Developed in the 1950s, in an era when concepts were called dream cars, the D-528 was built to test various ideas that were new (and even wild) at the time. While it wasn’t necessarily futuristic for 1955, the D-528 was impressively long and low compared to production models from the era. The protruding front fascia with wide, vertical slats made it stand out, as did the four-door hardtop configuration with no B-pillars.
More importantly, it was the first-ever vehicle to feature an electrically-operated rear window. The D-528 was far from special under the hood, though, where it housed a Y-block V8 engine. Ford had introduced the design in 1954 as a replacement for the dated Flathead V8, and, by 1955, it was also available in Mercury and Ford cars, including the then-new and spectacular Thunderbird.
