Ford offered multiple high-performance 312-inch engines in 1957, but the ’57 FORD SUPERCHARGED FAIRLANE was the prelude to Dearborn’s Total Performance marketing.
In 1957, Ford offered high-output engines in its passenger cars, as well as in the T-Bird. You could order the hottest dual-quad and supercharged 312-inch engines with three-speed manual (with or without Overdrive) or Ford-O-Matic transmissions in any model, base two-door sedan and station wagon to T-Bird! The lineup consisted of a single-four-barrel 312/245, dual-quad 312/270, and a Paxton-McCulloch supercharged 312/300. Law enforcement agencies favored “Police Interceptor” two-door sedans with E-Code 270-horsepower engines. A 300-horsepower F-Code T-Bird could accelerate to 60 mph in the six-second range with a top speed of 125 mph.
McCulloch VR 57 superchargers on 300-horsepower Y-Blocks, like the ’57 FORD SUPERCHARGED FAIRLANE, were manufactured and marketed by Paxton Products, which was acquired in 1958 by Andy and Joe Granatelli. Since the early Flathead days, the Granatelli Brothers had been active in Ford hot rodding with Grancor high-compression heads and multi-carb intake manifolds. The VR 57 centrifugal blower with variable drive ratio delivered a maximum of five-psi boost and was a very pricy $500 option.
The ’57 FORD SUPERCHARGED FAIRLANE was Ford’s answer to Chevrolet’s fuel-injection, optional in 283-horsepower 1957 passenger cars (and Corvettes). Chevrolet was racking up wins in NASCAR and USAC until Ford counted with supercharged 312 engines with six-plus pounds boost and horsepower ratings in excess of 340. Prior to 1957 when NASCAR’s Bill France banned supercharging, multiple carburetion, and fuel-injection, Ford’s racing accomplishments were spectacular, with 27 Grand National wins plus 12 USAC firsts. Top Ford drivers included Tim Flock, Fireball Roberts, Curtis Turner, Joe Weatherly, and Glen Wood.
In addition to drag and stock car racing, Ford’s participation in competitive events in 1957 was broad-based and countrywide. It was not unusual to see a ’57 FORD SUPERCHARGED FAIRLANE running at local drag strips from coast to coast. DePaolo Engineering, Ford’s captive race shop, prepped sedans and T-Birds raced at Bonneville, set Flying and Standing-Mile records on the sand at Daytona Beach, and built the Ford that averaged 117 mph for 22 days in the Stephen Trophy Trials at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Ford was aware that, while winning races unquestionably helps sell cars, setting durability/reliability records would give dealers even more to brag about. In 1956, Ford signed off on a program to build “stock” ’57 Fords to run at Bonneville for USAC and FIA National and International records. The mission: To prove how durable Ford’s high-performance cars were.
Pete DePaolo built two Fairlane 500s powered by blueprinted stock-spec 270-horsepower dual-four-barrel engines and, with racer Danny Eames, managed the program. After a few weeks on the Salt in September 1956, ’57 Ford Fairlane 500s, driven by Johnny Mantz, Chuck Stevenson, and Jerry Unser Jr., averaged 130.94 mph for 100 hours, 120.62 mph for 24 hours, 109.39 mph for 14 days, and 108.16 mph for 50,000 miles! On September 28, 1956, USAC and FIA officials certified that Fairlanes set an incredible 458 records! One car set an International Class B Speed record at 106.55 mph over 14 days and 35,800.30 miles, the other set a National Class B Speed record at 107.09 mph over 20 days and 51,403.99 miles, and six American Class B Closed Car Standing-Start Speed records.
Ford celebrated by having its advertising agency, J. Walter Thompson, create a three-page advertorial hyping the record-setting event, The Longest Left Turn In History. It was placed in a variety of mass audience publications, including the October 29, 1956 issue of LIFE MAGAZINE.
For more information on the ’57 FORD SUPERCHARGED FAIRLANE, and the full range of models and options, please visit Over-Drive magazine @ https://over-drive-magazine.com/2025/06/01/1957-ford-cars-fact-sheet/
with 31-spline axles. The only way you could get a limited-slip differential was to buy a Detroit Locker and have it installed at a speed shop ora Ford dealer. In mid-1964, Ford replaced the T-10 four-speed in 427 Galaxies with its own, beefier Toploader four-speed.
Galaxie Lightweights made a great showing at tracks around the country. In June 1964, at the Hot Rod Magazine Championships at Riverside Raceway, Larry Dacini ran 113.44 mph in 12.60 seconds to win B/FX, and Jesse Mendez took the C/FX win with a 94.83 mph, 15.06-second run. Mike Schmitt, driving the Desert Motors AA/SA Lightweight, won class honors (111.80 mph in 12.18 seconds) at the 1964 NHRA Indy Nationals and went on to win the NHRA Little Stock Eliminator World Championship.
Ford won the NHRA Manufacturer’s Cup in 1964. This award was presented for supremacy in more than 50 NHRA Championship Points drag racing events with Fairlanes, Falcons, and Galaxies. Even though thwarted by Hemi-powered Dodges and Plymouths and Bill France’s refusal to accept Ford’s 427 SOHC engine, Ford still won NASCAR’s 1964 Manufacturer’s Award Of Excellence. It was awarded to Ford because of the 30 wins in the Grand National Division – more than twice that of its nearest rival. Bill Stroppe-prepared Mercury stockers won five Grand National races in 1964.
In 1964, Ford did a lot of winning on Sunday; Ford dealers did a lot of selling on Monday!
Ford’s 1969 seven-car Trans-Am “fleet” was race-prepped by Lee Dykstra’s group at Kar-Kraft, then divided up among its factory teams. Three went to Shelby Racing in Torrance, CA, three to Bud Moore Engineering in Spartanburg, SC, and the remaining car to consummate racer, Smokey Yunick, in Daytona Beach, FL. Bunkie had a long-standing relationship with Smokey, dating back to his Chevrolet days. It was finished and painted with Smokey Yunick’s gold-trimmed black Best Damn Garage in Town livery at Kar-Kraft. For some unexplained reason, it ended up not being raced.
In 1969, I changed the Hi-Performance CARS magazine annual award from Top Performance Car of the Year to Top Performance Manufacturer of the Year, for the first and only time, to honor Ford Division and the ‘69 BOSS 302 ROAD & TRACK MUSTANG. When I presented it to General Manager John Naughton, I said, “The Division deserved the award for its attitudes toward and achievements in the high-performance field. In addition, for its great new engines, drag racing options, specialty cars, and its continued support of racing.”
Even though all factory drag and NASCAR racing programs were centered around the new 427 Fairlane, Ford still offered customers a choice of W-Code or R-Code 427 side-oiler engines with four-speed transmissions in the full-size Galaxie. Collector Charlie Lillard owns the rarest 427 R-Code four-speed Galaxie XL hardtop – one-of-one built!
In the 1967 model year, Ford built almost one million full-size models including 21,053 XL-trim hardtops. Of those XL hardtops, just 21 were equipped with R-Code dual-quad 427 engines. Eight were also optioned with the 7-Litre Sports Package and two painted Candy Apple Red. Only one was equipped with a red vinyl bucket seat interior. A full Marti Report confirms that Charlie Lillard’s Galaxie, is rare, real, and a ’67 FORD GALAXIE: 427-CUBE HEAVYWEIGHT.
For 1967, the 7-Litre model quickly disappeared, but the engine option was still available. Little else changed, except for trim and the styling. Most engines were available, from the 240-inch six-cylinder to the 428 V-8 – less the 352-inch V-8. The high-performance R & W-Code 427 engines remained options and powered the ’67 FORD GALAXIE: 427-CUBE HEAVYWEIGHT.
