1953 Ford Customline

1953 Ford Customline Fordor V8

• 40-Year Previous Owner
• Matching Numbers
• 23k Miles Shown
• 239ci Flathead V8 Engine
• 3-Speed Manual Transmission
• Maroon & Gray Two-Tone Exterior
• Gray Vinyl & Cloth Interior
• 15-Inch Wheels w/ Hubcaps
• AM Radio
• Heater
• Chrome Bumpers
• 12-Volt Electrical System
• Oil Bath Air Cleaner
• Electric Fuel Pump
• Dual Exhaust Outlets

The 1953 Ford Customline was the highly popular, mid-range model in Ford's full-size passenger car lineup, sitting comfortably between the entry-level Mainline and the premium Crestline. It offered a perfect balance of luxury and practicality for the American middle class, and was a massive commercial success, accounting for 761,662 units of Ford's total production that year.

The 1953 Customline carried over the modern "slab-sided" body shape introduced in 1952, but added minor cosmetic tweaks like "Jet Age" styling cues, including a prominent nose cone center grille and afterburner-style tail lamps. It was offered in several configurations, including a 2-Door Sedan (Tudor), 4-Door Sedan (Fordor), 2-Door Club Coupe, and a 4-Door Station Wagon (marketed as the Customline Country Sedan).

Buyers in 1953 could choose between two engines, a 215 cubic-inch Inline-6 producing 101 horsepower, or the 239 cubic-inch "Flathead" V8, producing 110 horsepower. The 1953 model year is highly significant to automotive history because it was the final year of the legendary Flathead V8 engine. After a twenty-year run, Ford phased it out the following year in favor of overhead-valve engine blocks.

Transmission options included a standard 3-speed "three-on-the-tree" column-shifted manual, an optional overdrive manual, or the "Ford-O-Matic" automatic transmission.

Because 1953 marked Ford Motor Company's 50th anniversary, every 1953 Customline featured a special, commemorative steering wheel with a "50th Anniversary" horn button.

To celebrate its 50th year, Ford introduced cutting-edge mechanical upgrades to the Customline that were previously reserved only for luxury Lincoln and Mercury lines. These features included a sturdier K-bar chassis frame with five cross-members for improved structural rigidity, a two-inch wider tread wheel track, which vastly improved highway handling and ride stability over older late-1940s models, and power steering and power brakes became optional additions for the first time.