1955 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria 4 door Sedan

Uncle Dale actually shot me a note to tell me he likes my new iron, so I thought I would give the passersby the skinny on my new sign - the 1955 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria.

According to How Stuff Works, the 1955-1956 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria was the crowning gem of the bright two-tone and chrome era. One of the most imaginative cars of an imaginative decade, it took off for the heavens in looks -- but never in sales.

Ford's Crown Victoria, king of the new Ford Fairlane series, named after Henry Ford Senior's Fair Lane estate in Dearborn. The "Crown Vic," as it has been affectionately nicknamed, was a stunning "non-hardtop hardtop" featuring a stainless steel tiara (or "basket handle") wrapped over the roof of the hardtop body.

Ford prosaically called it a "bright metal roof transverse molding." Wrapping from the base of the B-pillar location over to the other B-pillar position, it was fixed -- so the Crown Vic wasn't really a "true" hardtop with an unobstructed side view.

Total 1955 Ford Fairlane production was 626,250 units, or about 45 percent of total 1955 Ford production. The number of Crown Vics was 33,165, plus 1999 Skyliner versions. Victoria production, at 113,372, underscored a public preference for Ford's traditional hardtop, which had been around since 1951. In 1955, this model listed for $107 less than the Crown.

The 1955-1956 model years stand as a unique period in Ford history, marked by excellent handling for the standards of the day, engineering that was better than most, and styling that has weathered the test of time. In fact. Crown Vic Skyliner models have been awarded Milestone Car status by the Milestone Car Society.

The Crown Victorias are truly the crown jewels of the Ford collection from that "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" time period.