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About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 27, 1956)
'FRIDAY. JANUARY 27, 1958 " HERALD AND NEWS. KLAMATH FALLS. OREGON PAGE FIFTEEN ? v - ... -v, nr THUNDERBIRD 56 has enough luggage space lor three suitcases and two sets of golf clubs. Ford engineers have increased the luggage space by removing Jhe spare tire from the trunk and placing it inside a "continental" spare tire carrier. Three new power train options are available on Thunderbird 56 22S horsepower with Fordomatic, 215 hp with overdrive and a 202 hp engine with standard transmission. Henry Ford's Grandson Now Chief Of Lincoln Division William Clay Ford, who has grown up in the automotive indus try, is a vice president and group director of Ford Motor Company In charge of the Continental and Lincoln Divisions. He is also gen eral manager of the Continental Division and a member of the com pany's board of directors. A grandson of the lale Henry Ford, founder of the company, and the youngest of four children of Mr. and Mrs. Edsel B. Ford, he was born in Detroit, March 14, 192S. He entered Detroit University School at Grosse Polnte. Michigan, where his family made their home, and later attended Hotchkiss School at Lakevllle, Connecticut. In 1943, Mr. Ford enlisted In the Navy and was an aviation cadet at the time of his discharge two years later. He then enrolled at Yale University and was graduated In 1949. He was elected to the board of directors of Ford Motor Company in 1948. After graduation from col lege, he joined the company's sales and advertising staff. He later served qn the industrial relations staff and was a member of the committee that negotiated the com pany's 1949 contract with the UAW CIO. He became quality control manager for the Lincoln-Mercury Division's jet engine' defense' pro ject In 1951. On July 17, 1952, Mr, Ford was appointed manager -of Special Product Operations In charge of a group of engineers and designers engaged in advanced automotive planning. On May 12, 1953. his elec tion as a vice president by the board of directors was announced by Henry Ford II, president of the company. On October 9, 1953, Special Prod uct Operations was designated' a full operating division of the com pany. It was named the Continen tal Division on October 16, 1954, following the announcement that a new prestige car to be known as the Continental would be intro duced In 1955. Mr. Ford was elected to the executive committee, May 11, 1955. He also serves on the com pany's administration, merchandis ing, scheduling and industrial re lations committees. Since 1951, he has been president of the Edison Institute, which operates the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Vil lage in Dearborn, Michigan. He is secretary-treasurer of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, president of the Edsel B. Ford Institute for Medi cal Research and a trustee of the Michigan Heart Association. A director of the United Founda tion In Detroit, he served as 193 chairman of its major industry unit. He was named 1954 national campaign cnairman oi me unuea Cerebral Palsy Association. He is married to the former Martha Firestone. 'of Akron. Ohio. They have two daughters and live in Grosse Polnte Farms, Mich igan. , Grille Changed In '56 Ford Passengers Guarded In '56 Lincoln By Safety Devices A group of safety devices engi neered to help protect both driver and passengers in the event of an accidecnt, were introduced for the first time on the 1956 Lincoln. Included are: ' Safety-flex steering wheel; triple strength safety door locks: optional safety seat belts; textured-finish vinyl covering for instrument pan els to reduce reflection and vinyl coating for rear-view mirrors to reduce shattering. These safety devices are an out growth of Ford Motor Company's pioneer research program aimed at increasing the available knowl edge about injuries to drivers and passengers if they are involved in a highway accident. A. L. H&ynes, executive engineer in charge of the company's crash safety program has been carrying on safety research over the past tour years including full - scale crash tests using lifelike dummies. t "Our studies, together with those M other organizations, have con vinced us that there is less chance of injury when the motorist Is held In his seat and furthermore, when he is kept within the protective en closure of the vehicle," Mr. Haynes aid. "Statistics show that a motorist's chance of avoiding serious injury in a crash are two to one better If he remains within the car than if be is thrown clear of it." To test seat belts and safety leering wheels, engineers tow crash cars into a heavy timber barrier or into another vehicle at a predetermined speed. Sensitive electronic attachments fixed to the lifelike dummies riding in the crash car record the force of the blows they receive in the accident. Safety door locks were tested by heavy impacts against critical points on the body which normally cause the doors to fly open. All 1956 Lincolns will be equipped with a safety-flex steering wheel whose four spokes provide 314 Inches of energy-absorbing "cush ion" between the outer rim of the wheel and the recessed top of the steering column. This "cushion" helps absorb the force of the driver's body should he be thrown forward. The new steering wheel came out of a long series of experiments during which sandbags were slammed against various column spoke combinations until the prop er wheel was developed. New safety, double-grip rotor type door locks also are standard on the new Lincoln. Crash tests have shown these locks will with stand three times normal Impact in collisions before opening. Safety seat belts are offered as as optional, extra cost equip ment. Available for the driver and passengers, they are firmly an chored to the underside of the floor pan with three-inch long re inforced steel plates. The seat track Itself has also been strength ened to help prevent the seat from leaving the track in a crash. STEERING Full-Time Coaxial Power Steer- ing, Improved PowerFllte fully automatic transmission, a superior car heating system and the un rivaled Airtemp car air condition er are a few of the established driving and comfort aids continued to enhance the fine quality of the 1956 Dodge cars. . : A NEWCOMER to the Mercury line of cars for 1956 is this Custom "Medalist" two-door sedan. The "Medalist" is the lowest priced of the 13 new models offered by Mercury in the Montclair, Monterey and Custom series for 1956. It is powered by Mercury's big, new high compression 312 cubic inch Safety-S urge engine. Styling advances in the Ford for 56 include a new grille with ob long parking lights at the outer ends, set in frames which wrap around the fender sides. Body side molding is re-styled for Fairlane, Station Wagon and Customline models. Newly designed tail lamps and deck lid handles, a larger hood ornament, and a completely new instrument panel are offered in all models. For safer driving, all instruments are clustered under a glare-preventing hood directly In front of the driver. All controls are direct ly lighted for night driving. In V-8 Fairlane cars, dual ex haust ports emerge at the sides of re-deslgned rear bumpers. Ford stylists have introduced 13 exterior colors In the 1956 line among them platinum grey and mandarin orange. Upholstery and trim selections are matched to exterior colors, with as many as five different Interior color combinations in Fair lane models. Up to 21 optional two tone exterior color combinations are offered In the line, with choices varying according to model and series. Thunderbird Production Up In 1956 Thunderbird 56 is expected to reach a "personal car market" of 20,000 owners, R. S. McNamara, Ford Motor Company Vice Presi dent and Ford Division General Manager, announed today. "The demand for Thundei birds in 1955 was greater than we had anticipated and we still have a considerable backlog of orders to fill," Mr. McNamara explained "Based on the sale of 16,155 Thundeibirds to a virtually un tapped personal car market last year, we expect to see this mark et expand rapidly in the years to come," he said. "Four years ago when the Thun derbird idea was conceived, our researchers showed us convincing ma met aata, indicating tnere was a desire for a different kind of car between the mass automobile market and the sports car mark et," Mr. McNamara declared. In 1955, 20 per cent more Thun derbird personal cars were sold than the total of all sports car types marketed in America. Four Thunderbirds were sold for every one produced by the highest vol ume sports car manufacturer, "By building an all-weather ve hicle with the comfort and con venience of most conventional pas senger cars, and providing it with tne Handling and performance characteristics of a sports car, we were of the. opinion that we had the right design for this personal car market," he said. "Furthermore, we were able to price the- Thunderbird far below European and American sports cars because of the advantages of volume production. "The end result of our research, design concept, and volume pro duction gives the public a high performance car which fits In with the rising standard of living In America," he, said. A ROOF LINE one and one-half inches lower th an last year's model is offered on the 1956 Ford Victoria, shown above. New styling of the protective chrome moldings on the car's sides emphasizes its changed silhouette. The Victoria is one of seven models in Ford's Fairlane series, which also includes a two-door Club Sedan, four-door Town Sedan, Sunliner convertible, Crown Victoria and Crown Victoria Skyliner. Fairlane series 1956 Fords with Y-8 engines offer engine power equal to the Ford Thunderbird, with dual exhausts and four-barrel carburetors as standard equipment. Ford Advances Styling Trend Ford Stresses 'Guard Design Ford engineers have developed a "lifeguard design" in their 1956 models to prevent, or reduce the severity of. Injuries due to auto mobile accidents. The company Is the first in the industry to adopt the safety con cept of "packaging the passenger" as a means of limiting accidental injury. Research has included re peated full-scale crash tests of the new equipment on the Ford test track at Dearborn, Mich. The new injury-prevention study is. a com panion project to Ford's accident prevention program, which in cludes development of better brakes, steering, and other me chanical improvements. The new safety features are: A deep-center safety steering wheel (standard equipment) which will absorb the energy generated in a crash and distribute the force over the driver's chest, helping to prevent him from striking the steer ing column. Safety door latches (standard equipment) designed to prevent doors from springing open under Impact, thus protecting passengers from being -thrown to the road. Safety Tear-view mirrors (stan dard equipment) with a special backing to keep the glass from falling out if broken. Seat belts (optional) structurally anchored to the car with a steel plate, to retain occupants Inside the vehicle and reduce the chance of being thrown forward. Crash cushioning (optional) for instrument panels and sun visors, which is five times more shock absorbent than sponge rubber. In addition. Ford has redesigned the mirror frame, and the front and back seat supports have been strengthened to- reduce the possi bility of seats coming loose In an accident. TEMPERATURE . A new electrical "communica tions" system has been set up in the 1956 Chevrolet to operate the water temperature gauge. The new installation provides for more ac curate temperature reading on the instrument panel. Thunderbird 56 Features Colors Seven new colors and 30 dif ferent color combinations are available on Thunderbird 66. This colorful variety stems from seven solid body colors each com bined with a number of different hardtop colors. Two-tone combinations will be standard on Thunderbird 56. Thunderbird green, raven black, Thunderbird gray, fiesta red, col onial white, peacock blue, and buckskin tan are the new colors. New vinyl materials add appear ance and durability to the Interior. A new trim style with a softer bolster on the seat backs adds comfort and style to the bucket type Inserts, Five interior color trim combi nations are available in matching colors to the seven solid colors. The combination tonneau and soft top storage compsrtment cov er Is available In matching colors ana is made of vinyl. , Styling advances In the Ford for '56 include a new grille with ob long parking lights at the outer ends, set in frames which wrap around the fender sides. Body side molding is re-styled for Fairlane, Station Wagon and Customline models. Newly designed tall lamps and deck lid handles, a larger hood ornament, and a completely new Instrument panel are offered In all models. For safer driving, all instru ments are clustered under a glare preventing hood directly In front of the driver. All controls are directly lighted for night driving. In V-8 Falrllne oars, dual exhaust ports emerge at the sides of re-deslgned rear bumpers. Ford stylists have Introduced II exterior colors in the 1956 line among them platinum grey and mandarin orange. Upholstery and trim selections are matched to exterior colon, with as many as five different interior color combinations in Fair lane models. Up to 31 optional two-tone exterior color combina tions are offered in the line, with choices varying according to model and aeries. Leather Makes Fine Interiors i The finest grades of top-grain, leather, hand-worked to softness, form the base for the 39 Interior color combinations in the all-new 1956 Lincoln Premiere. Hand-boarded by skilled crafts men, the leather Is matched to pro vide 15 harmonious all-leather com binations, including Starmtst White and Presidential Black, Huntsman Red, Island Coral, Amethyst, Wis teria, Desert Buff and Sunburst Yellow. Eight leather and fabric combinations and four all-cloth-comblnatlons. are offered. In addition to the 37 Interior combinations six more than in 195517 solid exterior colors and 35 two-tone combinations are avail able In the Premiere serlea. Instrument panels, door panels and headlining in both the Pre miere and Captrl series are trim med In complementary colon. Many Designs In '56 Models The J rrd body styles intro duced in the 1956 line September 23 are produced In four series. There are seven models in the Fairlane series, which offer spe cial "Styletone" exterior color combinations, as well as the wid est range of two-tone and single tone selections in the Ford line. The Fairlane models are Club Sedan. Town Sedan, Sunliner con vertible, Crown Victoria, Crown Victoria Skyliner, and Victoria. Later in the model year the com pany will produce a four-door Vic toria, as well. - The Station Wagon series In cludes six body styles for 1956, one more than last year. The two door six-passenger Parklane has been added. In addition, the scries includes the two-door six-passenger Ranch Wagon and Custom Ranch Wagon; the four-door six-passenger Country Sedan; the four-door eight passenger Country Sedan, and the four-door eight-passenger Country Squire. The latter has mahogany finished metal panels and wood grained fiber glass moldings on the body. A "new look" has been given to the Customline aeries, with changes In the side moldings for 1956. The series Includes two se dans, the four-door and the two door. In Ford's lowest priced Main line, three sedans make up the series. They are the four-door, two-door, and two-door business sedan. Ford Offers 'New Look' The 18 Ford body styles Intro duced in the 1956 line are being produced in four series. There are seven models in the Fairlane series, which offer special "Styletone" exterior color combina tions, as well as the widest range of two-tone and single-tone selec tions in the Ford line. The Fair lane models are Club Sedan, Town Sedan, sunliner convertible. Crown Victoria, Crown Victoria Skyliner, and Victoria. Later in the model year the company will produce a four-door Victoria, as well. The Station Wagon series in cludes six body styles for 1956. one more than last year. The two-door six-passenger Parklane has been added. In addition, the series In cludes the two-door six-passenger Ranch Wagon and Custom Ranch Wagon; the four-door six-passenger Country Sedan: the four-door eight passenger Country Sedan. . and the four-door eight-passenger Coun try Squire. The latter has mahog any finished metal panels and wood grained fiber glass moldings on the body. The "new look" has been given to the Customline series, with changes in the side moldings for 1956. The series includes two se dans, the four-door and the two-door. The deal is Wsurprise 4 : j 't-b li' J-l After feasting your eyes on (1) Ford's Thunderbird styling TT after thrilling to its (2) Thunderbird V-8 engine : : : after learning about the added safety of its (3) Lifeguard Design, you get the best surprise of all Ford's down-to-earth pricel The "56 Ford Is truly a jSiw ear tn every sense of the word. v;. t It's the only ear with Thunderbird Inspired lines. One glance tells you it's the kissin' cousin of the fabulous Thunderbird. In power! It's the only car to bring you the Thunderbird's own V-8 engine. This mighty engine is the standard eight for all Fairlane and Station Wagon models, at no ; extra cost. ':' In safety! Ford is the only ear with Life guard Design. Ford's new deep-center steering wheel, new double-grip door latches, new Lifeguard rear-view mirror, new op tional padding for instrument panel and sun visors, and new optional seat belts all combine to give you greater protection against injuries in the event of an accident. Come in and find out about the surprises galore in the '56 Ford-.r""'" : Prove ft fo yours!? . . . 1 YOU CAN HAVI A '36 FORD You know what yov, want. You know your budget. But do you really know how low, low the '66 Fords are priced? Or how high, high an allowance you can get on your present car? Or how little the monthly payments can be? Visit your Ford Dealer now and prove you can have the '66 Ford you wantl 56 Ford BALSIGER MOTOR CO. . . . America's largest-selling Eight! Main & Esplanade Klamath Falls, Or. 1 l (