Car lovers awestruck by video of Ford Fairlane Skyliner's retractable roof in 'amazing feat of technology'
Published on Aug 24, 2025 at 10:37 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Aug 21, 2025 at 3:41 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Car lovers were left seriously impressed after watching a video showing a Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner’s retractable roof in action.
Ford produced the Fairlane 500 Skyliner between 1957 and 1959, building just under 50,000 units.
The stunning vehicle came with a retractable roof – dubbed the ‘Hide-Away Hardtop’.
And more than half a century on from its release, car enthusiasts are still blown away by the Skyliner’s retractable roof.
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About the Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner’s retractable roof
The Ford Fairlane 500 range produced a bunch of models through the mid-1950s to 1970, including the Ford Fairlane 500 Sunliner, and the ultra-rare Ford Fairlane 500 r-code.
While the entire range looked incredible, it’s safe to say that the Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner stood out from the rest.
The car came with a smart retractable roof and was the world’s first retractable hardtop convertible to be truly mass-produced.
Decades on from its launch, a clip showing the Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner’s retractable roof turning it from a convertible into a hardtop has left car lovers in awe.
The video was posted to the r/classiccars subreddit and showed a beautiful blue Skyliner’s roof popping up out of a compartment at the rear of the car and fitting neatly on top of the vehicle.
The post was soon flooded with comments from classic car enthusiasts who were left stunned by the ‘feat of engineering’.
“An absolute little miracle of technology, how everything fits together and fits in the end,” one person said.
“They are an amazing feat of technology, considering the era,” a second said.
“The amount of vacuum hoses and actuator motors to make that thing work was incredible,” someone else wrote.
While another man branded it a ‘mechanical marvel’ for the period it was produced.
The Skyliner name was used on another interesting Ford
Prior to the release of the Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner, Ford used the Skyliner name on the 1954 Ford Crestline Skyliner.
Much like the Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner, the original Skyliner also came with an unusual roof.
But rather than a retractable roof, the Crestline Skyliner had a completely see-through one.
The car’s hood also had a see-through portion so it could show off its V8 engine.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
