My first car was a 1951 Ford Custom four door sedan. It had the 239 flat head V-8 with the new Ford-a-Matic transmission. I have a 1951 four door sedan like that car but the car color is blue instead of the medium green of my original car. During that time Ford Motor Car also produced a Victoria Hard Top car that I always like. It was a neat looking hard top and I thought that I would like to have one in my collection sometime.

An Estate of a friend of mine was being settled and in it was a 1951 Ford which he and his family had for many years. It was in the long process of being restored but never completed. The exterior was painted and the interior restored. The car sat around in a garage for years and developed a musty smell that we had to get rid of by replacing the carpet etc. We have gone over all the mechanicals and cleaned the engine compartment but retained the original engine and painted it. The car is solid and drives real well. It is another enjoyable car to drive while bringing back a lot of memories to us.

The 1951 Ford Custom Victoria was Ford’s first hardtop, offered only in V-8 guise. It appeared in the last year of the 1949 styling generation — and a bit late at that. Still, the Custom Victoria proved immensely popular, outselling Chevrolet’s Bel Air by about 7,000 units this year.

The pillarless superstructure was styled by Gordon M. Buehrig, of Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg fame, who had come to Dearborn after leaving the Loewy team at Studebaker. Despite exceptionally clean lines, a relatively posh interior, and good performance from the reliable flathead V-8, the first Victoria used to be somewhat overlooked by collectors, but in the last decade has become more desired.

A plus for this top-line model was the debut of Ford’s optional self-shift Ford-O-Matic this year, giving it an advantage over Chevy’s two-speed Powerglide. Enthusiasts will probably prefer the overdrive gearbox.

Pluses of the 1951 Ford Custom Victoria:

• Decent performance from the sturdy V-8 engine
• Historical significance
• One of the best-looking 1949-1951 Fords
• Reasonable parts supplies
• Decent performance from the sturdy V-8 engine

Minuses of the 1951 Ford Custom Victoria:

• Individual trim pieces hard to find
• Not a true hardtop

Production of the 1951 Ford Custom Victoria:

• 110,286

Specifications of the 1951 Ford Custom Victoria:

• Wheelbase, inches: 114.0
• Length, inches: 197.3
• Weight, pounds: 3,188
• Price, new: $1,925 (U.S.)