What Ace says is correct, and corresponds with what is printed on the back page of the FC Sales Brochure.
However, in doing a little research on this last night, I discovered something interesting. I have an almost complete set of Nasco "Accelerator" magazines from 1956-59, and between July 1956 and May 1958, virtually every edition includes an ad for the cigarette lighter amongst the accessories. But after that, the lighter appears only once, in the Nov-Dec 1958 issue amongst all the "Christmas Gifts", next to a picture of a glove-box light for an FJ. This got me wondering whether perhaps the cigarette lighter became standard equipment during the life of the FC. I guess if someone has a sales brochure for an FB, the list of standard features in that would clinch it.
It is true that ash-trays with no lighter-hole cut in them are pretty rare (not that I check that on every car I look at
). I mean, I know everyone smoked in those days, but surely not
everyone!
I also discovered that the first few thousand FEs had a slightly different front ash-tray area. There must have been something bodgy about the initial design that needed fixing. Maybe the ash-tray fell through the hole if you went over a big enough bump
cheers
RET
