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/