Shoebox

Shoebox, originally uploaded by William 74.

As with many manufacturers, Ford's postwar products were essentially their last prewar cars, freshened up a bit and put back into production. It wasn't until 1949 that FoMoCo was able to release an all-new design, the now legendary "Shoebox" Fords.

The new cars featured clean, modern styling, new suspension, and better appointed interiors compared to the old designs. They proved to be popular, being priced competitively compared to Chevrolet's Bel Air and Dodge's Coronet. Plus, the ford offered something the other two did not-the option of a V-8 engine, the legendary flathead.

The shoebox ford quickly gained popularity as the basis for a custom car as well. The first examples started showing up by the time this '53 was built, and some of the most famous custom cars of the fifties and early sixties were based on them. Good looking as the standard car is, it almost begs to be chopped, the headlights frenched in, and a set of sombrero hubcaps fitted.

Proving that the shoebox could be just about anything to anyone, this '53 Customline is a nice, mild custom, with no serious body modifications, but an excellent paint job and a gorgeous tuck and roll interior.