Equipment
In 1955, Chevrolet established a new trend in the market with its up scale Nomad two door station wagon. Not wanting to be left out of the picture, in 1956, Ford introduced its own version of a snooty two door wagon, the Parklane. Starting with the basic Ranch Wagon, top shelf Fairlane trim was added to this utility model, along with premium vinyl and cloth trims, and the results were stronger than had been hoped. Only a few color combinations were available and this two tone blue scheme was one of the most popular when new. Under the hood, the stock powerplant had been replaced by a 335 HP 429 cid Ford V8 and C6 automatic transmission. Also fitted with power steering and brakes, this is a vehicle that would easily haul six passenger in comfort to be entertained by a concealed AM FM CD audio system. Finished to look like a stock example from the exterior, a few interior appointments brought you into the 21st Century.
Market commentary
the data plate did not come back to a Parklane, but rather to a plain Jane base Ranch wagon that started life in Fiesta Red and White with a six cylinder engine. We have seen real Parklanes of this caliber trading from the mid to high $30K range so for the money spent by the new owner there should be no room for complaints. If the buyer wanted authenticity he also would have to put up with a vintage Y block and all of its idiosyncracies. We would rate this one an equally good buy as it was a sale. Offered here last year where it no saled at $20,000: the decision to wait paid off.