Trying to understand Ford’s model layout in the later 1950s without a flow chart is a bit of a chore. Just like every other manufacturer of the day, you have to look directly at the full-size models and you have to understand just what the trim levels mean, year by year, because in the race to offer the biggest and best for the next year, nameplates would shift. In the case of Ford in 1958, you have seven different names for the same platform of vehicle: Custom, Custom 300, Fairlane 500 and for the station wagons you have Del Rio, Ranch Wagon, Country Sedan and Country Squire. It’s the same body shell, but with different trimmings and options depending on how much you wanted to spend. Confused yet? Well, just don’t mistake this 1958 Custom 300 for a Thunderbird and you will be off to a good start.
The Custom was the fleet car special for 1958, and the Custom 300 was the value-oriented model that most people would start out with. But looking at this example we found on RacingJunk, we wouldn’t rush to call it a stripper by any measure. In fact, if the original cars looked half as good as this worked-over example did, we wouldn’t be let down in the least so long as we could get eight cylinders under the hood. Here, you’ve got a newer 351 turning the tires, and an automatic helping you out. Not original, but as long as it works well, we wouldn’t care. In a 1950s car, style trumps just about everything else and this Custom 300 has that in spades. People remember 1958 Plymouths and everybody remembers 1957 Chevrolets, so seeing a ’58 Ford is a nice change of pace.
Beauty!
Very very nice…and different too. It had me fooled for a moment. I thought it was a 4-speed at first (my preference), but still very nice. Just needs a Kasse 600 CI ;*) and a 4 (or 5) speed
Sweet, I also thought it was a 4 speed also.
notice no arm rest on the door and probably only one sun visor.
The body of your article is incorrect, the Fairlane series is a longer body and wheelbase than the other models listed.
Many years ago in Hemmings Classic Car they did a drive report on a 57 Fairlane ragtop. The writer stated that \”one need look no further than 1958 to see how a beautiful car can be screwed up.\” I disagreed then and still do. The 59 seems more popular based on the number you see around today, but to my eye the 57 and 58 in top trim level Fairlane are beautiful cars. Two tone those babies as this one is and you have a very cool ride.