When you consider the 1957 model year, what automobile comes to mind? That’s right, it’s a Chevrolet Bel Air. Granted, 1957 was packed with cool cars, including the Chevrolet Corvette and the Ford Thunderbird, but the truth is the Tri-Five series eclipsed almost everything else in the mid-1950s.
From 1955 through 1957, the Tri-Five sold more than 1.5 million vehicles annually and was offered in an astonishing range of body designs and trim levels. It also became a 1950s design icon, so it’s hardly strange that it still rules the used car lot when it comes to vintage automobiles from the time.
Although I adore the Tri-Five, I also think the mid-1950s Ford Fairlane is equally stunning. Yup, even the frog-eyed 1957 version that some don’t seem to appreciate nowadays.
This variant is particularly important because it helped Ford outsell Chevrolet that year for the first time since 1935. But just like its Tri-Five counterpart, the 1957 Fairlane is now more common in junkyards than on public roads.
This four-door Town Sedan, for instance, spent a few good decades in the woods near the ruins of an abandoned farm. After years and years of exposure to the elements, the factory paint has been replaced by surface corrosion, while the interior has been taken over by plants and field critters.
Surprisingly enough, the car still has a somewhat solid chassis and the body isn’t as rusty as you’d expect it to be, but it’s not worth saving. It would simply be too expensive to restore relative to its value. However, the good folks over at YouTube’s “Mr. Goodpliers” decided to give the old Fairlane a second chance.
Yes, it will become a parts car and that’s not a big deal, but it’s nice to see someone save a mundane classic for a change. Even though it’s not a sought-after Skyliner model with a power-retractable hardtop, this Fairlane doesn’t deserve to meet the crusher just yet.
Especially since it still has an engine under the hood. It’s not clear whether it’s a 292- or a 312-cubic-inch mill, but it’s definitely a Y-block.
Will it still run? Well, it remains to be seen. Meanwhile, see the Fairlane finally leave its unfortunate resting place in the video below.
