Ford Mainline

With Ford’s 1952 range overhaul, the De Luxe Ford gave way to the Mainline—deliberately positioned as the entry model beneath the mid-tier Customline and top-dog Crestline. Four model years later, when a new body shell bowed in 1955, the Mainline continued unchanged in its budget berth, only to bow out in 1957 as the new Ford Custom assumed the starter-set spot.

While Customline buyers enjoyed more brightwork and Crestline extras included extra trim, power lifts, and plusher interiors, the Mainline kept costs low by omitting chrome skirts and limiting paint schemes. The strategy worked: Mainlines became a staple on American driveways, appealing to families and fleet users who wanted a full-size Ford without the frills.

Ford dropped the Mainline badge after 1956, ceding its slot to the more modern Ford Custom series. The brief but consistent five-year run cemented it as a bargain reference point in 1950s middle-class garages, and surviving examples today act as modest snapshots of post-war American austerity.