1949 Ford
The 1949 Ford is a line of cars produced by Ford from the 1949 to 1951 model years. The successor to the prewar 1941 Ford, the model line was the first full-size Ford designed after World War II, becoming the first Ford car line released after the deaths of Edsel Ford and Henry Ford. From 1946 to 1948, each of the American Big Three concentrated on the restoration of car production, offering updated versions of their 1941-1942 model lines. Released in June 1948, the 1949 Ford was the first major "postwar" American car line, beating Chevrolet to market by six months and Plymouth by nine.
| 1949 Ford (1949–1951) | |
|---|---|
1949 Ford Custom Four door Sedan | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Ford |
| Production | 1948–1951 |
| Model years | 1949–1951 |
| Assembly |
|
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Full-size Ford |
| Body style | 2-door sedan (Tudor) 4-door sedan (Fordor) 2-door coupe (Club Coupe) 2-door business coupe 2-door hardtop (Victoria) 2-door convertible 2-door station wagon (Country Squire) 2-door coupé utility (Australia only) |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Related | Meteor (Canada) Mercury Eight Monarch (Canada) Lincoln EL-series Lincoln Cosmopolitan |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 226 CID (3.7 L) L-head I6 239 CID (3.9 L) Flathead V8 |
| Transmission | 3-speed sliding-mesh manual 3-speed Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission (1951) |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 114 in (2,896 mm) |
| Length | 196.8 in (4,999 mm) |
| Width | 71.7 in (1,821 mm) |
| Curb weight | 3,110–3,770 lb (1,410–1,710 kg) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | 1941 Ford |
| Successor | 1952 Ford |
In response to its design, the model line would become called the "Shoebox Ford", denoting its slab-sided "ponton" design. While the design theme had been in use since the late 1920s to streamline automobiles, the 1949 Ford marked its widest-scale use, removing running boards entirely and integrating front and rear fenders into a single, smooth body form.
Following the 1948 introduction of the Ford F-Series line of trucks, the Ford line was now offered solely as a car. In another change, Ford introduced stand-alone model nameplates for 1950. Designed by artist Frank L. Engle, the Ford crest emblem made its first appearance for 1950; in various forms, the emblem was used through the 1991 model year. In other firsts, this generation marked the first use of keyed ignition and the first automatic transmission option in Ford vehicles.