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1960 Ford Custom 300
The 1960 Ford Custom 300? That's right, the 1960 Ford Custom 300.

 Actually, the car pictured above is a Fairlane Club Sedan. It had a retail price of $2,257 with the Mileage Maker 6 engine or $2,370 with the 292 V-8. Optional white wall tires and wheel covers are shown. So what is a 1960 Ford Custom 300?

The Custom 300 was not a Ford series at all, but an option. Fleet buyers could choose the Custom 300 option on either a Fairlane Club Sedan or Town Sedan and get a credit of $33.00. This option "stripped down" the Fairlane so that taxicab, law enforcement agencies, and other multi-Ford purchasers could equip their cars exactly to their needs and save money by doing so. The Standard Catalog of Ford 1903-2003 tells us that there were 93,561 Fairlane Club Sedans built, of which 302 were equipped with the Custom 300 option. Of the 110,373 Fairlane Town Sedans built, 572 had the Custom 300 option. None of the 1,733 Fairlane Business Sedans had this option.

Examples of the Custom 300's equipment deletion are the Chrome Horn Ring, Cigarette Lighter, Front Seat Arm Rests, Right Sun Visor, and Front Seat Foam Cushion. Rear Seat Arm Rests were neither standard nor optional on the Fairlane. In addition, the Custom 300 option triggered a different body style code: 64H for the Club Sedan and 58F for the Town Sedan.

Research at the Rozum Motor Company in Mitchell, South Dakota reveals that four of those 302 Custom 300 Club Sedans were sold to the State of South Dakota's Division of Motor Patrol in Pierre. All were equipped identically, most notably with the 352-cubic inch 4V Police Interceptor V-8 engine and a 50-amp alternator. All four of the cars had the same retail price of $3,293.85. And, interestingly enough, they were not all in the usual police car color of black, either!

The tables below shows the cars' VINs, production codes, colors, and equipment. And, you can look at an actual stock record card as used by Rozum's for their internal records for one of the cars. Rozum Motor Company is one of the world's oldest Ford dealerships (established in 1917) and is in the small handful of remaining original Mercury dealers, dating to 1938 when the marque was introduced.

Be sure to read the explanatory notes at the bottom of the price table.
VIN Color Production Codes
0 = 1960. F = Dearborn assembly plant. 31 = Fairlane Club Sedan body series. Y = 352 4V V-8. These cars were the 159,812th  through 159,815th Fords scheduled for production at Dearborn for the 1960 model year. 0F31Y259812 Skymist Blue 64H - F - 12E - 4 - C The color codes are F, T, and A. The date code is 12E (scheduled for May 12, 1960). 4 = Cruise-O-Matic transmission. C = 3.10:1 locking rear axle ratio.
0F31Y259813 Meadowvale Green 64H - T - 12E - 4 - C
0F31Y259814 Raven Black 64H - A - 12E - 4 - C
0F31Y259815 Skymist Blue 64H - F - 12E - 4 - C

Option and Price List

Items in italic are available only on the Fleet Option List.
Fairlane Club (Tudor) Sedan 8 cylinder $2,370.00
Custom 300 Option credit (33.00)
Black Padded Instrument Panel 15.10
Right Hand Sun Visor 3.30
Right and Left Front Arm Rests 16.00
Heavy Duty Front Seat and Heavy Duty Foam Padding 25.00
Safety Belts 23.60
Tinted Glass 43.00
Backup Lights 10.70
Heavy Duty Battery 7.60
7.10 x 15 4-ply Nylon Black Wall Tires 38.70
Horn Ring 3.90
352 Cubic Inch V-8 Engine - Police Interceptor (note 1) 88.00
Fade Resistant Brakes 9.30
50-amp Alternator 104.80
Equa-Lock Differential 38.60
Inside Non-glare Mirror 4.80
Calibrated Speedometer 7.10
Foot Operated Windshield Washer (note 2) 13.70
Cigar Lighter 3.40
Cruise-O-Matic Transmission 211.10
MagicAire Heater 75.10
Push Button Radio 58.50
Electric Windshield Wipers 9.70
Delivery and Destination Schedule "B" 87.75
Gas, Oil, Grease 15.00
Service Certificate 15.00
Undercoating 30.00
Total $3,293.85

Price Notes: (1) The 352 V-8 P.I. engine was coded the same as the regular 352 V-8 in the VIN (Y). The regular 352 V-8 cost $64.40 over the standard 292 V-8. (2) A foot-operated windshield washer was part of the fleet option list. In 1960, Ford offered a panel-mounted windshield washer that operated with the same switch as the windshield wipers on standard production cars, also at a price of $13.70.

When you look at the Rozum Stock Record Card, keep in mind that this is the actual inventory card that was typewritten; you will see some "typos", abbreviations, "Ford-ese", and combined option descriptions.

The Fairlane 2-door sedan body style was referred to as both "Tudor Sedan" and "Club Sedan" in Ford publications. The price of $2,370 reflects the 292 V-8 engine included.

1960 Fords