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Ford Fairlane (North American)
Encyclopedia
The Ford Fairlane was an automobile
model sold between 1955 and 1970 by the Ford Motor Company
in North America
. 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 initially a full-size car but became a mid-size car from the 1962 model year. The mid-sized model spawned the Australian-built Fairlane
in 1967, although it was considered a large car there.
For 1955, the Fairlane name replaced the Crestline as Ford's premier full-size offering. 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 CID (3.7 L) straight-6
engine and a 272 CID (4.5 L) V8.
1956 saw few changes; a 4-door Victoria hardtop was introduced, and two new, more powerful V8 options, of 292 CID (4.8 L) and 312 CID (5.1 L), the latter available up to 225 brake horsepower (168 kW). Lifeguard
safety package was introduced.
For 1957, a new look gave a longer, wider, lower and sleeker look with low tailfin
s. 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 1957 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 1958 Thunderbird
, and other styling changes. New big-block FE
V8s
of 332 and 352 CID (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 at mid-year, the Ford Galaxie
.
A Fairlane is featured in the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball, and also briefly in the 2002 Bond film Die Another Day.
, making it a competitor for GM's
A-body 'senior compacts'
. With an overall length of 197 in (5004 mm) and a wheelbase of 115.5 in (2934 mm) it was 16 in (406 mm) longer than the Falcon and 12.3 in (312 mm) shorter than the Galaxie.
Like the Falcon, the Fairlane had a unibody
frame, but the body incorporated an unusual feature Ford dubbed 'torque boxes,' four boxed structures in the lower body structure designed to absorb road shock by moving slightly in the vertical plane. Suspension was a conventional short-long arm independent arrangement in front, with Hotchkiss drive
in the rear. The Fairlane was initially offered only in two-door or four-door sedan body styles.
The Fairlane's standard engine was the 170 CID (2.8 L) six
, but as an option, it introduced Ford's new, lightweight Windsor
V8
, initially with a displacement of 221 CID (3.6 L) and 145 hp (108 kW); a 260 CID (4.2 L) "Challenger" version was added at mid-year, with an advertised 164 hp. The Sports Coupe option débuted mid-year and featured bucket seats and a mini console. The trim level supplemented the Fairlane and Fairlane 500 trim levels (the 500 model having more decorative trim, such as a wider chrome stripe down the side and three bullets on the rear quarter panels). The Challenger 289 CID engine was introduced in mid-1963, with solid lifters and other performance pieces helping the engine produce an advertised 271 hp; however, it was equipped with single exhaust like the less powerful engines. This engine was coded "K" in the Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN). Exterior identification was by fender-mounted "V" badges that read "289 High Performance". That same year, station wagons arrived, called the Ranch Wagon and Ranch Custom Wagon. All 1962 Fairlanes had "B" posts despite the popularity of the pillarless hardtop and convertible styles in that era.
Ford saw the problem and introduced two pillarless hardtop coupes for 1963, in Fairlane 500 and Sports Coupe trim. For 1963 and later Sports Coupe models, the center console, which had come from the Falcon parts bin for 1962, was changed to be similar to that of the Galaxie. Front end styling for the '63 models mimicked the big Galaxie models, but the rear end retained the small tailfins and "pieplate" taillamp styling cues. The Squire wagon (a fake woodie
) was available for 1963 only, including one model with front bucket seats. The "Swing-Away" steering wheel became an option in 1964.
The 1964 and 1965 Fairlane ranges consisted of similar body styles: base Fairlane and Fairlane 500 two-door coupe
s and four-door sedans, Fairlane 500 and Sports Coupe two-door hardtops. The Fairlane Squire wagon was dropped, but the standard station wagon was continued. The 221 V8 was dropped after 1963, leaving the six as the base engine and the 260 as the base V8. The "K-code" 271-horsepower 289 V8 continued into 1964 gaining dual exhausts, while a 195 hp version of the 289 with a two-barrell carburetor and hydraulic lifters was introduced. The two-speed Fordomatic continued as the automatic transmission
choice for the 260 in 1964, while 289 V8s got the three-speed Cruise-O-Matic transmission option. All 1965 models featured 14 inches (355.6 mm) wheels as standard, in place of the earlier 13 inches (330.2 mm) wheels, and Fordomatic was finally phased out, leaving Cruise-O-Matic the only automatic available for the Fairlane. The 260 was also dropped after 1964, leaving the two-barrel 289 as the base V8. Styling-wise, in 1964, a new grille and headlight bezels were introduced, the tail fins were dropped, some chrome decorating on the side was changed and the shape of the trunk lid changed. Styling features for 1965 included body-color headlight bezels for the deluxe models and rectangular taillight lenses, a return to the 1962-1963 trunk lid, along with less chrome on the body and a small standup hood ornament.
market took shape, Ford introduced a Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt for drag racing
for 1964, heavily modified to incorporate Fords 427 CID (7.0 L) V8 race engine 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, acrylic glass
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. The cars wore Fairlane 500 trim, and were only offered with the 2-door sedan body. This special model, of which 111 to 127 total were made (sources disagree), delivered 657 hp (490 kW) at 7,500 rpm and was known as the Thunderbolt
.
Racing in NHRA Super Stock class on 7 inches (177.8 mm)-wide tires, the Thunderbolt was based on the midlevel Fairlane 500 two-door pillared sedan, and in 1964 set elapsed time and top speed records at 11.6 seconds and 124 mph (200 km/h), . took the Super Stock title, and won the Manufacturer's Cup; it is probably the quickest and fastest production drag racer ever produced. The car as delivered was in fact slightly too light to meet NHRA's 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 aluminum 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 (known as Vintage Burgundy in Ford literature), the rest white; 99 had manual transmissions. Many are still raced. About 50 similar Mercury Cyclone
s were also produced by Ford in 1964, destined to be modified to represent Ford in A/FX competition, which they dominated as well.
. The base 390 CID engine, meanwhile, developed 335 bhp and had a four-barrel carburetor. Mid year, Ford produced 60 special Fairlane 500 2-door hardtops with a '"R-code" 427 CID unit rated at 425 bhp and equipped with Ford's "Top-Loader" 4-speed manual transmission
. Built to qualify the engine/transmission combination for NHRA and IHRA
Super Stock racing, they were white and had a fiberglass hood with a forward-facing hood scoop which ended at the edge of the hood. The Fairlane Squire wagon re-débuted for 1966.
Minor trim changes were introduced for 1967 as the Fairlane was mildly facelifted. The 289 CID small-block became the base V8, with a 200-cubic-inch six standard, with the 390 CID 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 (Q-code) and 425 bhp (R-code) respectively; however, 427s were not available on XL models. The notable addition for the 1967 model year was a Ranchero
pick-up truck
as part of the Fairlane range (from 1960 to 1965, the Ranchero was based on the Falcon, while in 1966 it used the Fairlane platform but Falcon styling). 1967 Fairlanes also saw the introduction of a number of Federal government-mandated safety features, including a new energy-absorbing steering column with large padded steering wheel hub, soft interior trim, 4-way hazard flashers, a dual-chamber braking system and shoulder belt anchors.
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.
remained 116 in (2,946 mm), but it grew in other dimensions. A fastback
Sportsroof model was introduced in the Fairlane 500 series, as well as a more luxurious Torino
model at the top of the intermediate range, contributing 172,083 of the Fairlane's 371,787 units sold that year. The Ranch Wagon model name was deleted: Fairlane wagons had either the base or the 500 trim. Base hardtop
sales more than doubled, to 44,683 units. In the beginning of 1968 the base model Fairlane was sold with the 2-Barrel 289 cid V8, until Ford decided to replace the 289 with the 302 cid as standard. The GTs were part of the Torino range, with a 302 cid V8 standard, with optional engines being the 390 cid V8 in 2- and 4-barrel versions. The 390 4-barrel was supplanted mid-year as the top performance engine by the 428 cid Cobra Jet, developing 335 bhp. There was also a 428 cid Super Cobra Jet. The Ranchero had a GT model, in addition to standard and 500 versions.
The Cobra was introduced in 1969 as a competitor for Plymouth's Road Runner. Basic models featured the 302 CID V8 and three-speed manual transmission as standard. Options included the 390 CID and two 428 CID V8s. The Cobras, meanwhile, had a standard 428 CID V8 with 335 bhp, and options included bucket seats, hood scoop, clock, tachometer, power disc brakes and 4.30:1 rear axle 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. To compete with the new Dodge Charger 500, the Sportsroof-based Ford Torino Talladega
got a sloped nose and flush grille. The 428 CID V8 was standard, but it was mated to a C-6 Cruise-o-Matic automatic transmission.
The straight six-cylinder was the economy power, while largest engine was now a 429 CID 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 1970s were slower than the 1969s, and race teams were forced to run the older models.
The Falcon name was transferred from Ford's now discontinued compact to a basic, even lower trim version of the intermediate platform as a "1970½" model on January 1, 1970. This series included a two-door sedan which was not available in the higher trim lines. For 1971, the Falcon and Fairlane 500 names were dropped, as all of the intermediate models took the Torino name.
from 1969 to 1981 under the Fairlane name with three equipment packages: Standard, 500 and LTD. The car was similar to the American model except the engines. There were two options: a 221 CID 6-cylinder with 132 hp, and the old 292 CID "Y-Block" V8 which had been last used in the 1964 F-Series truck; it was rated at 185 hp. In 1978 the LTD "Elite" option was introduced as the most luxurious made in Argentina. By the end of production in 1981, almost 30,000 Fairlanes had been made.
At the 2005 Auto Show circuit, Ford revealed a new concept car
with the Fairlane nameplate. The "people-mover" Fairlane crossover utility vehicle
concept featured three-row seating for six passengers, and previewed the chromed three bar horizontal grill design, which currently appears on the 2006 Ford Fusion sedan and 2007 Ford Edge
crossover utility vehicle."
A production version of the Fairlane concept, which is now called the Ford Flex
, has debuted at the 2007 New York Auto Show, and entered production for the 2009 model year in summer 2008. Unlike the concept, the production model comes with 7 seats. It is built on the Ford D3 platform
, which is also used by the Ford Taurus
, and Mercury Sable
. It is intended to replace the people-mover capability of the Ford Freestar
minivan.
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
model sold between 1955 and 1970 by the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The name was taken from Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
's estate, Fair Lane
Fair Lane
Fair Lane was the name of the estate of Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford and his wife Clara Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, in the United States. It was named after an area in County Cork in Ireland where Ford's adoptive grandfather, Patrick Ahern, was born...
, near Dearborn, Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
.
Over time, the name referred to a number of different cars in different classes; the Fairlane was initially a full-size car but became a mid-size car from the 1962 model year. The mid-sized model spawned the Australian-built Fairlane
Ford Fairlane (Australian)
The Ford Fairlane and LTD are full-size luxury vehicles that were produced in a series of models by Ford Australia between 1959 and 2007....
in 1967, although it was considered a large car there.
First generation - 1955–1956
Ford Crown Victoria Skyliner
Ford's 1954 Crestline Skyliner was replaced in 1955 by the Fairlane Crown Victoria Skyliner, based on the new 1955 Ford design. It shared the flashy chrome "basket handle" which stretched the B-pillar across the roof of the 1955 Crown Victoria model but added a smoked acrylic glass window over the...
with a tinted, transparent plastic roof, the regular Crown Victoria
Ford Crown Victoria
-1992–1994:Released in March 1991 as an early 1992 model, the Crown Victoria sedan was completely redesigned with a rounder, eight-window roofline . The redesign reduced the coefficient of drag from 0.42 to 0.34; the suspension setup was also heavily revised...
coupe
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
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 CID (3.7 L) straight-6
Straight-6
The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...
engine and a 272 CID (4.5 L) V8.
1956 saw few changes; a 4-door Victoria hardtop was introduced, and two new, more powerful V8 options, of 292 CID (4.8 L) and 312 CID (5.1 L), the latter available up to 225 brake horsepower (168 kW). Lifeguard
Lifeguard (Automobile safety)
Lifeguard was the name of a 1956 safety package marketed by the Ford Motor Company.Spurred by Robert McNamara, the Cornell University crash research program and the first year of Ford's own crash testing the Lifeguard package included:...
safety package was introduced.
Second generation - 1957–1959
Tailfin
The tailfin era of automobile styling encompassed the 1950s and 1960s, peaking between 1957 and 1960. It was a style that spread worldwide, as car designers picked up styling trends from the US automobile industry where it was the golden epoch of American autodesign.General Motors design chief...
s. 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 1957 was the introduction of the Fairlane 500 Skyliner
Ford Skyliner
The Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner is a full-size two door automobile with a retractable hardtop which was produced by the Ford Motor Company in the United States for the model years 1957, 1958 and 1959. Part of the Ford Fairlane range, the Skyliner had a complex mechanism which folded the front of...
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 1958 Thunderbird
Ford Thunderbird
The Thunderbird , is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States over eleven model generations from 1955 through 2005...
, and other styling changes. New big-block FE
Ford FE engine
The Ford FE engine is a Ford V8 engine used in vehicles sold in the North American market between 1958 and 1976. A related engine, the Ford FT engine, was used in medium and heavy trucks from 1964 through 1978. The FE filled the need for a medium-displacement engine created by the discontinuation...
V8s
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
of 332 and 352 CID (5.4) and (5.8 L) replaced the previous largest V8s, and a better 3-speed automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
was also available.
1959 saw a new top-level full-size model introduced at mid-year, the Ford Galaxie
Ford Galaxie
The Ford Galaxie was a full-size car built in the United States by the Ford Motor Company for model years 1959 through 1974. The name was used for the top models in Ford’s full-size range from 1959 until 1961, in a marketing attempt to appeal to the excitement surrounding the Space Race...
.
A Fairlane is featured in the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball, and also briefly in the 2002 Bond film Die Another Day.
Third generation - 1960–1961
Full-size Fairlane and Fairlane 500 models were redesigned for 1960 and again for the 1961 model year.Fourth generation - 1962–1965
The Fairlane name was moved to Ford's new intermediate, introduced for the 1962 model year to bridge the gap between the compact Ford Falcon and the full-size GalaxieFord Galaxie
The Ford Galaxie was a full-size car built in the United States by the Ford Motor Company for model years 1959 through 1974. The name was used for the top models in Ford’s full-size range from 1959 until 1961, in a marketing attempt to appeal to the excitement surrounding the Space Race...
, making it a competitor for GM's
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
A-body 'senior compacts'
GM A platform
The General Motors A platform was a mid-size car automobile platform. The A-bodies evolved from rear wheel drive compacts, to rear wheel drive mid-size cars, to front wheel drive mid-size cars over the course of 32 years. The switch in drive layout in 1982 spawned the G-body...
. With an overall length of 197 in (5004 mm) and a wheelbase of 115.5 in (2934 mm) it was 16 in (406 mm) longer than the Falcon and 12.3 in (312 mm) shorter than the Galaxie.
Like the Falcon, the Fairlane had a unibody
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
frame, but the body incorporated an unusual feature Ford dubbed 'torque boxes,' four boxed structures in the lower body structure designed to absorb road shock by moving slightly in the vertical plane. Suspension was a conventional short-long arm independent arrangement in front, with Hotchkiss drive
Hotchkiss drive
The Hotchkiss drive is a system of power transmission. It was the dominant form of power transmission for front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout cars in the 20th century...
in the rear. The Fairlane was initially offered only in two-door or four-door sedan body styles.
The Fairlane's standard engine was the 170 CID (2.8 L) six
Straight-6
The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...
, but as an option, it introduced Ford's new, lightweight Windsor
Ford Windsor engine
The Windsor is a 90-degree small-block V8 engine from Ford Motor Company. It was introduced in 1962, replacing the previous Ford Y-block engine. Though not all of the engines in this family were produced at the Windsor, Ontario engine plant , the name stuck...
V8
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, initially with a displacement of 221 CID (3.6 L) and 145 hp (108 kW); a 260 CID (4.2 L) "Challenger" version was added at mid-year, with an advertised 164 hp. The Sports Coupe option débuted mid-year and featured bucket seats and a mini console. The trim level supplemented the Fairlane and Fairlane 500 trim levels (the 500 model having more decorative trim, such as a wider chrome stripe down the side and three bullets on the rear quarter panels). The Challenger 289 CID engine was introduced in mid-1963, with solid lifters and other performance pieces helping the engine produce an advertised 271 hp; however, it was equipped with single exhaust like the less powerful engines. This engine was coded "K" in the Vehicle Identification Number
Vehicle identification number
A Vehicle Identification Number, commonly abbreviated to VIN, is a unique serial number used by the automotive industry to identify individual motor vehicles. VINs were first used in 1954...
(VIN). Exterior identification was by fender-mounted "V" badges that read "289 High Performance". That same year, station wagons arrived, called the Ranch Wagon and Ranch Custom Wagon. All 1962 Fairlanes had "B" posts despite the popularity of the pillarless hardtop and convertible styles in that era.
Ford saw the problem and introduced two pillarless hardtop coupes for 1963, in Fairlane 500 and Sports Coupe trim. For 1963 and later Sports Coupe models, the center console, which had come from the Falcon parts bin for 1962, was changed to be similar to that of the Galaxie. Front end styling for the '63 models mimicked the big Galaxie models, but the rear end retained the small tailfins and "pieplate" taillamp styling cues. The Squire wagon (a fake woodie
Woodie
A woodie is a car body style, especially a station wagon, where the rear bodywork is constructed of wood framework with infill panels of wood or painted metal....
) was available for 1963 only, including one model with front bucket seats. The "Swing-Away" steering wheel became an option in 1964.
The 1964 and 1965 Fairlane ranges consisted of similar body styles: base Fairlane and Fairlane 500 two-door coupe
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
s and four-door sedans, Fairlane 500 and Sports Coupe two-door hardtops. The Fairlane Squire wagon was dropped, but the standard station wagon was continued. The 221 V8 was dropped after 1963, leaving the six as the base engine and the 260 as the base V8. The "K-code" 271-horsepower 289 V8 continued into 1964 gaining dual exhausts, while a 195 hp version of the 289 with a two-barrell carburetor and hydraulic lifters was introduced. The two-speed Fordomatic continued as the automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
choice for the 260 in 1964, while 289 V8s got the three-speed Cruise-O-Matic transmission option. All 1965 models featured 14 inches (355.6 mm) wheels as standard, in place of the earlier 13 inches (330.2 mm) wheels, and Fordomatic was finally phased out, leaving Cruise-O-Matic the only automatic available for the Fairlane. The 260 was also dropped after 1964, leaving the two-barrel 289 as the base V8. Styling-wise, in 1964, a new grille and headlight bezels were introduced, the tail fins were dropped, some chrome decorating on the side was changed and the shape of the trunk lid changed. Styling features for 1965 included body-color headlight bezels for the deluxe models and rectangular taillight lenses, a return to the 1962-1963 trunk lid, along with less chrome on the body and a small standup hood ornament.
Thunderbolt
As the muscle carMuscle car
Muscle car is a term used to refer to a variety of high-performance automobiles. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines muscle cars as "any of a group of American-made 2-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." Usually, a large V8 engine is fitted in a...
market took shape, Ford introduced a Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt for drag racing
Drag racing
Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....
for 1964, heavily modified to incorporate Fords 427 CID (7.0 L) V8 race engine with two four-barrel carburetors on a high-riser manifold, ram-air
Cold air intake
A cold air intake is an aftermarket assembly of parts used to bring relatively cool air into a car's internal-combustion engine.Most vehicles manufactured since the mid-1970s have thermostatic air intake systems that regulate the temperature of the air entering the engine's intake tract, providing...
through the openings left by deleting the inboard headlights, equal-length headers, trunk-mounted battery, fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
hood, doors, fenders and front bumper, acrylic glass
Acrylic glass
Poly is a transparent thermoplastic, often used as a light or shatter-resistant alternative to glass. It is sometimes called acrylic glass. Chemically, it is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate...
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. The cars wore Fairlane 500 trim, and were only offered with the 2-door sedan body. This special model, of which 111 to 127 total were made (sources disagree), delivered 657 hp (490 kW) at 7,500 rpm and was known as the Thunderbolt
Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt
The Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt was a limited production, factory experimental, drag race only automobile built by the Ford Motor Company in 1964...
.
Racing in NHRA Super Stock class on 7 inches (177.8 mm)-wide tires, the Thunderbolt was based on the midlevel Fairlane 500 two-door pillared sedan, and in 1964 set elapsed time and top speed records at 11.6 seconds and 124 mph (200 km/h), . took the Super Stock title, and won the Manufacturer's Cup; it is probably the quickest and fastest production drag racer ever produced. The car as delivered was in fact slightly too light to meet NHRA's 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 aluminum 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 (known as Vintage Burgundy in Ford literature), the rest white; 99 had manual transmissions. Many are still raced. About 50 similar Mercury Cyclone
Mercury Cyclone
The Mercury Cyclone was produced from 1964 to 1971, beginning as an option for the 1964 Mercury Comet, and continuing as a Mercury Comet Cyclone until 1968 when the Comet part of the name was dropped, and it became the Mercury Cyclone. After 1971 it became the "performance" model of Mercury Montego...
s were also produced by Ford in 1964, destined to be modified to represent Ford in A/FX competition, which they dominated as well.
Fifth generation - 1966–1967
The Fairlane was revised in 1966. XL, GT and GTA packages were introduced, as well as a convertible to join the existing range of sedans, hardtops and station wagons. The "K-code" 289 was dropped this year. GT featured a 390 CID V8 as standard, while the GTA had a SportShift Cruise-o-Matic automatic transmissionAutomatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
. The base 390 CID engine, meanwhile, developed 335 bhp and had a four-barrel carburetor. Mid year, Ford produced 60 special Fairlane 500 2-door hardtops with a '"R-code" 427 CID unit rated at 425 bhp and equipped with Ford's "Top-Loader" 4-speed manual transmission
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
. Built to qualify the engine/transmission combination for NHRA and IHRA
IHRA
IHRA may refer to:*International Human Rights Administration*International Hot Rod Association*International Hotel & Restaurant Association*International Human Rights Association*International Harm Reduction Association*Illinois Human Rights Act...
Super Stock racing, they were white and had a fiberglass hood with a forward-facing hood scoop which ended at the edge of the hood. The Fairlane Squire wagon re-débuted for 1966.
Minor trim changes were introduced for 1967 as the Fairlane was mildly facelifted. The 289 CID small-block became the base V8, with a 200-cubic-inch six standard, with the 390 CID 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 (Q-code) and 425 bhp (R-code) respectively; however, 427s were not available on XL models. The notable addition for the 1967 model year was a Ranchero
Ford Ranchero
The Ford Ranchero was a coupe utility produced between 1957 and 1979. Unlike a pickup truck, the Ranchero was adapted from a two-door station wagon platform that integrated the cab and cargo bed into the body. A total of 508,355 units were produced during the model's production run...
pick-up truck
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
as part of the Fairlane range (from 1960 to 1965, the Ranchero was based on the Falcon, while in 1966 it used the Fairlane platform but Falcon styling). 1967 Fairlanes also saw the introduction of a number of Federal government-mandated safety features, including a new energy-absorbing steering column with large padded steering wheel hub, soft interior trim, 4-way hazard flashers, a dual-chamber braking system and shoulder belt anchors.
The Falcon Ranchero and Falcon station wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
were, between 1966 and 1970, identical under the skin to the Fairlane versions of the same model. Only sheetmetal and trim differed.
Sixth generation - 1968–1969
A redesign took place in 1968. The wheelbaseWheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
remained 116 in (2,946 mm), but it grew in other dimensions. A fastback
Fastback
A fastback is a car body style whose roofline slopes continuously down at the back. The word can also designate the car itself. The style is seen on two-door coupés as well as four-door sedans.-History:...
Sportsroof model was introduced in the Fairlane 500 series, as well as a more luxurious Torino
Ford Torino
The Ford Torino is an intermediate automobile produced by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market between 1968 and 1976. The car was named after the city of Turin , which is considered the Detroit of Italy...
model at the top of the intermediate range, contributing 172,083 of the Fairlane's 371,787 units sold that year. The Ranch Wagon model name was deleted: Fairlane wagons had either the base or the 500 trim. Base hardtop
Hardtop
A hardtop is a term for a rigid, rather than canvas, automobile roof. It has been used in several contexts: detachable hardtops, retractable hardtop roofs, and the so-called pillarless hardtop body style....
sales more than doubled, to 44,683 units. In the beginning of 1968 the base model Fairlane was sold with the 2-Barrel 289 cid V8, until Ford decided to replace the 289 with the 302 cid as standard. The GTs were part of the Torino range, with a 302 cid V8 standard, with optional engines being the 390 cid V8 in 2- and 4-barrel versions. The 390 4-barrel was supplanted mid-year as the top performance engine by the 428 cid Cobra Jet, developing 335 bhp. There was also a 428 cid Super Cobra Jet. The Ranchero had a GT model, in addition to standard and 500 versions.
The Cobra was introduced in 1969 as a competitor for Plymouth's Road Runner. Basic models featured the 302 CID V8 and three-speed manual transmission as standard. Options included the 390 CID and two 428 CID V8s. The Cobras, meanwhile, had a standard 428 CID V8 with 335 bhp, and options included bucket seats, hood scoop, clock, tachometer, power disc brakes and 4.30:1 rear axle gearing. "Regular" Fairlanes and Rancheros continued, all with bucket-seat options.
An even more powerful version, the Torino Talladega
Ford Torino Talladega
The Ford Torino Talladega was a car produced by the Ford Motor Company during the first few weeks of 1969, only. Ford's Talladega was actually named after the Talladega Superspeedway racetrack in Alabama, which also made its debut in 1969. The Ford Talladega was a special, more aerodynamic,...
, was created to compete on the NASCAR Grand National speedways. Only 754 were built. To compete with the new Dodge Charger 500, the Sportsroof-based Ford Torino Talladega
Ford Torino Talladega
The Ford Torino Talladega was a car produced by the Ford Motor Company during the first few weeks of 1969, only. Ford's Talladega was actually named after the Talladega Superspeedway racetrack in Alabama, which also made its debut in 1969. The Ford Talladega was a special, more aerodynamic,...
got a sloped nose and flush grille. The 428 CID V8 was standard, but it was mated to a C-6 Cruise-o-Matic automatic transmission.
Seventh Generation - 1970
Ford's intermediates grew again in 1970, now with a 117 in (2,972 mm) wheelbase. At the start of the model year, only the Fairlane 500 remained as the base trim model in what was now effectively the Torino series.The straight six-cylinder was the economy power, while largest engine was now a 429 CID 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 1970s were slower than the 1969s, and race teams were forced to run the older models.
The Falcon name was transferred from Ford's now discontinued compact to a basic, even lower trim version of the intermediate platform as a "1970½" model on January 1, 1970. This series included a two-door sedan which was not available in the higher trim lines. For 1971, the Falcon and Fairlane 500 names were dropped, as all of the intermediate models took the Torino name.
Ford Fairlane in Argentina
The four-door sedan of the 1968 body style was built in ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
from 1969 to 1981 under the Fairlane name with three equipment packages: Standard, 500 and LTD. The car was similar to the American model except the engines. There were two options: a 221 CID 6-cylinder with 132 hp, and the old 292 CID "Y-Block" V8 which had been last used in the 1964 F-Series truck; it was rated at 185 hp. In 1978 the LTD "Elite" option was introduced as the most luxurious made in Argentina. By the end of production in 1981, almost 30,000 Fairlanes had been made.
2005 concept
Concept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
with the Fairlane nameplate. The "people-mover" Fairlane crossover utility vehicle
Crossover SUV
A crossover SUV is a vehicle built on a car platform and combining, in highly variable degrees, features of a sport utility vehicle with features from a passenger vehicle, especially those of a station wagon or hatchback.Using the unibody construction typical of passenger vehicles, the crossover...
concept featured three-row seating for six passengers, and previewed the chromed three bar horizontal grill design, which currently appears on the 2006 Ford Fusion sedan and 2007 Ford Edge
Ford Edge
The Ford Edge is a mid-size crossover SUV manufactured by Ford, based on the Ford CD3 platform shared with previous generation Mazda6 and marketed in rebadged form as the Lincoln MKX...
crossover utility vehicle."
Production model
- See Ford FlexFord FlexThe Ford Flex is a full-size crossover manufactured by Ford Motor Company. Its styling is based on the Ford Fairlane concept unveiled at the 2005 North American International Auto Show. The production vehicle made its debut at the 2007 New York International Auto Show. Sales of the Flex began in...
A production version of the Fairlane concept, which is now called the Ford Flex
Ford Flex
The Ford Flex is a full-size crossover manufactured by Ford Motor Company. Its styling is based on the Ford Fairlane concept unveiled at the 2005 North American International Auto Show. The production vehicle made its debut at the 2007 New York International Auto Show. Sales of the Flex began in...
, has debuted at the 2007 New York Auto Show, and entered production for the 2009 model year in summer 2008. Unlike the concept, the production model comes with 7 seats. It is built on the Ford D3 platform
Ford D3 platform
The Ford D3 platform is a Ford global full-size car automobile platform. It was designed by Volvo before the Ford purchase and debuted with the Volvo S80 sedan in early 1999. The platform is designed for either front- or all wheel drive with an extended wheelbase option.-Overview:Ford's D3...
, which is also used by the Ford Taurus
Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
, and Mercury Sable
Mercury Sable
The Sable was a very important sedan for both Mercury and the American auto industry.Ford had lagged in introducing mid-size front wheel drive cars to compete against General Motors' Chevrolet Citation and its best-selling Chevrolet Celebrity/Pontiac 6000/Oldsmobile Cutlass/Buick Century quartet as...
. It is intended to replace the people-mover capability of the Ford Freestar
Ford Freestar
The Ford Freestar is a minivan that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company from 2004 until November 2006. It replaced the Ford Windstar for the 2004 model year. The name change accommodated Ford's strategy to rename all their cars to words beginning in F...
minivan.
See also
- Ford Fairlane (Australian)Ford Fairlane (Australian)The Ford Fairlane and LTD are full-size luxury vehicles that were produced in a series of models by Ford Australia between 1959 and 2007....
- List of Ford vehicles
- Ford Falcon (North America)
- Ford Falcon (Australia)Ford Falcon (Australia)The Ford Falcon is a full-size car which has been manufactured by Ford Australia since 1960. Each model from the XA series of 1972 onward has been designed, developed and built in Australia and/or New Zealand, following the phasing out of the American Falcon of 1960–71 which had been re-engineered...
- Ford TorinoFord TorinoThe Ford Torino is an intermediate automobile produced by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market between 1968 and 1976. The car was named after the city of Turin , which is considered the Detroit of Italy...
- Ford LTDFord LTDThe Ford LTD was a car produced by the Ford Motor Company in North America. A range of full-size cars wore various forms of the LTD nameplate from 1965 to 1991 in the United States...
- Ford Fusion (Americas)
- Ford Five HundredFord Five HundredThe Ford Five Hundred is a full-size sedan that was produced by the Ford Motor Company during the 2005 to 2007 model years in North America. In North America, the name evoked the classic Fairlane 500 and Galaxie 500 models of the 1950s through 1970s.-Overview:The Five Hundred was introduced at the...
- Mercury MontegoMercury MontegoThe Mercury Montego was a mid-size vehicle in the Mercury line of Ford Motor Company from 1968 to 1976. The namplate first appeared in 1967 in Canada as part of the Mercury-derived Meteor line. After 1976, the basic design of the Montego was updated and the nameplate disappeared as the Cougar...
- Mercury CougarMercury CougarThe Mercury Cougar is an automobile which was sold under the Mercury brand of the Ford Motor Company's Lincoln-Mercury Division from 1967 to 2002. The name was first used in 1967 and was carried by a diverse series of cars over the next three decades. As is common with Mercury vehicles, the Cougar...
- MeteorMeteor (car)Meteor was a brand of automobiles offered by Ford in Canada from 1949 to 1976. The brand was retired for the 1962 and 1963 model years, when the name was used for the Mercury Meteor sold in the United States...
- Ford FlexFord FlexThe Ford Flex is a full-size crossover manufactured by Ford Motor Company. Its styling is based on the Ford Fairlane concept unveiled at the 2005 North American International Auto Show. The production vehicle made its debut at the 2007 New York International Auto Show. Sales of the Flex began in...
- Production Model of the 2005 concept vehicle