A lot of things in history seemed like a good idea at the time. Bell-bottom pants, radioactive drinks, even Bobby Brown all had a point where they were not considered a hazard to all that was good and holy. Sometimes, bad ideas find their way into cars.
The 1955 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria Skyliner (yeah, you have to say the whole name every time, no cheating) was one of those bad ideas. It looks very stylish in that 1950s way, with the two-tone paint, the chrome strip along the side, and those very posh whitewall tires. What made it even more stylish was its smoked acrylic roof.
Having a see-through roof is a pretty neat idea, and it's pretty common nowadays. The only problem with the Ford's, though, was that it was both made out of acrylic and that air conditioning standards were not what they are today. The resulting combination essentially formed a nice little see-through oven that would roast its passengers alive. Not the best way to maintain customer relations, I suppose.
What bad idea in a car do you think seemed good at the time? Let us know below in the comments!
Photo credit: Rex Gray/Stephen Foskett