The Ford Fairlane 500 Hideaway Hardtop, which is commonly known as a Skyliner, was sold by Ford USA, during the years 1957 to 1959. There are styling differences between the three years of manufacture, but the car is essentially the same. It was not the first car with a retractable metal roof, and it sure is not the last, but it certainly will always be the biggest !
When the roof is asked to do its thing, it never fails to attract a crowd. The whole cycle takes around a minute, and is completely automatically sequenced, the driver just has to hold the button in the raise or lower position. The cycle can be stopped by releasing the buton any time, we often leave the roof ‘posed’ halfway at shows so that everyone can see all the gubbins.
This car was completely restored in the USA, and is completely reliable. It is an
unusual colour combination, the majority of two-
