At $17,900, Is This 1955 Ford Country Squire A Killer Deal?

The ad for today’s Nice Price or No Dice Country Squire notes it being the same model of Ford that James Dean used as the chase car for his racing exploits. We all know how that ended for Dean. Will this Ford’s price ensure it has a happier outcome?

The 1999 Mercedes-Benz SLK 230 Kompressor we looked at yesterday had a top that would come down easily, but was then reluctant to go back up. On top of that likely very expensive issue, the car had some tacky add-ons—vents, stripes, and whatnot—that could impact the appeal of its aesthetics. Ultimately, a $3,000 asking price overcame all such hurdles, capturing a narrow but decisive 60% Nice Price victory.

The fake vents and stripes on yesterday’s Benz were put on to give the car some added pizzazz. That’s not an issue with today’s 1955 Ford Country Squire station wagon, though. Its classic style, clad in factory woodgrain paneling, brings all the boys to the yard.

According to the ad, this wagon is the same spec as method actor and amateur race car driver James Dean employed as his chase car, on the ill-fated day of his crash along Highway 466 on his way to the 1955 Salinas Road Races. Bill Hickman, the Hollywood stunt driver who would later go on to pilot the black Dodge Charger in the movie Bullitt, was driving the wagon and, upon arriving at the accident scene, reportedly was the one to pull Dean’s dying body from the crumpled wreckage of his Porsche 550 Spyder. 

The seller doesn’t go so far as to say that this IS Dean’s car, but it’s close enough for government work that the ad makes mention of such a connection with some validity. Per the listing, like Dean’s car, this one is painted ivory over a red interior and was built at Ford’s Long Beach production plant, which at the time was located on Terminal Island at the Port of Los Angeles.

This Country Squire also has Ford’s then almost-new Y-Block V8 in base 272 CI displacement and sporting 162 (gross) horsepower and 258 (also gross) lb-ft of torque. The Y-Block was so named for the deep skirt it employed and is notable for having replaced the famous flathead as Ford’s go-to V8. It also stands out for having its distributor at the back of the engine in a style more commonly associated with arch-rival Chevrolet, rather than at the front like later Ford V8s.

Behind that is a three-speed “Ford-O-Matic” automatic transmission powering the simple cart-sprung live rear axle. Other specs include single-circuit drum brakes, a six-volt electrical system (Ford wouldn’t go 12 volts on the car line until 1956), and power steering, befitting the Squire’s position as the top of the Fairlane range. Per the ad, the car “runs and drives amazing” and starts with little more than a pump of the gas and a twist of the key. The engine bay even looks like it’s seen some work, with fresh black paint on the radiator support and valve covers.

On the outside, things are a little rougher. The bodywork appears straight, and, as evidenced by the undercarriage shot in the ad, the frame looks wholly intact. It’s the finish that could be seen as take it or leave it. That appears to be almost all-original and is showing its age. 

This being a Country Squire means it’s fitted with fiberglass and vinyl woodgrain siding on the flanks and fenders, along with fancy full wheel covers. The wheel covers look great, but the splinter-free siding is a bit beat up. It should prove serviceable, however, if the goal is to keep the car looking original rather than restored.

Things are much better in the cabin. The three rows of seats all have decent, likely refreshed upholstery, and the door cards and dash all look to be in good shape. That dashboard features high style with a wide-arc speedometer that, like the Thunderbird of the same era, has a smoked lens behind it for ambient backlighting during the day. The pod also included the fuel and temp gauges. Accompanying those are three roundels in the mid-dash that comprise the heat controls, AM radio, and clock. This car was not equipped with the safety package, so the dash is just hard metal, and the steering wheel is eager to flail a chest in the event of an accident.

The seller positions the car’s originality and patinaed paint as an advantage. That obviously will appeal to some folks interested in such things, but may turn off those looking for a pristine example of a classic car and are unwilling to do the work—or spend the money—that it would take to make this car like new. A major hurdle for any such work is the initial investment, and we now need to determine if this Country Squire’s $17,900 asking price overwhelms even interest in keeping it as it is.

What do you say? Is this faux-wood Ford worth that $17,900 asking as it sits? Or is that over the top for a car with aspirational provenance?

You decide!

Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

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