The full-size 1955 Ford appeared to be an all-new car, but in reality, it was a completely reskinned version of the 1952-’54 Fords. Joining the Ford lineup for the 1955 model year was the sporty boulevard cruiser dubbed the Thunderbird. It got its share of attention from the automotive press, but there was much to say regarding the heavily restyled big Fords.
Mechanical upgrades included greater horsepower for the Y-block engine and a revised front suspension called “Angle-Poised Ball Joint Front Suspension,” both of which made their debut in Ford cars for the 1954 model year. In back was a leaf spring suspension employing five leafs on all Mainline, Customline and Fairlane models except the station wagons, which had seven leafs. For 1955, the top-level Crestline name used during the three prior model years was dropped and replaced by the Fairlane tag.
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