Unusual Sedan Delivery?

[CDN.SD]

I?m currently working on a 57 Sedan Delivery that probably started life as a Meteor (678A). Unlike any SDs or Couriers that I?ve seen pictures of, it has a station wagon type rear opening with a tailgate and lift hatch rather than the ?normal? one-piece hatchback.

I don't have the paint etc. stripped from that area yet, but as far as I can tell it's either original, or done a long time ago. The paint is very old and worn, and there are no extra holes etc. that would indicate a recent change. It definitely started life as a SD not a wagon; it has all of the correct bracing and compartments and no back seat.

I'm curious, have any of the experts here ever seen a SD with this rear treatment, or know if it was available as an option or special order?

Any info is appreciated.

Thanks.

[Lou]

About 15 years ago I a friend of mine in Minneapolis sent me pictures on 2 57 Couriers with the station wagon talegates. The were light blue with 6 cyl standard shift transmissions. There were several brackets/tracks built into the floor that we never figured out what their use was. Both vehicles had been built at Dearborn and had consecutive serial numbers, but we were never able to figure out for who or why they were ordered. Stop my 1957Ford.com and take a look at the pics of 78A's

[F570RD]

http://www.1957ford.com/asp/gallery.aspx?catmstrid=1&catdetid=37      ...Check this out....

[CDN.SD]

Thanks for the information guys!

I'm not doing what you would call a restoration on the car by any stretch of the
imagination, so I'm glad to know that I'm not working on a one of a kind or prototype!

This one happens to have been light blue/6/3 on the tree originally too, but there aren't
any unusual brackets or tracks, or any evidence of them ever having been there.

I'm assuming that since there are so few of them that they must have been either a special
order, or a very expensive option, because if I was given the choice when ordering a new
one, I think I would have gone for the two piece unit rather than the hatchback style. It
just seems to be more practical and versatile to me, but who knows the mindset of the 57
buyers. A hatchback may have been unusual enough to interest the buyers back then.

Thanks again for the info.

[Lou]

The hatchback style protected you from the rain and allowed you to reach futher into the vehicle to retrieve something, but you needed more overhead clearance in a building to open it.

[CDN.SD]

Both styles definitely had their advantages, but it seems, (from the survivors) that the overwhelming majority of buyers chose the liftback. I just assumed that a more even split would have occurred if they were both of equal price and availability.

[foooordy]

I THINK I READ AN ARTICLE YEARS BACK THAT THIS MODEL WAS MADE EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE US POSTAL SERVICE. NOT REAL SURE BUT ILL TRY TO RESEARCH AND LET YOU KNOW