Classic recollections: 1952 Ford Crestline Victoria

When Don Hattendorf came across this 1952 Ford Crestline Victoria, he wasn’t in the market for an old classic, nor had he ever given thought to owning one. That all changed in an instant when he happened to spot the for-sale ad while flipping through the classifieds a few years back.

“It was truly serendipitous that I would come across the spitting image of my original car!” Hattendorf says.

That first Ford appeared in the Elgin resident’s life nearly five decades prior, about the time he was graduating from Barrington High School in the summer of 1952. It, too, was completely unexpected, just like his second encounter.

“While walking across the family farm in Hanover Township one sunny afternoon in June, I spied my parents coming up the drive in a beautiful maroon and white Victoria. I was simply stunned!” Hattendorf recalls. The recent graduate was even more astonished when his parents handed him the keys to this sparkling new flathead-powered present. “I had absolutely no idea it was coming! I did very well in school but never asked or begged for a car.”

The youngster eagerly took ownership, learning later his proud parents had sold a load of hogs to purchase the hardtop convertible.

“The styling was designed to resemble a convertible with the top up, but to fully appreciate the effect, the windows needed to be all the way down. Preferring this look, I would drive with the heater on full blast for as long into the icy winter as I could endure,” Hattendorf says.

That youthful delight in motoring led Don to personalize his ride, adding chrome skirts, dual exhaust, a spotlight, lowering blocks and blue dot taillights. The vehicle served Hattendorf well, carrying him through his college years, marriage and a voyage down to Virginia after receiving his military assignment. All total, Don enjoyed the chromed coupe for five years before trading it in and moving on to other four-wheeled transportation.

Decades past and soon Hattendorf was preparing for his 50th high school class reunion. On a whim he paged through some classifieds. “When I saw the ad, everything was just like my former car. With the big event coming up, I developed an obsession to get that Ford back into my life!”

Sadly, Hattendorf learned he was too late. The seller informed him the Victoria was already on its way to Georgia, sold to a cotton farmer. After some pleading, the seller passed along his contact. It took a year, multiple conversations and a lot of determination, but finally the farmer agreed to sell it to Hattendorf.

The Victoria was loaded on a trailer and moved from its Atlanta home to Don’s garage, where he set about rejuvenating it for the big October ’02 reunion revealing.

“After some rechroming, rewiring and other tweaks, it was all set for the big day. With big grins, my wife and three of our classmate pals piled in for the homecoming parade. We parked out front of the dance that night and showed it off all weekend long!”

In the years since that blissful event, Hattendorf has made some other mild changes to bring back that like-new condition — which he knows and remembers quite well. A new fuel tank was bolted in, the radiator was rebuilt, a 6-volt alternator installed and half moon headlight visors were added. All these changes added to a more pleasant driving experience for summer cruises, but unlike a lot of die-hard enthusiasts, Hattendorf is now sensing a season of change with this classic.

“I’ve had this second Victoria for almost a decade now and during that time, the car has served its purpose well in bringing back all those precious memories. But I’ve come to the place where I’m ready to pass it along. I’ve just about used up my share of sentimentality with it and I’d like to find someone who would enjoy it just as much I did for the next decade to come.”

While this maroon driver triggered many happy adolescent recollections, the Detroit-born cars that Hattendorf drove later in life were also classy rides sure to stir some new emotions. Rest assured that if ever he gets the itch to retrieve another vintage car from his past, he’ll still be cruising in style.