A wagon just always does something to a person. It hits different — and this one is no exception.
This 1957 Ford Country Sedan is one of those cars that tells a story before you even turn the key.
Showing just 30,000 miles, it appears to remain largely original from top to bottom and has never been restored. That matters. The patina, the trim, the interior, the small details — they are all part of what makes a nearly 70-year-old survivor like this so special.
Its history is remarkable.
The car was bought new in May 1957 by Dr Itel Hayward from Midland Auto. He was invited by Ford to collect it personally from the Struandale factory in Port Elizabeth. The original book remains with the car.
Because he farmed in the Aberdeen district of the Karoo, he chose not to order the optional heater. It was never removed — the car simply never had one from new.
That same winter, the family took it to the Kruger National Park, and the original windscreen sticker from that trip is still there. Not long afterwards the car was parked in a protected shed, where it remained for decades.
The current owner later bought it directly from Dr Hayward’s son, transported it to his Ford dealership and carefully recommissioned it. The carburettor was rebuilt, gearbox and differential seals attended to, rubber hoses replaced and the engine flushed.
Since then, it has reportedly never missed a beat.
It is powered by its factory V8 engine, paired with a 3-speed manual column shift, and starts and runs beautifully.
The owner’s manuals are still present, the paperwork is in order, and the car carries the sort of age and originality that simply cannot be recreated.
This is not a restored car trying to look old.
It is an old car that has survived properly.
A genuine time capsule, an incredible piece of Ford history, and a very cool wagon at that.
Located in Shere, Pretoria East for viewings per appointment only.
Contact Dehan La Grange on:
dehan@vintagecarssa.co.za |
082 386 7184 | 012 051 3054
Stock number: #193
