Better late than never. We’ve got some awesome car care tips for your brand new 1951 Ford. 

Here’s one big takeaway from this neat old 1951 factory film: Cars used to require a whole lot more service and maintenance than they do today. We are so spoiled here in the 21st century. Back in the ’50s, drivers were lucky to get 10,000 miles out of a tune-up;  tires and brake linings might last 20,000 to 30,000 miles; and as the movie reminds us, vehicle maintenance schedules typically recommended chassis lubrication every 1,000 miles. Yikes. If our current cars required that much service,  they would be in the shop every other week. In some ways, the good old days weren’t that great.

Since this film, originally targeted for driver training classes, was produced by our friends at the Ford Motor Company, all the vehicles featured here are shiny new 1951 Fords, naturally enough. The ’51 model year was the last in Ford’s breakthrough ’49-’51 series of passenger cars, affectionately known today as the Shoebox Fords. (Read about them here.) This would also be the last year for the familiar Custom and Custom Deluxe model names, as Ford would adopt the trendy Mainline, Customline, and Crestline designations for 1952. Ford’s trusty flathead V8, now displacing 239 cubic inches and rated at 100 hp, was still under the hood, but now there was an available two-speed Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission, a $159 extra-cost option. Now here’s how to care for your brand new Ford—video below.

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