Customline 1956 Fords Nicest Side Trim
I posted "Side Trim Variations: 1956 Ford Line" here, but made no evaluation. I'll do that now, regarding hardtop coupes offered on Ford's mid-range Customline cars and top-of-the-line Fairlanes.My conclusion is that the Customline design was better than the Fairlane's. The case is presented in the Gallery below. Images are of cars listed for sale or are of unknown source, unless noted.
Ford did not offer a hardtop coupe on its 1955 Customline series, so this two-door sedan will have to represent one. Side chrome trim is simply a horizontal strip.
This is Ford's '55 hardtop coupe. The chrome side trim was used as a color separator for two-tone schemes. Its J-shape has always struck me as being both awkward and arbitrary -- not relating to the basic body design. Due to Ford's large production volume (it was number two in sales that year), that trim motif told Americans what Fords were expected to look like: to this day, that J-trim screams 1955-56 Ford.
Crown Victorias were not hardtop coupes thanks to the large B-pillar. Yet the term "Victoria" was used by Ford marketers. I include this photo because the roofline and upper window profiles were used in 1956 for all Ford Victorias.
1956 Fairlanes retained the J-strip, but in modified form. The downward curve is less extreme, placing the inflection point farther aft. The horizontal section is wider and ribbed. Note the new roofline from the '55 Crown Victoria.
Customline now has a hardtop coupe with the same passenger compartment greenhouse as the Fairlane's. Lacking is the broad chrome strip over the windows, resulting in this cleaner design. The most important improvement is the side trim: no J-shape. I think '56 Customlines were more attractive than Fairlanes. That said, the design of the side trim would have been better were the after extension of the front segment eliminated. But that was in the mid-1950s when American car styling was getting too elaborate.
Now for a few non- side view comparisons.
The side trim of the Customline is better related to body details such as the headlight assembly "frenching." This car would look even better without the side two-toning.
The wide, ribbed horizontal chrome strip almost aligns with trail lights, but not quite.
Here the after side strip aligns with the body sculpting, a better solution than the Fairlane's.
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