Ford Fairlane 500 Österreichische Regierungslimousine

Very large six-seat full-size saloon with a 5. 4-litre V8 engine, 225 bhp, three-speed gearbox with overdrive and freewheel, rear-wheel drive, power steering, electric windows, original Town & County radio, etc.

The car on offer here is of particular historical value! From its delivery by Ford Hinteregger in 1959, it served in the first years as the official car of the Austrian Minister of the Interior, Josef Afritsch. The car was registered to the Ministry of the Interior and carried the registration plate "W 16". All of this is verifiable from the accompanying original papers from 1959.

After being withdrawn from state service, the imposing car then went into private ownership.

The vehicle at hand was Artur M. Riekmann's first American car. It was purchased by him in the 1970s and remains in his private ownership to this day. The car suffered a motor failure over 40 years ago, which was personally repaired by the now sadly deceased legendary mechanic Karl Zuklyn Sr. through a full overhaul. A new engine and gearbox were installed, but due to lack of time the driveshaft has not yet been mounted and is of course included with the car. The radiator needs replacing. The armrest missing from the interior photo and the door handle have already been reinstalled!

During the engine renewal a bodywork specialist attended to the few corroded spots and primed them after completion. For the ensuing refinishing work on the body, a master painter was commissioned, who unfortunately never started the work due to illness. Thus the car stood for over 40 years in a thankfully dry hall and remained in relatively good condition. The paintwork is weathered and bears an unusually attractive patina. We are now seeking a motivated admirer of extraordinary vehicles who will take on this historic timepiece and restore it to its former glory. Of course one could consider keeping the Ford in this paint condition and simply undertaking a technical refurbishment. If required, we are happy to assist with sourcing spare parts.

This particularly rare and impressive Ford model, which was awarded a medal as "The World's Most Beautifully Proportioned Car" at the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair, is of interest to both collectors and investors, as it possesses a very interesting Austrian history.