The Saga of the Stainless Steel Fords
By Tom Benford
Here's a little word-association quiz for you. What's the first thing
you think of between the words "stainless steel" and "automobile"? If
you're like most car buffs, you probably came up with "DeLorean" or, if
you're really into cars, possibly "the roof of the 1958 Cadillac
Eldorado Brougham," right? But how many of you associated "stainless
steel" with "Fords"? Not many, I'll bet.
That's because very few people are aware that three Ford models were
fabricated in stainless steel. They were built for special promotional
and marketing purposes and owned by Allegheny Ludlum Steel. These
special stainless steel Fords included the 1936 Ford Deluxe, the 1960
Thunderbird and the 1967 Lincoln Continental Convertible. Here's the
history of how these stainless cars came about, according to Allegheny
Ludlum Corporation.
In 1935, company officials of the Allegheny Ludlum Steel Division and
the Ford Motor Company collaborated on an experiment that was to become
a legacy and a tribute to one of the most dynamic metals ever
developed. Allegheny Ludlum was a pioneer producer of stainless steel
and proposed the idea of creating a stainless steel car to Ford. The
decision makers at Ford liked the idea and it became a reality in the
form of a 1936 Deluxe Sedan. The Stainless Steel Deluxe Thirty Six
became the centerpiece of a campaign to expose the public to the new
metal and its many uses.
In all, six of these cars rolled off the Ford assembly line in 1936. Of
the six, four still exist today giving testimony to the proof of
stainless steel's durability. These stainless steel cars were perfect
vehicles for increasing the public's awareness of the quality of the
metal. One of these four survivors is on display at the Heinz Regional
History Center in Pittsburgh, PA.
The top salesmen each year were given the honor of being allowed to
drive them for one year. Powered by the standard 85hp Ford V-8 engine,
they were reputed to be surprisingly smooth and quiet. Each of the
original six logged at least 200,000 miles with Allegheny Ludlum
officials behind the steering wheels before they were 'retired' to
private ownership in 1946. Thousands of additional miles have been
logged on the odometers since, and their shiny bodies have outlasted
most of their non-stainless steel parts. A retired Allegheny Ludlum
employee said that the dies were ruined by stamping the stainless car
parts, making these the last of these cars ever produced.
Allegheny Ludlum and Ford later collaborated on two more stainless
models. The next one was the 1960 Thunderbird, and two of these cars
were produced as another experiment to further raise public awareness
of stainless steel by touring it around the country. They both rolled
off the Wixom, MI production line on July 11, 1960. The experiment was
a success on a number of levels and public awareness of stainless
steel's many uses increased with every city and state the cars visited.
Since 1960, when the two stainless steel Ford Thunderbirds were
introduced, they have been displayed throughout the United States and
Europe. With the exception of the body skin, bumpers and grille, which
are made of T302 stainless steel, every other component is standard
1960 Thunderbird equipment. Also included is the first T409 solid
stainless steel muffler released on a production vehicle. Both cars
still have their original mufflers and T304 exhaust pipes after 49
years on the road!
Then, in 1967, three Lincoln Continental Convertibles were the last of
the stainless steel cars produced by the Ford Motor Company and
Allegheny Ludlum Steel. As with all stainless steel, there was no need
for painting since the corrosion-resistant properties of the stainless
eliminate the problems caused by rust.
Except for the vehicles' bodies, all other parts and equipment on the
cars were standard for the 1967 Lincoln Convertible. The vehicle weight
is just about equal to one with a standard steel body.
Allegheny Ludlum Steel retains two of the Lincolns and still uses them
for customer visits and special events. A complete set of stainless
automobiles (1936 Deluxe, T-Bird, and Continental) are on permanent
display in the Crawford Auto Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. And of the 11
total stainless steel cars built, 9 are still in use.
So, you see, there's more to stainless steel when it comes to cars than Caddy Biarritz roofs and DeLoreans.
More information of the history on these automobiles can be found at Allegheny Ludlum's website .
