May 16, 1997 - Farris Rogers of San Jose, CA writes:

Boy do I have memories of the 49 Ford, indeed I do, and they are fond memories. I have been a Ford owner must of my life, which by the way is a long time. My first Ford was a l930 Model A coupe, this was in l947 when I was l6, paid $95 for i t, wish I still had it. Speaking of owning a Ford, at the present time I have a Ford Van conversion and my wife has a Ford Taurus Wagon. Back to the 49 Ford, my little beauty was a navy blue convertible with matching upholstering. My older brother, by two years, bought it new that year and drove it about two or three months then said he couldn't afford it. So I took over the payments and became the proud owner of a 49 Ford convertible. Can anyone imagine an l8 year old kid in those days having a new Ford convertible, its still seems like a dream to me. I had to fight the girls off with a stick and loved every minute of it! Well I'm here to tell you that it was a great fun car, it even had overdrive and whiteside wall tires, Wow! Oh yes, I almost fo rgot, it even had an AM radio, double Wow!! I have owned some great Ford cars and trucks in my life time, my van now has over l8l,000 miles on it, and still looks and drives like new. Of course none will ever replace my "l949 FORD CONVERTIBLE"!! Thank you for allowing me to relive a little of my past on your web site.

September 23, 1996 - Erik Smith writes:

[...] this might not sound like the proper way to remember "the car that saved Ford," but hey, all cars have their heyday... and then they start chugging on downhill. My grandfather was an executive who replaced his car with a new one every co uple of years, the way you were supposed to in those days. And through my father, I've heard many a story about the incredible cars his family owned. A '37 Cord, for instance -- we know it as a classic, and yet my still-living grandmother remembers it as a car on which the front end wore out again and again, and that barely made it to the dealer for a trade-in. The '49 Ford, my father and grandmother recall, was one of the best cars the family owned, with power and style to spare -- and rather than tradi ng it in, they kept it. My grandfather gave it to my father to take to college in Oregon in '54. He sold it once he got there, after a trip of 500 miles. Three days later, he got a call from the distraught dealer: Would he take it back? Someone bought it and immediately the transmission went out.

My father was a smart fellow. He said no.

June 21, 1996 - Darryl D. Hall writes:

I remember the '49 Ford. Myself? I'm a 1939er and to this day remember the introduction. The '49 was such a departure from the automotive fare of the day. To see the front fenders, doors and rear quarters all integrated into one grand swee ping side panel was really something new. All kinds of comments pro & con were heard in the dealers showrooms. Little did we know how much this new design would influence the automotive world. Each Sat. I would stop and take another admiring look as I made my way for a day at the movies. Back in those days Ford Motor Company sponsored contests for school kids to enter their shop projects at thier local dealers. All of us with the hope that thiers would be selected to move up to the regional then nati onal contest levels. I made many visits to my local dealer anticipating the selected winning entries. My set of punches, chisels and toolbox made it to the regionals but no further. So much that Ford did in the community and the cars they built found a special place in our future love affair with Ford automobiles. From our 1st car to hotrod to classics and to our modern machines.

June 8, 1996 - Dick Swanson writes:

Ford has had a succession of milestone vehicles making a singular choice extremely difficult. Being a "37" model myself I grew up experiencing the introduction of many of these milestones. I recall the "49" introduction. I lived 2 blocks away from Morton Ford on N. Sheffield Ave in Chicago. (footnote: The Muntz Jet factory was located a blockaway) Searchlights pierced the sky inviting the curious from miles around. The windows of the showroom were covered with white paper. strategic peek holes cut in at various levels. It was a clear vision into the future. The styling made everything else seem archaic. I was an 11 year old kid totally obsessed with automobiles. (still am, only older) It was a gala event, the pagentry was like a mini coronati on rather than an introduction. Once inside the dealership my pals & I stuffed our pockets with every brochure we could find. The new car smells were so intoxicating. From my teens to young adulthood I have owned a succesion of pre-owned 49-50-51 coupes, sedan, convertables plus a couple of Mercs just for good measure. I keep this memory hot link open with a 1/24th scale model of a 49 coupe I lovingly built and detailed to grace my office.

February 2, 1996 - Larry Halter writes:

I REMEMBER SEEING THE 1949 FORD ON JUNE 18, 1948, I WAS 11 YRS OLD IN COLUMBUS, OHIO. I TOOK THE BUS TO BEASELY FORD ON W. BROAD ST TO SEE THE CAR. I WAS A DEDICATED FORD MAN AS MY DAD OWNED ONLY FORDS. WE HAD A 1946 FORD BOUGHT NEW AT THAT SAME DEALERSHIP.

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