Ford Fairlane
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The Ford Fairlane was an automobile model sold between 1955 and 1971 by the Ford Motor Company in North America. It was also used by Ford Australia from 1960 to the present day for a large luxury automobile in its range, with only a brief absence in the mid-1960s. The name was taken from Henry Ford's estate, Fair Lane, near Dearborn, Michigan.
Over time, the name referred to a number of different cars in different classes; the Fairlane was a full-size car during the 1950s but became a mid-size car in the 1960s. The mid-sized model spawned the Australian-built Fairlane in 1967, although it was considered a large car there.
The Australian models began with the ZA line, based on a long-wheelbase version of the domestically produced Ford Falcon. A more upmarket version of the Australian Fairlane is called the Ford LTD (from 1972).
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1950s full-size car
For 1955, the Fairlane name replaced the Crestline as Ford's premier full-size offering. Overshadowed then and especially now by the contemporary Chevrolet Bel Air, the Fairlane was nevertheless successful and considered quite desirable and stylish. Six different body styles were offered, including the Crown Victoria Skyliner with a tinted, transparent plastic roof, the regular Crown Victoria coupe with lots of stainless steel trim, a convertible Sunliner, Victoria coupe, and traditional sedans. All featured the trademark stainless-steel "Fairlane stripe" on the side. Power options were a 223 in³ (3.7 L) straight-6 engine and a 272 in³ (4.5 L) V8.
1956 saw few changes; a 4-door Victoria hardtop was introduced, and two new, more powerful V8 options, of 292 in³ (4.8 L) and 312 in³ (5.1 L), the latter available up to 225 brake horsepower (168 kW).
For 1957, a new look gave a longer, wider, lower and sleeker look with low tailfins. A new top trim level was added, the Fairlane 500. For the first time, the lower-level Custom line had a shorter wheelbase than the Fairlane. Engines were largely the same as the year before. The big news for '57 was the introduction of the Fairlane 500 Skyliner power retractable hardtop, whose solid top hinged and folded down into the trunk space at the touch of a button. Unfortunately, it attracted more attention than sales; the option was expensive, somewhat unreliable, and took up almost all the trunk space when retracted. Even so, it required the roof to be made shorter than the other Fairlanes, and the trunk to be larger.
Another facelift for 1958 saw fashionable quad headlights, a grille that matched the '58 Thunderbird, and other styling changes. New big-block V8s of 332 and 352 in³ (5.4) and (5.8 L) replaced the previous largest V8s, and a better 3-speed automatic transmission was also available.
1959 saw a new top-level full-size model introduced, the Ford Galaxie. Lower-level models still bore the Fairlane name. Oddly, the Fairlane 500 Skyliner retractable and Sunliner convertible were officially part of the Galaxie line.
1960s mid-size car
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The Ford Fairlane was reintroduced in 1962 to contest the intermediate class, being eight inches longer than the compact Falcon and nearly one foot shorter than the full-size Galaxie. There were a two-door hardtop and two- and four-door sedans. They were twinned with the Canadian Meteors.
The 1962s had a 221 in³ V8, with an optional 260 in³ Challenger V8. The 500 Sports Coupe débuted mid-year and featured bucket seats and a mini console. The 260 was bored out to 289 in³ for 1963, the same year a station wagon arrived, called the Ranch Wagon and Ranch Custom Wagon. The Fairlane 500 trim appeared in this year, too, continuing to the 1971 model year.
The Squire wagon (a fake woodie) was available for 1963 only, including one model with front bucket seats.
The 1964 and 1965 Fairlane ranges consisted of similar body styles: two- and four-door sedan, two-door hardtop and Sports Coupé, and the station wagon.
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The Fairlane was revised in 1966, and spawned a Mercury Comet twin. XL, GT and GTA packages were introduced, as well as a convertible to join the existing range of sedans, hardtops and station wagons. The GT featured a 390 in³ V8 as standard, while the GTA had a SportShift Cruise-o-Matic automatic transmission. The base 390 in³ engine, meanwhile, developed 335 bhp and had a four-barrel carburetor. In c. 60 Fairlanes with a Special Handling package, Ford installed a detuned 427 in³ unit, rated at 410 bhp rather than the 425 of the NASCAR cars. The Country Squire wagon débuted for 1966.
Minor trim changes were introduced for 1967 as the Fairlane was mildly facelifted. The 289 in³ small-block became standard, with the 390 in³ optional (with either two- or four-barrel carburetor, at 275 and 320 bhp respectively). The 427s were still available, either with a single four-barrel carburetor or dual quad carbs, developing 410 and 425 bhp respectively. The notable addition for the 1967 model year was a Ranchero pick-up truck as part of the Fairlane range.
The Falcon Ranchero and Falcon station wagon were, between 1966 and 1970, identical under the skin to the Fairlane versions of the same model. Only sheetmetal and trim differed.
Thunderbolt
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As the muscle car market took shape, Ford introduced a Fairlane for drag strip racing for 1964, heavily modified to incorporate a 427 in³ (7.0 L) V8 with two four-barrel carburetors on a high-riser manifold, ram-air through the openings left by deleting the inboard headlights, equal-length headers, trunk-mounted battery, fiberglass hood, doors, fenders and front bumper, Plexiglass windows, and other lightweight options including deleted rear door window winders, carpeting, radio, sealant, sun visors, armrests, jack, lug wrench, heater, soundproofing, and passenger side windshield wiper. This special model, of which 111 to 127 total were made depending on who you ask, delivered 500 hp (373 kW) at 7,000 rpm and was known as the Thunderbolt.
Racing in NHRA Super Stock class on 7 inch tires, the Thunderbolt set elapsed time and top speed records in 1964 at 11.6 seconds and 124 mph (200 km/h), took the Super Stock title, and won the Manufacturer's Cup; it is very possibly the fastest drag racing production car ever produced. The car as delivered was in fact slightly too light to meet the NHRA 3200 lb (1451 kg) minimum weight unless it was raced with a full tank of gasoline, which would bring it to 3203 lb (1453 kg). NHRA rules then required a metal front bumper, so the cars began to be supplied with an aluminium bumper and previous purchasers were supplied with one.
Finally the NHRA changed the rules to require 500 models of a car to be manufactured for Super Stock competition, and Ford, which had been losing $1500 to $2000 on each Thunderbolt sold at the sticker price of $3900, gave up. The first 11 Thunderbolts were painted maroon, the rest were white; 99 had manual transmissions. Many still race, still delivering quarter mile elapsed times in the very impressive 11 second range and occasionally lower. About 50 similar Mercury Comet Cyclones were also produced by Ford in 1964, destined to be modified to represent Ford in A/FX competition, which they dominated as well.
Arrival of the Torino
A full redesign took place in 1968. Mercury introduced a Montego version of the Fairlane in this model year. The wheelbase remained at 116 in but it grew in other dimensions. The two-door sedan was deleted. A fastback Sportsroof model was introduced, as well as a more powerful Torino line, designating the top Fairlanes. Therefore, there were also Torino sedans and a Torino Squire station wagon. The Ranch Wagon model name was deleted: Fairlane wagons had either the base or the 500 trim. The GTs were part of the Torino range, and no longer the Fairlane's, with a 302 in³ as standard, with optional engines being the 390 in³ and 427 in³ V8s. The latter was replaced by the Cobra Jet 428, developing 335 bhp. There was even a Super Cobra Jet. The Ranchero had a GT model, in addition to standard and 500 versions.
The Torino Cobra GT was introduced in 1969. Basic models featured the 302 in³ V8 and three-speed manual transmission as standard, but bucket seats—which had been standard—became optional. The 1969s tried to capture the spirit of the lightweight 1964s, as a basic car with a lot of power. Options included the 390 in³ and two 428 in³ V8s. The Cobras, meanwhile, had a standard 428 in³ V8 with 335 bhp, and options included bucket seats, hood scoop, clock, tachometer, power disc brakes and 4·30-to-1 gearing. "Regular" Fairlanes and Rancheros continued, all with bucket-seat options.
An even more powerful version, the Torino Talladega, was created to compete on the NASCAR Grand National speedways. Only 754 were built. Like the Plymouth Superbird, the Sportsroof-based Talledega got a sloped nose and flush grille. The 428 in³ V8 was standard, but mated to a C-6 Cruise-o-Matic automatic transmission.
The 1970s
Probably at the instigation of Ford president Bunkie Knudsen (who was fired by Henry Ford II in September 1969), the Fairlane grew again in 1970, now with a 117 in wheelbase. The largest engine was now a 429 in³ with four-barrel carburetor and 360 bhp, on the Torino Cobra. Different heads were optional and gave the Cobra 370 bhp and higher compression. Other options included the Cobra Jet Ram Air 429, though Ford quoted the same power output, and the Drag Pack rated at 375 bhp. However, the ’70s were slower than the ’69s, and race teams were forced to run the older models.
Falcons appeared for 1970½ (on January 1, 1970) as a low-spec version of the Fairlane in this generation, making them intermediates and not compacts. These are relatively rare, Ford having produced only 26,000 examples of all 1970½ Falcon types.
The Fairlane two-door sedan returned for a single year, while the Ranchero gained a Squire trim level.
As the muscle-car era drew to a close, the 1971 Fairlane engines were downgraded. Engines now began with a 250 in³ six, with 302 in³, 350 in³ and 429 in³ V8 options. However, the Boss 429, the most powerful (375 bhp) engine, was no longer available. It was the last year of the Cobra and the convertibles.
The Falcon and Fairlane 500 were replaced by the Torino, as the higher range began to absorb the lower ones. The base Torino became the Torino 500 for 1971, while the Ranchero 500 was replaced by the Ranchero Custom. Consequently, no Fairlanes were offered in the US in and after 1971, even though the Torinos that year had all been derived from the 1970 Fairlane.
The Torino became a new line for 1972, independent of the Fairlane.
After this, the Fairlane name was used only on luxury, long-wheelbase versions of the Australian Ford Falcon (v.i.).
Australian Fairlanes
Ford Australia introduced the Fairlane (ZA series) in 1967 as its most luxurious domestically built model. The Australian Fairlane was not a muscle car, but instead a luxury, long-wheelbase version of its mainstream Falcon. There were limited imports of the American Ford Galaxie 500 as the absolute top of the range, until 1973 when they were replaced by the local version of the LTD, which was a plusher, rebodied Fairlane. The Australian Fairlane line has continued uninterrupted since 1967, a claim that its nearest rival, the Holden Statesman, cannot make.
Imported American Fairlanes
Fairlanes had in fact been sold in Australia since 1960 as the company's top model line there. Initially, the 500 sedan was offered, but this was joined in September by the Ranch Wagon. These featured a 332 in³ V8.
From April 1962, a 221 in³ V8 was offered instead. The Ranch Wagon was deleted at the end of 1963, while there were two sedans for 1964, with either a 260 in³ or a 289 in³ V8. The ’64s were the last imported Fairlanes.
Model changes tended to follow the US models'.
The stretched Falcon
The ZA series, from March 1967, was equipped with either a 200 in³ or 289 in³, and resembled the American Fairlane sedan of that year. The smaller engine was available as a manual or automatic, but the larger one was only an automatic.
Annual model changes to the ZB in March 1968 saw the 289 in³ grow to 302 in³, the top model being the Fairlane 500 with the larger engine.
The facelifted ZCs of 1969 (from July) had the Fairlane Custom as the base model, with either a 221 in³ or 302 in³ engine. The range-topping 500 model featured either a 302 in³ or 351 in³ V8. Interestingly, the ZCs featured stacked headlamps, rather than the standard four headlamps of earlier years, harking back to the 1966–7 US models.
The ZDs were released in November 1970 for the 1971 model year. The base engine became a 250 in³ unit, while the 302 and 351 remained, the latter found only in the Fairlane 500. Externally, there were new tail lights.
All-Australian: the swoopy Fairlanes
An all-new, 100 per cent Australian-designed Fairlane was launched in April 1972, with swoopier bodywork, but there were criticisms that it looked too much like a four-headlamp version of the basic Falcon. The ZF Fairlanes were joined by an even more upscale LTD, with hidden headlamps and vinyl roof. Model names remained the same (Custom and 500), as did the engine choices, as the previous model year. The 1973 ZF also saw the last manual transmission; afterwards, all Fairlanes would be automatics.
November 1973 saw the next series of changes, to the ZG series. The changes were mainly cosmetic, with a four horizontal bar grille and revised tail lights.
An anniversary model was released in 1975 with the 302 in³, but otherwise the range stayed the same as the ’74s.
The ZH addressed earlier complaints about the Fairlane being too close to the Falcon in May 1976. The designers retained the same central section but put on lengthened front and rear ends, giving the car more bulk and a luxury impression. The range-topping LTD went further upmarket with a fancy, Rolls-Royce-inspired grille. (It was not dissimilar to that found on the Lincoln Continental Mark V.) Another sign of the upmarket move was the 500 becoming the basic trim (the Custom was deleted), and the Fairlane Marquis being the upscale version. ZH also moved to the use of the metric system to denote the engine sizes: the basic engine was the 4·9 L, with a 5·8 L option.
The 1980s: the boxy Fairlanes
Ford would wait until May 1979 before updating the Fairlane to the ZJ series. This model was a leap ahead into the new decade, with squared-off lines and a six-light bodyshell, clearly distinguished from the new Falcon of that year. The trim levels were deleted: there was now only a single Fairlane, with 4·9 L or 5·8 L V8 engine choices. In October, recognizing the fuel crisis, Ford introduced a Fairlane with a 4·1 L inline six from the Falcon.
The ZK of 1982 saw the deletion of the 5·8 L V8, which was the first sign the company would no longer offer bent-eights in the local line-up.
The following year, the 4·9 L V8 was deleted, although Ford introduced a fuel-injected version of the six to compensate for its market-place absence, claiming the new engine had a greater power output than the eight. But buyers did not really have a choice: Holden had exited the long-wheelbase, full-size sedan market with the cancellation of the Statesman. The revised ZLs of 1985 (launched October 1984) kept the two six-cylinder engine options. It was only at the end of 1986 that the carburettor version of the Fairlane was deleted.
Aero-look Fairlanes
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June 1988 saw the next major revision: the Fairlane's straight edges gave way to gentle curves. The philosophy was the same: a long-wheelbase Falcon with a six-light body. The 4·1 L six was heavily revised, becoming a 3·9 L unit with improved fuel economy and power. These models were part of the EA26 development programme and platform (E for the market segment, A for Australia, 26 the project code). Therefore, officially they were EA26s, but colloquially, Ford aficionados prefer a two-letter code. Hence, the new Fairlanes were given the NA series code.
Revisions from November 1989 for the 1990 model year saw the release of the 'NA II', the most notable change being the fitting of a four-speed, rather than three-speed, automatic transmission. (Since the Fairlane's début it had a three-speed.)
August 1991 saw the news that many Fairlane purists had awaited: the reintroduction of the V8, in the NC. Ford had never recovered from deleting the V8s in the 1980s and bowed to public pressure with its reintroduction. The 5·0 L engine was identical to the one used in the United States. The inline six continued. The NC also introduced a higher-spec Fairlane, called the Fairlane Ghia, and it was in this model that the V8 was available.
The 1992 NC IIs redesignated the 3·9 L engine a '4·0 L', but trim levels remained the same.
To appeal to younger buyers, Ford briefly sold a Fairlane Sportsman Ghia in 1993 with the 4·0 L six.
In 1994, the base model was deleted, leaving only the Ghia.
The Fairlane was rebodied in 1995 (EA77 series in Ford-speak), but remained on the same platform. The new NF was longer and curvier, hiding its 1980s origins reasonably well. The exterior design was more ornamental compared to the relatively clean NAs to NCs. The Sportsman reappeared for 1996, with the same formula was 1993, with the 4·0 L six.
In September 1996, the revised NLs appeared, without the Sportsman.
In 1997, Ford introduced a higher Fairlane Concorde trim, with the same 4·0 L and 5·0 L engine choices.
Ford expanded the Fairlane range greatly in 1998. Beginning with the Ghia, there was also a basic Concorde (six-cylinder) and Concorde Ghia (V8). A Tickford-modified version was also available, with the larger engine, as well as a luxurious Fairlane Special Edition Ghia.
New Edge Fairlanes
Ford introduced its 'New Edge' look to the Fairlane in February 1999, with some success, though the EA169 series (called AU colloquially) was considered a flop, allowing rival Holden to overtake the company in the sales of full-size cars. The AU Fairlane, sharing the code with the Falcon for the first time, had Lincoln Town Car styling cues, especially around the C-pillar. The range was pared back to six- and eight-cylinder Ghias, though there was a limited-edition Millennium Ghia in December 1999.
Ford brought forward revisions to the Falcon and Fairlane ranges when market acceptance of the new cars proved poor in July 2000. The 2001 model year AU II models featured some improvements, and another limited edition was offered: the 75th Anniversary Ghia in October, with the same engine choices as before. The Sportsman Ghia was revived in March 2001 and lasted for more than one model year this time, remaining in the range to the end of 2002.
Ford's new attempt to battle Holden came in July 2003 with the BA series. The BA Fairlanes were closer to the Falcon in looks, even sharing the lower model's tail lights for the first time since the 1967 ZA. The 5·0 L gave way to the larger 5·4 L, already used in the US. To capture younger buyers, the G220 (denoting its 220 kW power output) took the place of the Sportsman, and featured the larger engine only. The traditional automatic gearbox was replaced by a sequential automatic.
Despite revisions to the BA ('Mark II' and 'Mark III'), Ford has kept the Fairlane model choice the same as it was in 2003, as of January 2005.
See also
- List of Ford vehicles
- Ford Falcon
- Ford Torino
- Ford LTD
- Ford Fusion
- Ford Five Hundred
- Mercury Montego
- Mercury Cougar
- Meteor
External links
- A 1970½ Ford Falcon (http://www.classiccar.com/70_Falcon.asp)
- Ford Fairlane, LTD and Landau variants, 1967–78 (http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/car_info_index/car_info_ford_fairlane.htm)