Lifeguard (automobile safety)
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1956 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria. The Lifeguard package was available for this model of car
Lifeguard was the name of a 1956 safety package marketed by the Ford Motor Company.
Spurred by Robert McNamara, the Cornell University crash research program and the first year of Ford's own crash testing (1955) the Lifeguard package included:
- Two standard features:
- A safety "deep-center" steering wheel[1] with spokes that would flex.[2]
- Safety "double-grip" door latches to prevent occupant ejection in case of a crash.
- Three optional features:
- Front and rear [3] lap only seat belts (first offered by Ford in 1955[4]).
- Padded dashboard and sun visors (the padding was advertised as being more absorbent than foam rubber.)[5] The instruments were recessed to minimize injury potential.
- Safety rearview mirror to reduce broken glass if shattered.
The buying public was unresponsive to the Lifeguard package,[citation needed] prompting Henry Ford II to say: McNamara is selling safety, but Chevrolet is selling cars.[citation needed]
Notes
- ↑ Flory, Jr., J. "Kelly" (2008). American Cars, 1946-1959 Every Model Every Year. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7864-3229-5.
- ↑ http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Ford/1956%20Ford/1956_Ford_Fairlane_Brochure/1956%20Ford%20Fairlane-06.html
- ↑ Ford brochure: NEW FORD SEAT BELTS an important feature of Ford Lifeguard Design
- ↑ http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1955-1956-ford-fairlane-crown-victoria4.htm
- ↑ http://books.google.com/books?id=Zd4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA310&dq=Ford+Lifeguard&hl=en&sa=X&ei=grJrT5apL8aQiQK_55moBQ&ved=0CEIQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Ford%20Lifeguard&f=false
Sources
- 1956 Crown Victoria
- The Outsider. How Robert McNamara changed the automobile industry
- Lifeguard Design, original publicity shots
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