Here’s a lovely color film detailing the engineering and features of the new 1953 Ford.

We really enjoyed the introduction to this neat old color movie about the 1953 Ford line. “Jim Johnson’s a pretty normal guy ordinarily, but lately he’s been acting very strange,” the narrator explains. “His mind seems to be a million miles away. Mrs. Johnson and Julie are getting worried about him, Last night, for example. He turned down a piece of his favorite pie. The other day, he even kicked that car he’s always been so proud of. And he’s always writing figures of some kind on the backs of envelopes.” Of course, we the viewers know there is only one cure for this peculiar ailment. Jim Johnson needs a trip to the neighborhood Ford dealer, stat.

The 1953 model year was a noteworthy one for Ford on a couple of counts. It was the 50th anniversary of the Ford Motor Company, incorporated by Henry Ford, John S. Gray, and crew back on June 16, 1903. And 1953 was also the final year (for the USA, anyway) for the venerable flathead V8, which had been in production since 1932. By ’53, the engine had been upgraded from 221 cubic inches and 65 hp to 239 cubic inches and 110 hp. But with a number of obsolete features baked into the design, including twin water pumps and three main bearings, the flathead was badly in need of a replacement, which would arrive in 1954 as the all-new Y-block V8. (Learn about the Y-Block V8 here.)

Anyway, this film includes some interesting insights into the engineering and design processes behind the ’53 cars, and there are some great glimpses of Ernest Breech, Henry Ford II, and others as they went about the business of reinventing the Dearborn automaker. Video below.

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