Ford Fairlane

The Ford Fairlane was made by the US motor giant from 1955. It also had an Australian variant which they constructed from 1959. The American version was sold until 1970 although the Australian one went on until 2007. According to Ford historians, the Fairlane was named after the estate of the company’s founder – known as Fair Lane. The model was initially conceived as a fully sized family car, but turned into a mid-size model from 1962 onwards, despite being continued to be fitted with V8 engines.

No less than six body style options were offered by Ford at launch, including the famous Crown Victoria Skyliner which afforded owners a tinted and semi-transparent plastic roof. All of the model types featured Ford’s trademark ‘Fairlane stripe’ on the side of the car, made from stainless steel. In 1957, Ford decided to rework the design and the second generation was born with a new front grille and a version that had a powered retractable roof. From 1962, the Fairlane saw a number of further changes. It was given a uniframe body and was now available as both a two-door and four-door sedan. In 1964, Ford also launched a station wagon version of the, by now, smaller car.

In 1966, the Fairlane saw a further redesign and Ford now offered the model with no less than five different engine variants. Three and four speed transmissions became available and Ford also introduced a novel cruise-o-matic system which had an optional overdrive. Later editions of the car also saw coupe versions which were used for racing.