The Ford Custom 1 marked a departure from Ford's pre-war models. In 1949, the low-rise, three-box design was very modern compared to the competition.
The news
The standard engine was an L-Head (flattop) inline six. For an additional price, you could get the car with the well-known L-Head V8 engine with 100 HP. Performance was the same as its predecessor which was based on a pre-war design. According to the advertisement, the new Ford Custom came with several innovations, such as "Equa-Flo" engine cooling, "Deep Breath" intake manifold, "Power Dome" combustion chambers and "Loadomatic" ignition system. Based on the names, one would think that these innovations were created by marketers, not engineers. You could probably say that Ford Custom's biggest innovation was the exterior and interior design and a different "packaging" of the cars that gave a lower center of gravity.
Model history
The same model was produced in several variants. The most common was the 4-door sedan, called the Fordor. Also popular was the 2-door sedan, the Tudor. This model has the same side windows as the Fordor, but lacks the rear doors. Other popular versions were the 2-door coupé, convertible and 2-door station wagon. The Ford Custom was produced as model years 1949, 1950 and 1951. In 1952, the model was replaced by the Customline.
About the pictures
The signal blue car was photographed in Frognerparken in connection with the 4th of July celebration. It's a Coupé. The grey-blue is depicted on the road - specifically the E18 inbound through Bærum. Notice that the car is "missing" rear doors. It's a Tudor sedan. The dark car with 4 doors - Fordor - is photographed at Råde in Østfold - photographer Jonny Bunæs. The red one was photographed in connection with a car collision at Sjøterrassen in Bamble.
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