New Entries

In its 6,500 showrooms around the U.S., Ford this week will show off its 1955 entries in the race for first place in the auto industry. The new Fords are lower and longer-looking, with a V-shaped chrome strip on the sides, visored headlights, wrap-around windshields and sporty, latticework grilles. To keep up with Chevrolet's new V-8 engine, Ford has boosted its own V-8's horsepower from 130 to 162, with optional carburetors and dual exhausts to push it to 182. All cars will come equipped with tubeless tires. The new paint combinations are dazzling, e.g., a white and lavender hardtop with orchid interior. Gaudiest car: the Crown Victoria Fairlane two-door (see cut), which has a thick belt of chrome running across the top of the car to make it look like a semi-convertible phaeton.

Chrysler this week also unveiled two new lines--the Imperial and New Yorker Chryslers, both with h.p. upped to 250. To promote the new models, Chrysler President L. L. ("Tex") Colbert kicked off the biggest ad campaign in company history. But with all the shouting, it was still grimly apparent that Chrysler has a tough fight ahead. In the third quarter, Chrysler last week announced a loss of $12 million, its first loss since 1950 and one that cut nine months' earnings to $3,724,383, v. $55,676,548 in 1953. So far this year, Chrysler sales have slumped from $2.6 billion to $1.4 billion, a staggering drop of 45.6% from last year's.

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