What Car Was in the Detroit Lions Photo Shoot?

What Car did the Detroit Lions use for the Sports Illustrated Photo Shoot?

Whether you're on Instagram, Facebook , or any other social media platform, if you live in Michigan or are a fan of football, you likely saw this image seemingly countless times.

Upon first glance, my eyes were immediately drawn to the car in the center of the image. While I did have my initial guesses at what the car was, I was determined to figure out what car the Lions used in their Sports Illustrated photo shoot. More importantly, I wanted to understand why they chose that car.

The Detroit Lions used a 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner for their feature article in Sports Illustrated. The choice of this car was quite thoughtful. Since the Lions play at Ford Field in Detroit and are owned by the Ford family, picking a Ford car made perfect sense. Plus, picking a model from 1957 was symbolic because that was the last year the Lions won a championship.

Ryan Talaga owns the 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner used in the photo shoot. He shared in a Sports Illustrated video that he bought the car because he wanted to start collecting classic cars like his dad. He found this one on Facebook Marketplace and fell in love with its Powder Blue interior, even though it originally had a black and white interior. The blue interior was a great fit for his love of the Lions.

The 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner itself is notable for its design and technology. It was one of the first cars with a retractable hardtop, meaning the metal roof could fold down into the trunk at the push of a button, transforming it from a sleek coupe into a stylish convertible. This innovation was a big deal in the 1950s and made the Skyliner one of the most fascinating models of its time. Its sleek lines and chrome details captured the optimism of the era, making it a symbol of American innovation and style.

If you're interested in owning a classic vehicle of your own or have one you're looking to sell, please reach out to us!

Image Credit: Sports Illustrated