Ford Country Sedan
Mid-trim full-size Ford station wagon, 1952–1974.
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From 1952 through 1974, Ford produced the Country Sedan, a full-size station wagon that sat in the middle of the company’s U.S. wagon lineup. Its plain body sides set it apart from the fancier Country Squire, yet it shared the same powertrain. With more modest standard and optional features, the Country Sedan consistently outsold its upscale sibling every model year.
Rear gate advances
Before 1961, all Ford wagons used a two-piece tailgate assembly requiring the operator to lift the rear window and lock it in place with a mechanical support, then drop the tailgate to access the rear compartment. For 1961, Ford introduced a tailgate with a self-storing window that could be rolled down into the gate via an external crank or by an electric motor activated by the key or an interior switch; a safety lockout required the window to be fully retracted before the gate could be lowered.
With the 1966 models, Ford wagons introduced the Magic Door Gate, allowing the tailgate to function as a traditional drop-down gate or as a door swinging outward for easier access to the seating area. This was achieved with a stationary hinge on the right and a combination of hinges on the left that carried the gate's weight when used as a door. General Motors, Chrysler, AMC, and Toyota adopted a similar configuration by the end of the 1960s.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Ford Country Sedan (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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