BROOKLIN AND THE 1957 FORD FAIRLANE SKYLINER

The model of this retractable hardtop / convertible is based on the actual vehicle owned by David Angel. David was pleased to provide one of his vehicles, the 1957 Fairlane, for measurements and reference as Brooklin created a precision master of the car. The standard 1957 Ford Fairlane Skyliner (BRK35) is finished in ivory with black interior, yellow license plate and whitewall tyres. It was released in November 1991 and deleted in January 1996.

CANADIAN TOY COLLECTORS SOCIETY

A joint introduction between Brooklin Models and C.T.C.S. was repeated in 1991 with the 1957 Ford Fairlane Skyliner. The same week Brooklin provided the C.T.C.S. special, a metallic green version of the retractable Fairlane, limited to just 750 pieces. An accent slash in gold is present on the side and the interior is done in white. This special has “C.T.C.S. ‘91 - 1 of 750” cast in base and the license plate reads “ONTARIO CTCS20”.

BRASILIA PRESS

The 1994 World Cup Football Championships were held in the United States, providing Americans with more exposure to this international sport. The eventual outcome saw a strong Brazilian team claiming the World Cup for the fourth time. Brasilia Press has commissioned a special Code 2 Brooklin to commemorate this fourth victory, a 1957 Ford Fairlane in Brazil's colors of green and yellow. Paul Bender received permission from the Brooklin factory to apply decals to 94 of C.T.C.S.’s 750 1991 specials, the beautiful metallic green Ford Skyliner with gold flash that was the perfect medium for displaying Brazil’s green and gold colors. The words "Fourth Time World Cup Champions - Soccer 1994 - Brazil" appear on the sides in English and in Portuguese and the Brazilian flag is placed on the hood. A large decal in yellow, with a picture of a soccer ball and the date 1994, covers the entire roof and extends over the C-pillars. The interior colors, license plates and base-plate of the original special have been retained and tyres are whitewall. Baseplate retains the "C.T.C.S. 91" designation and corrected quantities for the C.T.C.S. special would be 656 and 94 for the World Cup Skyliner. This Code 2 Ford Skyliner is the only sports-related Brooklin special and it commemorates a notable event, the coming of football at an international level to the United States.

ROUTE 66

In September of 1993 a large group of classic automobiles and their drivers, from the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe, joined a group of American enthusiasts who were planning a run across America, tracing the path of historic Route 66. More than 150 automobiles from across Europe assembled in Southampton, England. Marques represented included Jaguar, Bentley, Rover, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, there were also Cadillacs, Chevrolets and Fords, owned and driven by their European devotees. The cars were loaded onto a freighter for transport to Baltimore, Maryland. The whole event was jointly organized by several classic American automobile clubs, including CAAR chapters from the U.S.A., Germany, the U.K., the Netherlands and the Dutch Route 66 Association. The plan was for the entourage from Europe to meet with various American Route 66 Associations along the way. The grand journey began with a parade in front of the White House, in Washington, D.C.. The group drove onto Interstate 66, driving northwest to Chicago, Illinois. The group then followed old Route 66 from Chicago through eight states to Los Angeles, California, completing their journey some 24 days later. Participating in this "Route 66 - Run Across the States" was David Angel from England, driving one of his restored American classics, a yellow and white 1957 Ford Skyliner. His Skyliner was decorated with Route 66 shields on the doors and "street signs" on the rear fenders, reading "The Mother Road" and "Main Street, U.S.A.". To commemorate the journey, David commissioned a limited edition Brooklin special, the 1957 Ford Skyliner done in yellow with white Continental kit, black interior and decals accurately reflecting David's car. License plates are white in the front and yellow in the back (UK regulations) and read "ANGEL ROUTE 66". 600 special Skyliners were produced, with 66 of them actually making the journey across the Atlantic and across Route 66. This group of "special" specials bore an additional decal on the hood and a special certificate indicating their unique character.

A top down version of the Ford Skyliner was introduced in October 1996 as BRK35A and deleted in January 2004. It is finished in raven black with black and cream interior, yellow license plate and whitewall tyres.

Author: Gianluigi Cappi

You may find more pictures and information on this model plus many other Brooklin stories in the Brooklin Models Collectors Guide.