Searching for the Ford Victoria Crown Jewels
The year was 1955. We were hearing just the first stirrings of rock-and-roll. Elvis was not yet a well known star. For car lovers it was a blockbuster year. Ford, Chevrolet and Plymouth all had hot new models with flashy chrome and bright new colors in two-tone and tri-tone combinations.
Most of the cars on the road were of pre-second-world-war design from the thirties and forties. Unless you were there, it is difficult to understand just how new and different these new models were, when compared to previous designs. Wrap-around windshields were brand new and found on almost every new car. A new two-door hardtop convertible was every teenager’s dream car.
I was a junior in high school. My older brother Del was out of school and working a steady job as a telegrapher for the Union Pacific Railroad. Del had a 1947 Ford Tudor and I was driving a 1942 Ford Tudor that had been a staff car during WW-II.
One day there was a knock at the door and to our amazement, the salesman for the local Ford dealership, Madison Motors, was at our door. He had driven up in a brand-new 1955 Ford Victoria that was two-tone Coral Mist and Raven Black, with a white and black interior. He had found out that my brother had a good job and he had come to sell him this fantastic new Victoria. We struck a deal. As part of the bargain, my ’42 Ford was traded in along with my brother’s ’47
Ford. So, I had claim to occasional driving privileges on the days that my brother was home from his work.
That Victoria was my dream car come true. The skinny steering wheel with power steering was like silk. It was quiet and smooth with the Fordomatic transmission. With the Power-Pack engine it had plenty of power, and boy, did it look classy to us. Coral Mist was a late color that does not appear in the Ford sales literature for that year. I am slightly red-green color vision defective, so it looked more like black and white to me. It looked pink to me only if I thought about it. The color should not be confused with the later 1956 Ford Coral color.
The star of the 1955 Ford model year was the Crown Victoria. A stainless steel tiara crossed over the top to make a flashy break between the front and back halves of the roof. This allowed Ford to offer an acrylic roof on the front half with a special model dubbed the Crown Victoria Skyliner. The Skyliner name only applied to the "glass-top" model and should not be confused with the later retractable Skyliner or the standard Sunliner Convertible. The Crown Victoria glass-top was stunningly beautiful. Although it only sold for some $60 more than the standard Crown Vic, it was not a popular model from a sales standpoint due to the "greenhouse" effect that made the passenger compartment hotter than Hades on a summer day. Ford only sold 1,999 1955 Crown Victorias with the glass roof. It is body code 64-B. Remember that air-conditioning was very expensive and very rare in a Ford. Sure, some Lincolns were available with the new air-conditioning, but almost no Fords had this accessory.
For my senior year in high school I was in "hog-heaven" when I had the opportunity to drive that beautiful Victoria.
Our local Ford Dealership, Madison Motors, only sold about a hundred cars and trucks per year. As I remember it, they only sold one Crown Victoria for the entire year. It was Tropical Rose and Snowshoe White. Tropical Rose was a gaudy sherbet color that was quite stylish in 1955 but looks garish by today’s standards.
A young man from St. Maries, Idaho bought the Tropical Rose and Snowshoe White Crown Victoria. I was told that after owning it for only a few months, they left the road at a high rate of speed and rolled it into the St. Joe River. It was a total wreck. I have never forgotten how beautiful that car looked sitting in Con Madison’s Ford showroom.
The years rolled by and my brother and I both moved on to many other new cars but we could not forget the joy that we savored with the memory of that Pink and Black Victoria. 
Moving forward in time to about 1975… a local used car dealer here in Spokane, Don Rohrer, had begun seeking out and selling collector type cars in his showroom on North Division Street. Don acquired a 1955 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan that had super low miles and was showroom perfect. We had to have it. Seems to me that we traded a 47 Ford, a Model A Ford and some cash for it. I don’t remember for sure. Anyhow, we got our hands on this absolutely perfect 55 Fairlane Club Sedan with the tinsel in the upholstery fabric, and fresh as new. The only thing wrong with this car was that it was not a Crown Victoria glass-top, which was still our dream car.
Shortly after buying the Club Sedan, the telephone rang and a friend told me that he had spotted a black and white 55 Crown Victoria glass-top sitting behind the Ford dealership in Ritzville, Washington. Within the hour we were off on a 65-mile trip to check it out. Sure enough, there behind a cyclone fence sat a black and white 64-B glass-top that looked pretty good. The dealership was closed on Sunday, so we could only look through the fence.
The following Monday I called the dealership, Benzel Ford, in Ritzville. The owner told me that he had sold the car new to a Catholic Priest. The priest later traded it in. For a year or so it had been in the hands of someone going to Washington State University. He had recently gotten the car back again to his dealership. Since he had started the dealership in 1955, his plan was to put the car in show condition and display it on his showroom floor. He had no plans to sell the car. I told him that we had a 1955 Ford also and perhaps he would like to see it. He thought that that would be nice but had no enthusiasm to do so.
The next day I took off from work and drove the 55 Club Sedan to Ritzville and parked it in front of the Benzel Ford dealership. The owner, Larry Benzel was there and immediately took an interest in the perfect 55 club sedan. I handed him the keys and suggested that he take it for a drive. That he did. When he returned from driving the Fairlane Club Sedan he had nothing to say. I asked him what he thought of it and he replied, "I feel sick."
He felt sick because he knew he had to have that car for his showroom… and he also knew that the only way that he was going to get it was to trade his black and white Crown Victoria glass-top. We traded cars straight across.
After we got the 64-B glass-top we looked up the priest who had bought it new. We found him in Post Falls, Idaho. He liked the black and white colors and thought that the glass roof gave him a better view to the heavens. Oddly, he had ordered the car new with the small hubcaps instead of the usual wheel covers.
The 1955 Crown Victoria 64-B glass-top was with us for a number of years. It appeared in several car shows and a number of car club events. As I recall we began to lose interest in the older Fords and the car was sold in about 1983 to raise money for the purchase of a new 1984 Lincoln Mark VII. A Pomeroy, Washington farmer who was an avid member of the national Crown Victoria Association purchased the car. I never saw the car again and I have no idea of where it is today.
Back in the middle 1970′s my brother Del was driving down the highway when he spotted a blue 1954 Ford Skyliner heading it the opposite direction. He flipped a U-turn and followed the car until he met the owner, John Peterson. John had restored the car which was very unusual in that it had the dealer glass window on the hood to show off the new overhead valve V-8 engine. Some time later I met John Peterson and he told me that he knew where there was a Tropical Rose and Snowshoe White 1955 Ford Crown Victoria glass-top 64-B lurking in a garage on the South Hill of Spokane. He couldn’t remember the address, but gave me an idea of the general vicinity. I went looking for the car but was unable to find it. After several frustrating and unsuccessful attempts to find it, I was able to locate the car. It was in a dilapidated one-car garage next to a 1920 vintage two-story house. The garage door was stuck up about a foot from the driveway and the car could not be seen from the street. I rang the doorbell but no one was home, so I invited myself to take a look. The car was in a tiny garage with all tires flat and the nose of the car was under a workbench. The garage was leaning over and appeared to be on the verge of collapse. A truss above the car had already broken, with the broken truss pointing directly at the glass-top roof of the car. I knew that I had to have that car.
Some days later I spoke with the woman who came to the door of the house, and inquired about the possibility of buying the car. She informed me that the car belonged to a family member who was away in the military service, but that he planned to turn the car into a hot-rod. She offered me no encouragement that the car would ever be for sale. Being the persistent cuss that I am, I returned to the house about every six months to inquire about the possible purchase of the car. No luck. In fact they clearly considered me to be a pest. I was not inclined to give-up.
My wife is a Doctor of Optometry and as luck would have it, about a year or two later, the lady of the house where the 64-B was lurking scheduled a vision-exam with my wife. My wife mentioned something about my passion for old cars and the lady realized that the doctor’s last name was the same as that pesky guy that kept leaving business cards in their door. Although she did not want to sell the car to me, she allowed as how she might sell it to my wife! Wonderful! My wife, Barbara, made the necessary arrangements and soon I was on my way with fresh tires and wheels and a tow chain to bring the car home.
The car was a horrible dirty mess. I really worked to get it cleaned up and the dead leaves out of all the cracks. The paint polished up pretty good, but in spite of how good the car was starting to look, it was clear that this car needed a complete inside and outside restoration. I stashed the car in my warehouse, waiting the day that I had the funds to properly restore it. 
A year or so passed and one day I happened to stop in at Don Rohrer’s Select Cars showroom to check out his inventory. While I was looking at cars a gentleman came into the showroom and I heard him ask Don if he knew of anywhere he could find a 55 Ford Crown Victoria. Don replied that he should talk to me. At that time my brother and I had four 55 Crown Victorias, two glass-tops and two standard, plus one 55 straight Victoria. The fellow insisted that I take him to my warehouse to see these cars. I somewhat reluctantly agreed to do so. When he saw the Tropical Rose and Snowshoe White 64-B he announced that he had to have it. I pointed out that the car did not run, and in spite of the fact that it looked pretty good, it needed a total restoration. Plus, I had no intention whatsoever of selling it. He seemed to have it in his head that I would sell if he only offered enough money. No. I know from experience that in a situation like this, offering more money only makes the owner angry instead of persuading him to sell. He left. But, for a period of about two years, every three months or so, the phone would ring and this guy would be inquiring if I was ready yet to sell the Ford Crown Vic glass-top. The answer was always no.
As it turned out, one dark and rainy November night our doorbell rang, and here was the same guy asking if I wanted to sell the car. He caught me at a time when I really needed money for something or other, I don’t remember what, so I agreed to sell. He had a roll of hundred dollar bills with him and proceeded to count out the cash to pay me a price that I thought at the time was ridiculously high. He lived about a hundred miles away, but the next day he showed up with a large truck to winch the car onto, and away he went. One reason that I decided to sell was that the screaming Tropical Rose color that looked pretty good in the 1950s was just not something that I could live with in the 1970s.
Once you have established a reputation for buying collectible cars you will begin to notice that through referrals, the cars start finding you. This happened to us one time during the late 1970s when the doorbell rang and there was a young man wanting to sell us his 1958 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser. We had no particular desire or need for his big hulking Turnpike Cruiser, but when he told us the price it was clear that he was willing to practically give it away, the price was so cheap. We bought it.
Later, we traded the Turnpike Cruiser to a Canadian fellow for a 1954 Mercury Sun Valley… but that’s another story. What’s of interest here is that Larry, our Canadian friend had two 1954 Mercury Sun Valleys that he had acquired in trade for his 1956 Ford Crown Victory 64-B glass-top. That was an extremely rare car, only 603 were produced by Ford. Unfortunately his 1956 64-B was so rusty that the bottom perimeter of the car was just shaggy from missing metal. Somehow he was talked into trading for the two Sun Valleys. He later explained that he felt that the Mercurys were misrepresented and that he had gotten the worst part of the deal. He regretted that he had ever agreed to let the 1956 64-B go.
Take a look at the photo of the cover of the November – December 1976 issue of Special-Interest Autos magazine shown here. Yes, that’s a Tropical Rose and Snowshoe White 55 64-B on the cover. Our friend in Canada really wanted to buy one. He was paying airmail rates to subscribe to Hemmings Motor News. When he opened his Hemmings he found an ad for this car which appears on the cover of the magazine. The party that placed the "for sale" ad was in California, so Larry called them up and discovered that this was the cover car… but that the car had already been sold. He inquired as to why the car was sold before the ad came out. The seller explained that some Canadian guy had offered him a higher price if he would sell before the ad appeared. Larry discovered that the Canadian buyer was the same person who had gotten his 1956 64-B away from him.
So, Larry, thinking that he knew where this car, in moving from California to Canada would cross the border, called up the Canadian border customs station and said, "Say, did you happen to see a pink and white 55 Ford Crown Victoria come through recently?" They did. Larry suggested that perhaps they would like to call this number in California and talk to the seller to see what he sold it for, compared to what the buyer had declared the price to be at the border crossing. They did. The Canadian customs people went out and seized the car. The buyer was hit with enormous fines and penalties and it was months before he was able to get his car back.
They say that revenge is sweet, but I would not have done that. I guess that the moral here is that in the old car hobby, you had best play it as Mr. Straight Arrow, or it will come back to bite you. I truly hope that all three of the 1955 Ford Crown Victoria 64-Bs that I have been telling you about are sitting in some well cared for car collection someplace. I would still like to own one, but now that they are fifty years old they are worth so darned much money that I would rather buy something newer… before that "U" shaped depreciation curve starts rocketing upward.
WDM
I know where the 55 black And white glass top is .same famer owns it plus many others .
Dan
very nice web page .love the old cars. have a few myself .crown vic sunliner
Hi. I have the same Ford’s as you had. I have a 55 club sedan and a 55 glass top and a 55 Crown vic. They all need to be restored. Sure hope I can get them done. There is no cure for this affliction. Have fun and I enjoyed reading on your site. Hugh.
a friend has a 54 victoria…he is looking for the turn signal flasher..where is it located?…under the dash? he can’t seem to find it..any help would be much appreciated
Hi,
I was wondering how would you find out how many of the 1955 Crown Vics had AC?? Sure would appreciate any thoughts in this matter. Thanks in advance,
Lisa
Hi;
Just found a glass top this week needs fully restored, missing parts ect. Don’t know how much to offer for this thing 419-295-6789 help
Hi I really enjoy to read anything about Crown Vics, Im from Colombia(South America)and I own a Crown Victoria 56, Im looking for general information about this car, history, manuals, anything I love Crown victoria, Maybe it is easy over there in north america. Thanks for any information, and sorry My english it is not the best…
Hello, looking for a glass top in any cond. Know of any? thanks in advance. Bill
I want to surprise my husband with his dream car – a 1955 turquoise/white Crown Vic – restored (not necessarily new or perfect). He doesn’t like the continental kit. Do you know where I can begin to look ?
Comment # 9….Judy should check http://www.carsonline.com for the 1955 Crown Vic she is looking to surprise her husband with…There is a Turquoise & White one for sale in Wakefield Mass. or call 781- 245-6601
I’m looking for a 56ford crown Victorian please e-mail me if you have any information
Anyone here be able to tell me the market value of a 55 Crown Vic? Thanks. Gary Statler
I still have my 1st car .A 55 Crown bought in 1967. Still in rough original condition. Need a drivers-side door glass and rear windshield.Call if you can help .919-894-8557 919-801-5236 Mack…pREMIUMS MY CAR HAS FORDMASTER-Guiden Power-Stearing and 4-way electric front Seat aiso Factory rear Speakers.
I am trying to trace a Con Madison. Can you tell me anything about him or where his show room was?
Thanks
Jean
I am a family member trying to contact Bill Madison, Con Madison’s son of Madison Motors. Any help would be appreciated.
I know of a 1956 Crown Victoria Glasstop (mint green & white) fully restored that is for sale. Interested??
I’m selling a perfect ‘55 Glass top Crown Victoria. If anybody wants more information send me an email to cabusaid@yahoo.com. I’ll send you pictures, and information about the frame up restoration.
My father and mother bought the 64-b with all upgrades brand new and I have been given the car after there passing. I can say that it has 59,000 original miles on it and is not restored. It is in original MINT condition. On a scale of 1-10 I would rate it a 9.5, I am not from that generation; I truely enjoy driving the v-8 and understand now why my father loved that car. I have all the original owners mannuals, paper work, and even the all the extras given to my folks by the dealership. I have been offered quite a sum of money for this veichle, however I wish to know more about this car on up keep. It seem that none of the Ford dealerships know how to do the oil changes or tune -ups. (the car does not need it but for future care) If any body is an expert I would be grateful to you, Thank you- J. Melvard. TJMELVARD@CS.COM
I had a 1956 Ford Crown Victoria, Black, with Continential kit, way back
in the year 1960l. Due growning family and school expenses had to let it go. Now at Age 66, I am looking for another one. Any ideas would be
appreciated. I hope to find one restored or nearly finished. Not wanting a trailer queen. I want that ride again and the sound of the
old cherry bomb mufflers.
Hi….is it possible to get a picture of the 1955 crown victoria with glass roof? My brother-in-law had a picture of it, and lost it. I would love to be able to give him a picture of it for Christmas.
Gladly pay for it.
Thanks so much! Sincerely, Alice
What a great story!!! I also share the love for mid fifties products,I got a ’55 sunliner,a ’56 fairlane vicky, a’55 t-bird and a ’55 crown victoria solid top that was siiting in a Los angeles garage for 20 years before I bougth it.
P.S. To Camilo Torres,Im also Colombian and if you emailme,we’ll discuss our cars.
Hello, I am looking for 1955 crown vic front seats, or at least the passenger back. I am missing that part. Thanks…Gilbert
where can i find a 1969 ford crown victoria? Do you have a picture of this 1969 crown vic?
I have a black and white 1956 Crown Victoria with a contintental kit that I will sell. The restoration was done about 10 years ago. It has never sat outside and hasn’t been driven in any bad weather. It has a 292 engine, automatic, PS.,T&C radio, and power seat. Black and white interior,skirts,whitewalls and wheel covers.
Hi, My husband recently passed away, He restored & collected. I am left with a 59 Thunderbird convertable to be restored & 5 parts cars to do it with. I also have a 56 Crown Victoria to be restored. If you are interested, please contact > cook1pat@hotmail.com
Many years ago (maybe 30 years), my father sold a 1955 Ford Crown Victoria Glass Top (California plates: GLASTOP) – 100% original, color was pink and white with matching interior. Also in the sale was a 1955 Crown Victoria that was in less then perfect condition, color was turquoise and white. Does anyone know where these cars are today? They were purchased from a little Gold Mining town in California – Mokelumne Hill.
TJR
Hello…..I just purchased a 1956 Crown Vic with a Thunderbird Special 312 engine. I understand that the 312 engine came in two sizes….If the block is marked with a ECZ-C then it’s a 292 but if it is marked with a ECZ-G then it has the big valves and is a 312. I’d like to know how many 1956s were manufactured with the bigger valved 312 engine. Thanks in advance for anyone offering any info. The serial number for this car is M6RW155932. Fred
My grandfather has a 1956 crown vic with the lincoln continental package 2 door black with black/white interior 81,ooo miles it has been covered and garaged always , it is in showroom condition and has never been restored it is located in southern Oregon it is a 1 owner car. He purchased it new in 56. It is for sale for $45,000.00. My name is Keith please call for more info. 719-210-6564
My Grandpa has a 1955 Crown Victoria. Black and white exterior and black and white interior. I would call it perfect condition had been setting in a Museum somewhere in Texas before he bought. Now sits in his shop and is taken very good care of. If anyone is interested in this or might know an approximate price I would love to know. If interested give him a call at 903 682-4048 or email me at cdballew19@hotmail.com. Thanks for the help!
Hi there, Vintage collectors. My husband and I bought a 1954 Crown Victoria with intentions to restore. However, for other circumtances we have been unable to start our project. We would like to sell our car to anyone interested in restoring this car and making it beautiful as it once looked. If interested please email us at saelizondo13@yahoo.com and we will send you pictures. We also have a catalog to order new original parts for Ford Vintage cars.
love your site just purchased a 1956 ford cv glasstop site unseen wont get to see for another week and its driving me crasy. Its pink and white with con kit dont have numbers yet am i crazy or what.where can a guy get a glsstop should it need one.
Looking for a 1956 Turquoise and white Crown Victoria.
I have a 1952 ford crestline victoria 2dr gold and yellow, needs restored, been in a barn for 20 yrs—also have a 1953 ford crestline custom line 4dr parts car that go’s with it.
Hello there,I was in 12th grade it was 1967. My father found me a 55 crown vic (rose % white)which I purchased for $35.00.I drove it home.I never knew there was such a car.I instantly had 3 girls ask me to the prom.The girl I took,i fell in love with & still do today.We’re both married but I think of hher often…anyway,I have purchased a 55 glasstop. It is a rare spring color.I forget the proper name. It is a deep torquise.I feel it is the nicest color offered.I would like to know how many other spring colors there are.The car is rust free,paint & chrome are excellent,motor & transmission are rebuilt buy Ford.I may want to sell it if I get nice offer.Not high dollar, just in line with it’s caliber.Thankyou
Hello. My father has his fist car a 55′ crown vic. my father is in a wheel chair and his car needs some help. He has been a mechanic all his life and a good dad. his wife does not like this awsome car. he just retired if that is what you call it and I”m asking for help. would any body that loves this car as much as my dad be willing to donate some parts or any thig that could help us. I’ve tried the show overhaulin no feed back. I would love to see my fathers face and my son’s to be able to take a ride in this red and white beauty I’m not trying to con any one. we just can’t afford all this we have had one donation of some motor parts. My father is to proud to ask any one. Thank you for your ear. any questions please call and leave message I will call back. 717-528-8902 ask for mike or email me bigmikeschriver@hotmail.com
Love your websight and enjoy all the pictures and comments! Back in the 60′s I bought a 54 Mercury “glass” top in Edmond, Oklahoma that had the plastic top broken and never got the plastic roof replaced and the rain ruined the interior before I got it anyway so I gave it up. I also bought a 55 Crown Vic that I bought from a salvage yard in Yukon Oklahoma, it had factory air and if I remember correctly it had no compressor clutch but circulated freon all the time. I later bought a 56 and my little brother found a Crown Vic in a salvage yard and took all the special Crown trim off of it a put it on a 55 or 56 Mercury 2 door hard top and it looked factory when it was finished making it look like a 56 Meteor Rideau Crown Victoria. I loved the old 55 the best because I felt that the wider chrome on the fenders made the 56 look over done, but it was still a pretty car and the 12 volt system was a real plus. Keep up the good work on you website!
I am looking for a 1956 Victoria not a Crown Victoria. Mine was Turquoise and white Hard top convertable. No Chrome over the top. Would like to find one to restore
Looking for a 1955 Ford Crown Vic solid white and a 1956 Ford Club black and white.
I have located a 1955 Crn Vic for sale with serial number U5GW204987. How can I run this number to find out if the car is a true Crn.
I have a 1969 Crown Vic in an Estate and need a value range. Where can I look? Thanks
For the person asking about 1955 Crown Vic’s with a/c — I once visited with a Mr. Fleming Horne (now deceased)that lived in Memphis. He had a 1955 black Crown Vic with A/C that was for sale and he told me it was 1 of 5. I was never able to verify this info, but i agree that a Ford with factory air in 1955 is very rare indeed. I owned a ’55 and a ’56 Crown Vic in College and just recently found my original ’56 that has been sitting inside a garage since 1977 untouched. I just had to have it back and hope to have it restored for my retirement in about 5 years.
HI looking for front seat for 55 crown or a interia 1 352 595 7618 citra fl
My father used to be a Ford mechanic and has a glass top that he told me came from a ’56. If anyone is interested, email me at davebrown39@yahoo.com. I’d like to help someone that needs one, and get rid of it too. Thanks, Dave
I AM LOOKING FOR INFOMATION ABOUT FORD GLASS-TOPS.
ALL INFOMATION I CAN FIND IS THEY DID NOT COME OUT ON THE FORD UNTIL 1954.
AS STRANGE AS IT MAY SEEM, I ACTUALLY PURCHASED A NEW 1953 FORD 2DR,HARDTOP CROWN VIC. SKYLINER WITH A GLASS-TOP.
I AM UNABLE TO GET ANY INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THIS GLASS-TOP COULD HAVE BEEN ON A 53.
ANYBODY KNOW ???
LOVED YOUR INFO ON CROWN VICS HAVE 55CROWN PINE TREE GREEN METTALIC AND WHITE, POWER WINDOWS, SEAT, STEERING. ALL ORIGINAL. ITERIOR IS EXCELLENT. BODY HAS NO RUST OR DENTS,NEVER WRECKED. 272 4B. DROVE IT TILL 74. GARAGE KEPT TILL NOW. CALIF.CAR. AM RESTORING. HAVE NEVER SEEN CROWN THIS COLOR BUT IS ORIGINAL. EVERYTHING WORKED WHEN I PARKED IT. ENGINE HAD LOW COMP,72OOO MILES. HOPE I CAN DO IT JUSTICE!
I have a 55 vic glasstop in Fair to good condition. Does anyone know what it is worth?
Jim
i am interested in more info on #33 who and where person located who has 1952 ford
crestline victoria 2 dr gold and yellow and 1953 ford crestline customline 4 dr
parts car for sale.
For sale: Beautiful black and pink running condition 1955 Crown victoria with glass top. Rediculously low miles. Asking $27,000. Will take highest offer.
For sale: 1955 Ford Crown Victoria, black and pink, glass top, running condition, garaged stored, ridiculously low miles. Contact weast5@charter.net for more information and list Crown Victoria in subject line.