln and Mercury offered their hardtop models. Hudson also offered a hardtop in 1951 and Studebaker began offering hardtops in 1952. Of significance is to note that the 1951 Ford Victoria actually outsold the famous Chevy Belair. This was a first for Ford.
Ford came to the two door hardtop party a bit late however. The 1949 Buick Riviera gets the credit for America’s first mass produced two door hardtop automobile. Pontiac came out in 1950 with a hardtop on their Catalina model as Chevrolet did with it’s Bel Air and Chrysler with it’s Town and Country Newport.
After the two door hardtops came into production their popularity grew among the car buying public. They production numbers became more and more significant. As an example, about fifty percent of Buick’s 1955 production was devoted to hardtops. At the same time hardtops accounted for about forty percent of Lincoln and Mercury’s production.
To be sure their were some very early hardtops built during the early 1900’s. The first hardtops appeared during the 1915-1918 era and were called “convertible cars.” Some more were thought to be introduced during the early 1920’s by a few California automakers. After that during the 1930’s some hardtops were produced but in very small numbers and mostly by custom and luxury car automakers.,
1951 Ford Victoria Hardtop Specifications