The Ford Fairlane was sold in North America from the 1955 to the 1970 model years in seven generations. Named after Henry Ford’s estate in Dearborn, Michigan, it began as the flagship of the full-size range and ended as a mid-size car.
Ford Fairlane at a glance
| Maker | Ford Motor Company |
|---|---|
| Model years | 1955–1970 in North America |
| Generations | seven |
| Name from | Henry Ford’s Dearborn estate |
| Bodies | sedans, hardtops, wagons, convertibles |
| First engines | 223 cu in six, 272 cu in V8, 292 cu in Thunderbird V8 |
| 1955 best seller | Fairlane Town Sedan, 254,437 built at US$1,960 |
| 1957 addition | Fairlane 500 with the Skyliner retractable hardtop |
| 1962 change | moved from full-size to intermediate |
| Later use | continued in South America to 1981 and in Australia to 2007 |
This page is based on English Wikipedia only.
History of the Ford Fairlane
The flagship years
For 1955 the Fairlane replaced the Crestline as Ford’s most expensive full-size model. Six body styles were offered, from the Crown Victoria Skyliner with its tinted plastic roof and the Crown Victoria coupe with heavy stainless trim to the Sunliner convertible and the Victoria hardtop, all wearing the trademark Fairlane side stripe. Engines were a 223 cu in six, a 272 cu in V8 and, as an option, the 292 cu in Y-block called the Thunderbird V8. The Fairlane Town Sedan was the most popular Ford sedan of the year, with 254,437 made at US$1,960. For 1956 a four-door Victoria hardtop appeared, along with more powerful V8s and the Lifeguard safety package; the same year brought the Parklane, a one-year two-door wagon with Fairlane trim aimed at the Chevrolet Nomad.
Fins, the 500 and the Skyliner
The 1957 style was longer, wider and lower with low tailfins, and Ford outsold Chevrolet that year for the first time since 1935. A new top trim, the Fairlane 500, joined the range, the Country Sedan was added, and the big news was the Fairlane 500 Skyliner, whose solid roof folded into the boot at the touch of a button. The 1958 facelift brought quad headlights, a grille matching the Thunderbird’s and new 332 and 352 cu in FE V8s. At mid-year 1959 Ford added the Galaxie at the top, badged both Fairlane 500 and Galaxie.
Demoted, then mid-sized
For 1960 and 1961 the full-size Fairlane and Fairlane 500 were restyled and pushed down the range: the Fairlane 500 became a mid-level car, and the plain Fairlane was sold mainly as a fleet model in two-door Club and Business Sedans and a four-door Town Sedan. For 1962 the Fairlane was repackaged as an intermediate car and stayed in that class until 1970, when Ford spread the Torino name across the whole intermediate range and dropped Fairlane and Falcon. In South America the sixth-generation Fairlane was sold until 1981, and Ford Australia used the name on a long-wheelbase Falcon until 2007.
Design and features
- Seven generations: full-size flagship first, mid-size car later.
- Skyliner roof: the 1957 retractable hardtop that folded into the boot.
- Fairlane 500: the better-trimmed version that became a model line of its own.
- Name from Dearborn: taken from Henry Ford’s estate.
Ford Fairlane versions
- Crown Victoria Skyliner (1955–1956): tinted plastic roof panel.
- Victoria hardtop: the pillarless coupe, with a slimmer roof from 1956.
- Parklane (1956): one-year two-door station wagon with Fairlane trim.
- Fairlane 500 (1957): the new top trim, home of the Skyliner.
- Fairlane (1962–1970): the intermediate generation.
- Australian and South American Fairlanes: local long-wheelbase versions.
The Fairlane gave its name to the Galaxie trim that followed it at the top of the range, and its 1957 Skyliner roof was the ancestor of the retractable Ranchero era Fords. More Ford vehicles are in the Ford collection.
Sources
- Ford Fairlane (Americas), English Wikipedia: generations, engines, trim history
