Fords At Carlisle: Retractable Hardtops

Decades before the likes of Mitsubishi and Mercedes started pretending they’d invented the idea, Ford successfully manufactured and marketed its motorized retractable hardtops. The Skyliner was offered in 1957, 1958, and 1959, with each model year getting a complete cosmetic redesign. Despite the roof mechanism’s reputation for complexity and unreliability, the gorgeous examples I saw at the All-Ford Nationals didn’t seem to be having any problems. See the whole gallery after the jump!

This one’s the ‘59:

And the ‘57, with its distinctive eyebrows…

Here’s the ‘58, probably the least commonly seen of the three:

Rear view of the ‘57