The "hardtop" body style debuted in 1949, when Buick added a graceful, B-pillarless roof to their convertible body. It was welded in place and didn't fold, but it gave the car sleek lines and the style was rapidly copied by other makers, including Ford.
For the 1957 model year, Ford went the rest of the industry one better by introducing the Skyliner convertible. On the new Skyliner, the metal one-piece roof would retract into the trunk under its own power for that open air motoring experience.
If foul weather threatened, just pull over, push a button, and the trunk lid would hinge upward and the roof would reverse its ballet. Once it was in place and the power-operated screws at each corner had snugged it down, a red light on the dash would go out, indicating that you were ready to motor on, snug and dry.
Base engine was the 292 cubic inch Thunderbird V-8, rated at 212 gross horsepower. Optionally, a buyer could order the Thunderbird Special 312 cubic inch V-8, which made 245 horsepower, or go for the top-of-the-line 300hp Thunderbird Supercharged 312 V-8. All three engines could be had with a three-speed manual, with or without a manually operated overdrive, or the Fordomatic three-speed slushbox.
Motor Life tested a 1957 Fairlane 500 sedan with the 245hp Thunderbird Special 312 V-8 and recorded a 10.1 second zero-to-sixty time.
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