When a vehicle manufacturer is given the honor of supplying the Official Pace Car for the Indianapolis 500, they are rightly proud. As a result, those companies will usually produce a limited-edition vehicle to celebrate this milestone. Ford was no exception when the Crestline Sunliner was chosen for the 1953 Indy 500. In fact, they broke new ground by being the first manufacturer to produce a Pace Car replica limited edition. They built 2,000 of these, and today, they rate as one of the most highly-sought of the Pace Car editions. This one is a spotless example, and apart from receiving a single repaint, it is claimed to be original. The owner has chosen to part with it, so he has listed it for sale here on Craigslist. It is located in Boise, Idaho, and while there is no asking price, the seller states that it is valued at $68,000. I have to say a huge thank you to Barn Finder David R for spotting this beautiful Ford for us.

As is the case with Indy Pace Car special editions, the ’53 Sunliner was available in a single exterior color. In this case, it is White Sungold Ivory and includes all of the signage and badges commonly seen on vehicles of this type. This Ford has received a repaint in the past, and it presents superbly. The paint holds a beautiful shine, with no signs of any damage that would spoil its appearance. All of the correct signage and unique badges are in place, while the trim and chrome are faultless. There is no evidence of dings, dents, or previous accident damage, and no signs of rust. Numbers vary slightly, but several sources confirm that either 2,000 or 2,001 examples of the Sunliner Pace Car were produced, with construction falling between February 18th and May 5th, 1953. Some less honest dealers sold clones of the Pace Car, so their authenticity needs to be checked carefully. However, this can be easier than you might expect. All that a buyer needs to do is to look at the Data Plate. It should show “SS” for both the color and trim code. If it doesn’t, there will be some questions to be answered.

Working on the “one size fits all” premise, the Sunliner Pace Car was available with a single drivetrain configuration. What you got for your money was a 239ci flathead V8, backed by a 3-speed Ford-O-Matic transmission. With 110hp on tap, the Sunliner wasn’t that fast. The journey down the ¼ mile would take 21.3 seconds, while the car would run out of breath at 86mph. Still, this was 1953. Indycars that could top 200mph were several decades away, so the Ford could complete its assigned task quite competently. The engine bay presents well, but I believe that the original radiator has made way for a painted aluminum item. I would like to know if the owner still has the genuine radiator because a car like this deserves to have that component restored and refitted to preserve its originality. He isn’t terribly forthcoming with information because while he claims that the Sunliner has a genuine 42,000 miles showing on the odometer, he doesn’t indicate whether he holds evidence to verify this. More fundamentally, he provides no information on how well this classic runs or drives.

The interior of the Sunliner presents just as well as the rest of the vehicle, with the upholstery finished in the correct Gold and White leatherette. Another unique feature of the interior was the Gold dash, which some buyers liked, while others didn’t. This interior is largely original and shows no signs of any problems. The upholstery is in good order, and there is no evidence of any wear on the wheel. One curious item is the “Limited Edition” badge on the passenger side of the dash. This looks like it is a later addition because I haven’t seen one in any other genuine Pace Car.

If this 1953 Ford Sunliner is confirmed as a genuine Pace Car edition, and I don’t see any reason to doubt that, then the valuation is probably close to the mark. A standard ’53 Sunliner in mint condition can easily push towards $45,000, while the last confirmed sale that I could find for a Pace Car (they don’t come onto the market very often) saw the vehicle sell for $54,000. That was around 2-years-ago, and tracking the value trends of these over the previous decade would seem to confirm the owner’s valuation. With only 2,000 examples being built, these were already a rare car when they were new. Today, only around 25 cars are known to exist. So, if you are a blue-oval enthusiast and are on the hunt for something a bit different, this could be a classic that is worth a closer look.