# Car Dopers - Can you ID the Car in this Old Photograph? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 6, 2016, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286 "2016-01-06T01:59:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286/1 "2016-01-06T01:59:18Z")
There is part of the model or make name on the right, but I keep striking out. Bonus gratitude from me if you can tell me the model year. [![](http://transascity.org/files/history/Jorgensen_Christine_Unknown.jpg) ](http://transascity.org/files/history/Jorgensen_Christine_Unknown.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286/2 "2016-01-06T02:15:07Z")
Looks like a 1957 Ford Country Squire Station Wagon, although there are other versions of the side decoration, so it may be a specific trim level. [![](https://assets.rebelmouse.io/media-library/image.jpg?id=30866979) ](https://assets.rebelmouse.io/media-library/image.jpg?id=30866979) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286/3 "2016-01-06T02:24:34Z")
Here’s a closeup of the model badge from a 1951 Country Squire that seems to match. [![](http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/1951-ford-woodie-country-squire-emblem-jill-reger.jpg) ](http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/1951-ford-woodie-country-squire-emblem-jill-reger.jpg) And one from the same era - [http://lbcunited.com/earlyford2/images/1951%20FORD%20COUNTRY%20SQUIRE%20EMBLEMS.JPG](http://lbcunited.com/earlyford2/images/1951%20FORD%20COUNTRY%20SQUIRE%20EMBLEMS.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286/4 "2016-01-06T02:33:08Z")
That was really quick, thank you! There are upside-down numerals in the photo which indicate the photo could be from October 1956. I suppose that could mean it’s possible it was a 1957 model, if they produced them in advance of the calendar year back then… ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286/5 "2016-01-06T02:46:16Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > That was really quick, thank you! > > There are upside-down numerals in the photo which indicate the photo could be from October 1956. I suppose that could mean it’s possible it was a 1957 model, if they produced them in advance of the calendar year back then… I think the numbers are right-side up. Possibly having to do with parking. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286/6 "2016-01-06T03:02:32Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > That was really quick, thank you! > > There are upside-down numerals in the photo which indicate the photo could be from October 1956. I suppose that could mean it’s possible it was a 1957 model, if they produced them in advance of the calendar year back then… [Getty Images](http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/christine-jorgensen-as-she-looks-over-her-damaged-auto-that-news-photo/97258655) says it was an accident on May 9,1959. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286/7 "2016-01-06T03:10:24Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > [Getty Images](http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/christine-jorgensen-as-she-looks-over-her-damaged-auto-that-news-photo/97258655) says it was an accident on May 9,1959. Wow. Thank you very much! ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286/8 "2016-01-06T03:36:04Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Looks like a 1957 Ford Country Squire Station Wagon, although there are other versions of the side decoration, so it may be a specific trim level. > > [http://blog.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads//2013/05/1957Ford\_01\_700.jpg](http://blog.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads//2013/05/1957Ford_01_700.jpg) The Squire trim was faux wood panels so this car was a [1957 Country Sedan](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Country_Sedan#). ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286/9 "2016-01-06T04:26:35Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > The Squire trim was faux wood panels so this car was a [1957 Country Sedan](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Country_Sedan#). The plot thickens… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286/10 "2016-01-06T12:41:10Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > The Squire trim was faux wood panels so this car was a [1957 Country Sedan](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Country_Sedan#). I never would have figured that out - what a bizarre name for a wagon. ---
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286/11 "2016-01-06T13:24:43Z")
jags is correct. It’s a Country Sedan. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286/12 "2016-01-06T15:07:38Z")
Thank you very much, everyone who dug into this and found the answers, including the date of the event. I’ve amassed a very large number of archival photos like this which I’ve been scanning, and many of them have little to no description of the subject, nor a date. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286/13 "2016-01-06T21:02:08Z")
OTOH, I instantly recognized the woman as Christine Jorgensen, which the file name confirmed. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286/14 "2016-01-06T21:40:11Z")
You people scare me sometimes in the most pleasant ways… ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286/15 "2016-01-08T00:41:58Z")
> [@SanDiegoTim](#): > > jags is correct. It’s a Country Sedan. ah yes, back then they called it Sedan, but it is what we now call Station wagon (and some call estate). Yeah we had an advert here a while back teaching us about how a Squire got its nickname Woodie… the first were real wood but most built were fake wood , examples now may now be reverted to actual wood due to difficulty maintaining faux wood . ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286/16 "2016-01-08T00:53:20Z")
Little known fact. 1957 is one of the few years Ford outsold Chevrolet. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286/17 "2016-01-08T03:27:38Z")
> [@Isilder](#): > > difficulty maintaining faux wood . Ah, the difficulties we faced prior to Viagra. I’m also amused that Christine Jorgensen still had a woody in the late 1950s. Wasn’t that the whole point of the procedure? ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286/18 "2016-01-08T23:12:01Z")
Without reading the other responses, it’s a '57 Ford Country Squire Station Wagon, possibly a '58. I owned a '57 Fairlane 500 Hardtop while commuting to college. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286/19 "2016-01-09T02:42:26Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Ah, the difficulties we faced prior to Viagra. > > I’m also amused that Christine Jorgensen still had a woody in the late 1950s. Wasn’t that the whole point of the procedure? Only the old folks got that one. I did. ---
**Author:** ![SpyOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@SpyOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpyOne)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286/20 "2016-01-09T02:44:26Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Ah, the difficulties we faced prior to Viagra. > > I’m also amused that Christine Jorgensen still had a woody in the late 1950s. Wasn’t that the whole point of the procedure? Well, the conclusion that it must be a Country _Sedan_ and not a Country Squire was based on the fact that the Squire had wood, and the car in the photo does not. So she didn’t have a woody. (Yes, I get your pun. It still works even with my correction.) (Please excuse this brief interlude of juvenile wordplay.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-dopers-can-you-id-the-car-in-this-old-photograph/742286.md?page=2)