1954 Ford Courier

Price – $25,900 – Make an Offer

BK Auto Auctions Proudly presents this awesome 1954 Ford Courier finished in White. The interior of this Ford is decked out in tan brown leather seats. This Courier’s power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a three speed manual transmission with overdrive which shifts smoothly according to the owner.  This car comes with a clean Missouri title.

For almost 70 years, the Ford Motor Company has used the Courier nameplate on a variety of vehicles marketed all over the world.  Probably the most well-known in the United States are the compact pickup trucks produced in partnership with Mazda in the 1970’s and 1980’s but the first time the company used that name for a vehicle was in 1952 for a commercial vehicle, a sedan delivery based on Ford’s two door station wagons.  Those vehicles continued to be in the Ford vehicle line-up through the 1960 model year when the company introduced the Econoline cargo van.

Ford created the Courier by taking a two door station wagon and creating a cargo area where the rear seat would be.  Painted steel panels replaced the rear side windows.  That created a fairly spacious area for hauling boxes cargo which was out of sight and secure.

Commercial vehicles are often produced in relatively small numbers when compared to passenger vehicles and this vehicle follows that rule.  This 1954 Ford Courier is one of only 6,404 built in that model year and was one of the vehicles to debut the company’s new “Y block” V8 engine.  Ford had initially planned to introduce the replacement for their tried and true flathead V8 in 1953, but a shortage of nickel brought on by the Korean War forced them to push that back until materials were able to be sourced.

The new powerplant displaced 239 cubic inches, the same as the flathead it replaced.  However, Ford achieved this with a larger cylinder bore and shorter crankshaft stroke creating an additional 20 horsepower over its predecessor.  The shorter stroke also helped the engine sustain higher RPM’s than the flathead.  In later years the Y block would grow to 272 cubic inches, 292 cubic inches and 312 cubic inches until being replaced by the FE engine series.

This 1954 Ford Courier was recently acquired by the present owner and appears to be in overall good condition.  The 239 cubic inch V8 runs smoothly and is well-detailed down to the oil bath air cleaner.  Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a three speed manual transmission with overdrive which shifts smoothly.  The vehicle retains the factory six volt electrical system.

Obviously an older restoration, the paint has imperfections one would expect from a vehicle that has been driven and enjoyed by previous owners.  The most glaring deficiency is an area near the lower passenger side of the tailgate where some paint has come off.  The vehicle is absent of visible rust and the chrome is driver quality or better with some minor issues on the front bumper.

The bench seat has been covered in brown vinyl and presents in excellent condition.  It sits well and puts the driver in a comfortable position to handle the driving chores of a vehicle with manual steering and transmission.  With just over 6,400 Couriers built in 1954 and the fact that many commercial vehicles are subject to rigorous use it’s rare to find one of these vehicles, much less one in this condition.  It’s a safe bet you will not see another one of these at your local cruise night or car show!  This would make an excellent addition to a collector of commercial vehicles or a unique cornerstone for an individual beginning a collection to build around.