Modern NASCAR machines may wear familiar badges and body shapes that are vaguely recognizable if you squint really hard, yet there isn’t much underneath that you’d find sitting in a dealership. Purpose-built chassis, specialized aerodynamics, and racing hardware have long separated Cup cars from their road-going counterparts.
Travel back far enough, however, and “stock car” had a considerably more literal meaning. NASCAR racers started life as production automobiles before teams prepared them for competition, leaving plenty of showroom DNA intact.
One remarkable survivor from that period is now looking for a new owner. This 1957 Ford Fairlane is a genuine NASCAR race car, complete with chrome bumpers, real headlights, and even a front bench seat.
Its history makes it particularly special. The Fairlane was raced by NASCAR Hall of Famer Glenn “Fireball” Roberts, who drove it to eight victories during the 1957 season, and it will cross the block at Mecum’s Nashville auction on September 26.
When Stock Cars Were Actually Stock
At first glance, there is little disguising the Fairlane’s production-car origins. The chrome-heavy front end, ornate hood, and full-size body are far removed from the highly specialized NASCAR machinery racing today.
Even the cabin retains a front bench seat, although the addition of a roll cage makes it clear this wasn’t simply someone’s family Ford wearing racing numbers. Under the hood is a 312-cubic-inch Y-block V8 producing a claimed 300 horsepower.
That engine sends power through a three-speed manual transmission operated by a column-mounted shifter. Three hundred horsepower was serious output in 1957, particularly in a machine that retained so much hardware from its road-going counterpart.
Fireball Roberts Won Eight Races In It
Fireball Roberts, the driver behind the wheel, makes this Fairlane considerably more important than just some interesting example of early NASCAR engineering. He became one of the sport’s first major stars, accumulating 33 victories and 36 pole positions during his career.
According to Mecum, Roberts drove this particular car to eight premier-series victories in 1957. That run included three consecutive wins at North Wilkesboro, Langhorne Speedway, and the Southern States Fairgrounds.
Roberts competed in NASCAR’s top division for 15 years, with his best championship result coming when he finished second during his rookie season in 1950. He died in 1964 from injuries sustained following a fiery crash during the World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
It Was Found In Roberts’ Backyard
The Fairlane’s story didn’t end when its racing career was over. Mecum says the car was eventually discovered in the backyard of Roberts’ Charlotte home before being restored for the 57 Heaven Museum in Branson, Missouri.
Its significance was later recognized by the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, which selected it for the Glory Road exhibit featuring some of the sport’s most famous race cars. The Fairlane remained on display there from 2017 through 2020.
Now, another caretaker has the opportunity to add it to a collection. Mecum hasn’t published an estimate, making it difficult to predict what such an unusual piece of NASCAR history might bring when bidding begins.
Historic NASCAR racers from this early period don’t appear at major auctions nearly as frequently as many other competition cars. For collectors fascinated by the days when race cars still looked remarkably similar to what fans drove to the track, this Fireball Roberts Fairlane is about as authentic as it gets.