John Judge’s 1951 Ford Victoria

By John Emmering

It was a double whammy in 1951 when Ford Motor Company stunned the industry with the introduction of both the Fordomatic transmission, and their new “hardtop” model, the Ford Victoria. 

General Motors Chevrolet Division had one upped Ford in 1949 when they unveiled their Styleline Deluxe Belaire, a pillar-less model that became popular with the public. Chevrolet beat Ford to the punch once again in 1950 with the introduction of the “Power Glide” transmission which was the first automatic transmission in a low-priced car. Ford had played catch up however and brought in their own “Fordomatic” automatic transmission supplied by Borg-Warner for the 1951 model year and also unveiled the Victoria model January 28, 1951.

The Ford Crestliner temporarily filled the gap the absence of a hardtop created when Ford engineers discovered that the 1949-50 Tudors and coupes structurally required their pillars. There was no need to fear though as the company had acquired the services of accomplished automobile designer Gordon Buehrig in 1949 and gave him the project.  

Buehrig gained recognition during his time with the Auburn Automobile Company for his unique design for the Cord Automobile among other design achievements. Buehrig solved the dilemma of developing a hardtop model by using a convertible body with a permanent metal roof welded in. The car was dubbed the Victoria, reviving a model name used on a line of Ford cars from 1931 to 1934.

Without doubt the new Victoria models were an immediate hit with automobile customers. The “all-purpose touring car” as some dubbed it had much to offer with its standard V-8 engine, excellent styling and choice of manual three speed transmission, optional overdrive, or “Fordomatic Drive” transmission. Priced at $2,060, which was just $146 more than the six-cylinder Chevrolet Belaire, the Victoria took over the market beating out Belaire sales.  Ford turned out 110,286 Victoria cars and sidelined its Crestliner model, turning out only 8,703 1951 units.

Our Northern Illinois Regional Group is fortunate to have a great example of Ford Motor Company’s innovative Victoria in our midst with the beautifully restored 1951 Ford Victoria owned by our longtime member John Judge.  In attractive Hawaiian Bronze with a Sandpiper Tan roof, John’s car is equipped with Fordomatic Drive, revealed by the emblem on the trunk.  The car is decked out with dual accessory spotlights and back up lights also.

It was over thirty years ago, back in the 1980’s that John came to purchase the Victoria. A newspaper ad offering a “1951 Ford Victoria with automatic transmission” for sale caught his eye.  As he had been looking for a Victoria equipped with Fordomatic Drive he followed up. Impressed by the very original low mileage Victoria John made the purchase.

There is an interesting story behind the Victoria that John learned from the seller.  It seems the Victoria was purchased new by a young man in 1951 who lived with his mother in Oswego, Illinois. The car was apparently his pride and joy.  When the young man was drafted into the Army for service in the Korean Conflict, he stored the Victoria in his mother’s garage.  The young man was tragically killed in action in Korea and his mother did not have the heart to sell the car.  She kept it for many years undisturbed in her garage, finally selling it to her neighbor. The neighbor offered the car for sale a while later and the car was purchased by a car enthusiast in the Chicago area. As the story goes the new owner’s wife felt he had too many collector cars and demanded that he sell the Victoria.  John purchased the car from the advertisement this gentleman placed.

When John took his Victoria to a body shop in Chicago for painting, it was discovered that in the years the car sat in the damp garage rust had developed from the inside out. The sheet metal on the bottoms of the doors and the floor had to be replaced.   When the work was completed, John was pleased with the results.  With John facing health challenges, the Victoria had been in storage for five years. However, it’s now back in service with a new carburetor and fuel pump. We are all glad to see John back on the road on activities with his great Victoria.