Oil pressure is generated by the converter turning the oil pump, makes no difference what gear it's in.  Park is no different to the trans than the car sitting still in neutral, same result, the output shaft doesn't turn.

With the early FOMs having a propensity to break the case center web by putting them in reverse with idle speed high, I always thought Ford wanted to lessen the chance of that happening by starting in N.  Still, most people would be backing out of the garage in the morning, so maybe that wasn't the issue.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

I thought that the neutral start was to aid in oil pressuring the transmission better than park?

56 VIC  Gene Stoehr Sr.

There was some discussion about neutral switches, and the question came up, why did '50s Ford cars only start in Neutral.  My friend Ed told me today that he once looked at some Ford manuals for the training of salesman.  The N start was claimed to be a safety feature so that you wouldn't have to go through R with the engine running to get to Dr.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"