Lucille Ball Loved her Ford Skyliner Retractable Hardtop

[GeorgeVreelandHill]

It was a nice design, but the thing was more of a novelty.

President Eisenhower had one in the White House.

This was not the first retractable car top.

The first one came out in 1934 in France.

Nice to see Lucy.

George Vreeland Hill

[wildcman]

the top was originaly designed tofor Lincoln but the cost was prohibitive so they put it in the Ford instead and was still expensive and there was problems with the microswitches 13 of them several electric motors and miles of wireing but it was a nice looking car the top was also very noisey ther is a comercil with the top in action and you can hear how loud it was

[fuseli]

I wish the idiot talking would shut up so I can enjoy the commercial!!!

[mrpitv]

@fuseli I'll take that under consideration. Thanks for your suggestion.

[cheeriosinabowl]

I wonder what kind of car Lucy and Desi drove? I bet (dollars to donuts) it wasn't this car in the commercial.

[stellarblue51]

@cheeriosinabowl They drove nothing but CADILLACS in those days. In those days (50's) Caddy's ruled!

[themaytagrepairman]

The one piece retractable roof was first put on a Chrysler New Port. It was a very limited run and was never used again by Chrysler. And they're the ones that designed it.

[mrpitv]

@themaytagrepairman Thanks for sharing that. I've heard that Ford had a lot of trouble making this work. Funny how it's commonplace now.

[themaytagrepairman]

@mrpitv One of the reasons Chrysler abandoned the project. Plus I've heard the system was way too expensive to manufacture.

[jamesjdb]

@themaytagrepairman: Typical jealous Chrysler/Dodge and now Fiat Man! LOL. Chrysler NEVER PRODUCED a retractable top car EVER! They made five prototypes only. Ugly as sin too! LOL. They could never get the top to work easily either, no surprise there! LOL. And it was not a newport. It was called a chrysler thunderbolt. The first concept actually came from HUDSON, but Hudson never produced it either. FORD was IN FACT the first USA Car Co to ever produce a user friendly retractable top car.

[themaytagrepairman]

@jamesjdb I'm just goin on what I've read. So you don't have to be a jerk about it. I'm not jealous either. Grow up!

[jamesjdb]

@themaytagrepairman: Me grow up? I'm not the one inputting false infomation. If you don't know about something, simply look it up man. I wasn't being a jerk, I was just stating TRUE FACTS. And when I said (jealous chrysler/dodge and now fiat man) I followed it with an (LOL) Don't go getting so bent dude!

[jamesjdb]

@themaytagrepairman: I bet next you will say Chrysler was the first to have a Hemispherical V8? LOL..LOL...

[themaytagrepairman]

The one piece retractable roof was first put on a Chrysler New Port. It was a very limited run and was never used again by Chrysler.

[amberlovesapplepie09]

"the trunk just swallowed the roof!!!!" hahhahaha.

[RampGuy1]

I'm surprised that Vivian Vance and William Frawley did this commercial together considering they did not like each other at all.

[amberlovesapplepie09]

@RampGuy1 they may not have liked eachother, HOWEVER this was business and these four were very dedicated to their work ;)

[keiferd11]

Make fun of this car all you want. If anyone has this car in presinte condition....you have a gold mine.

[The1200sportster]

great car but drives like a boat

[x170063]

I dunno, I have heard great things about the Edsall

[wcn4500]

F.O.R.D.found on road dead

[4rdc]

first on race day

[RoPWU]

F.O.R.D

funny

organization

requires

dirt

[selander62]

Both of those cars looked gorgeous. Real craftmanship back in those days.

[tomcat28563]

F.O.R.D. fix or repair daily

[mrpitv]

@tomcat28563 and like its Italian counterpart Fiat, or fix it again Tony.

[thebenstrong]

@mrpitv Fiat is with Chrysler

[mrpitv]

@thebenstrong They own Chrysler.

[thebenstrong]

@mrpitv I know. Otherwise I would not have written it.

[torresongs2]

@tomcat28563 CHEVROLET = Cheap Heap Every Valve Rusted Oil Leaks Every Time

[lilotuxie]

F.O.R.D flip over read directions

[mrpitv]

@lilotuxie Funny!!!

[hebneh]

The song that Fred and Ethel are singing is a reworking of a hit song called "Singin' The Blues". At least one other ad used the original singer (whose name I can't think of right now) performing it.

The original first line: "Well, I never felt more like singin' the blues" was changed to "Well, I never felt more like shoutin' hurray". And so on.

[steven1660]

The Official Second Season of Lucille Ball's second series The Lucy Show, is coming to DVD on July 13, 2010! If you haven't seen the Lucy show it is so funny! And the second season co-stars Vivian Vance(Ethel)! Also it's in Color!

[RennyGd]

Well, it must have worked. Ford outsold Chevy that year. In my opinion, Ford looked better too. I'm only talking about 1957 here.

[stellarblue51]

@RennyGd You are insane. In '57 cars like the Chevrolet Bel-Air went on to Classic status. I don't doubt that Ford MAY have outsold Chevrolet, but not General Motors. When you look at all GM had to offer in Style and

Function, General Motors ruled in the 50's. Ford is doing well today, however.

[RennyGd]

@stellarblue51 Well, I only said I thought Ford in 57 looked better,not that they were better. The 55-57 chevys were(and are)better built cars as they're a lot more still around. Some years chevy looked better, other years Ford. I like GM better in the 50s and 60s, but I like Ford more today then GM

[jamesjdb]

@RennyGd: Actually, there is no such thing as a Chevrolet. It's just a GM division name. The Chevrolet Bros left GM in 1915 and mainly worked for FORD RACING on the Fronty FORD Race Cars, and produced FORD Racing parts for FORD RACERS. Chivy-Let guys hate that fact! LOL.. I've never saw the chevrolet name or chevy name casted in any engine block or head either. It says GM. And the body for many years was made by fisher. LOL. On the most part, GM and Chrysler have followed FORDS innovations.

[stellarblue51]

@RennyGd You are pretty fair minded, Renny. Truth is, I would dearly love to have any number of Ford's. Lets start with my favs like the Mustang and T-Bird.  How about all the fab Ford F Series Trucks. Nothing GM did was a Mustang or Bird. Like you said, different years produced dif results. Still, a Corvette would be nice...

[canine2]

I love old car ads!! These early retractables had reliability issues apparently. My neighbor says he had one, and once had to drive it home with the roof halfway into the trunk 'cuz it froze up. Lucy Ball was great!!! Beautifully conceived ad!!

[visor109]

That was one sweet ride!!

[illnsp08]

Lucy is still as funny as always!

[4EverDarling]

The trunk just swallowed the roof! lol!

[carolluking]

This is a real hoot! It reminds me why I Love Lucy!