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Ford wasn't the first auto manufacturer to offer a "retractable hardtop", but their
iconic Skyliner is certainly the most famous "flip-top". Chrysler's '40-'41 Thunderbolt sported a retractable hardtop, but on a very limited-production vehicle.
In the early 1950's Ford Designer Gilbert Spear began working on a retractable hardtop
design and in 1953 secured approval from management to move forward
with plans to offer it on
the upcoming Lincoln Continental Mark-II. But the final design and engineering weren't
completed until 1955 which was too late to be included on the new Mark-II. After an extensive
re-design, the retractable hardtop was scaled down to fit the smaller Fairlane chassis and
Ford premiered a 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner Retractable hardtop at the New York
Auto Show in December 1956. This prototype was well received and the Skyliner joined Ford's
Fairlane-500 line-up for 1957. While sharing many features with a standard 1957 Ford Fairlane
500 hardtop, the Skyliner is longer and heavier and uses unique sheet metal
from the cowl on back. The Skyliner's "convertible hard-top" is an amazing feat of engineering
that uses over 610 ft. of wiring and countless electric motors, screw jacks, servos and
switches to raise the hardtop, fold down the front portion and then tuck the entire top assembly
into the trunk. To fit the "Hide-Away Hardtop" into the trunk, the Skyliner's gas tank was
re-positioned to behind the rear seat (with the filler neck on the side) and the trunk lid bulges
up slightly, compared to a normal Fairlane. When stored in the trunk, the hardtop and it's
supporting framework of arms, mechanics and motors allow for very limited luggage space,
which is restricted to a 30"x24"x15" metal box that can only be reached from the sides
of the car. The 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner embodies pure style and luxury and despite it's
quirks and idiosyncrasies, is a beautiful and amazing marvel of engineering that always
attracts a crowd at any Classic Car Show or Cruise Night.
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