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Show New Ford Convertible . . . f i ; : : ''a) t . : -" '.v..- .- ' - . V- - rTStv I first r- 'l ' car offcring advantages of both hardtop and convertible, represents the year .U'V Ut'nary "ew idca in automotive design since development of the closed car 40 slid'S ilS Ply P1C5S a button t0 change the hardtop into a convertible, the steel top Stothet where it is concealed. It is- equally simple to raise the top. . . rigid steel top nearly 90 inches long into the trunk, the designers moved the spare tire under a floor plate in the rear deck, and relocated relo-cated the gas tank further forward for-ward in the deck. Luggage space is in the center area of the huge rear deck. One design feature that makes the device workable is a special linkage extending to the front sec-, tion of the roof. This permits the forward ten inches of the roof to swing back like a flipper, shortening shorten-ing the total length to be stored in the deck. Another innovation is the counterbalancing coun-terbalancing that has been built into the entire top mechanism. It works as easily as the regular Ford's hood and deck lid, which are spring-balanced for easy opening. open-ing. Small fractional horsepower motors that drive the retractable top require the same amount of current needed to operate a conventional con-ventional canvas convertible top. New Convertible Seen in January Showing by Ford The first revolutionary new idea in automotive design since the development de-velopment of the closed car 40 years ago was unveiled today by Ford Division of Ford Motor Company. Com-pany. It is a hardtop model with a fully retractable steel top which at the touch of a button slides automatically into the car's trunk, according to George Naylor of G. Lowry Anderson Inc. The functional design of the first automatic all-weather car has resulted re-sulted in a distinctive appearance previously unattained by any hardtop hard-top model. The new car combines the advantages of both a hardtop and a convertible. Publication today of photographs photo-graphs of a finished model of the Ford Retractable ended nearly five years of secrecy. In that time, Ford's stylists and engineers perfected per-fected a design which has been a long-sought goal of the auto industry. in-dustry. The six passenger two door car is scheduled for production starting in January, and it will be sold by Ford dealers. It will be the featured car at the New York Automobile Show opening December Decem-ber 8. The revolutionary car bears definite de-finite family resemblance to Ford's Fairlane and Fairlane 500 series sedans. However, it is three inches longer over-all than are .Ford's Fairlanes. . The extra length provides pro-vides rear deck space for the car's flat, streamlined roof which is literally swallowed in the trunk. To permit nesting a full-width. |