Ford Fairlane 1955 to 1970: The History, All the Models, & Features

[@CJColvin]

The 66-67 Fairlanes will always be my favorite.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I have always liked those as well. Never owned one but have been close to pulling the trigger several times.

[@Johnnycdrums]

1969, I like the tailights.

[@CJColvin]

@@Johnnycdrums Same here

[@thebionicbassplayer]

Well put together documentary. My Dad owned a 57 and 67 Ford Fairlane. The 67 was a copper color sedan. I'll never forget the floor mounted dimmer switch caught fire one night and he put it out by smothering it with a blanket! I was a little child and that didn't ,exactly endear me to the car, yet, he drove it another 10 years! 😮

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for the kind words and for sharing your story!

[@P_RO_]

The "copper" color you allude to was named "Cinnamon Emberglo", and the color shifted based on the kind of lighting you viewed it in; almost red in sunshine, almost dark gold under sodium streetlights, and almost brown under a full moon and stars or incandescent lighting. You rarely see that exact color on anything except 66 and 67 Fairlanes. I'm not sure how they made that paint do what it did,or even if that was intentional, but it's crazy-cool in how it acts. A couple late model imports have a near-match color in the daytime but they don't shift colors nearly as much. My 66 XL was that color, but I was young and stupid so it's long gone now.

[@joemonahan2972]

We had a 67 convertible, copper with white interior. We all loved it. My GF was in a accident, not her fault where it was totaled. Love to find one for sale this color combination.

[@michaelwhite2823]

Love these! Now do the Galaxie and Thunderbird. Thanks.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you! I did one on the first gen T-bird and Galaxie will happen in the future. Th T-Bird can be found here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYWmYnZ7ZZxkqbc

[@dmandman9]

My brother had a 1962 Fairlane. He kept it until around 1977 or so. He loved it we loved it. It had AC and a 260.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

That's a great car! Thanks for watching!

[@Al-thecarhistorian]

The '55 convertible was the SUNLINER, not the Starliner. Ford offered a 185 HP 272 V8. It had a 4-bbl carb, dual exhausts and higher compression. The 292 Thunderbird engine was not offered in the Ford line until late in the 1955 model year. The plexiglass Crown Victoria was not called Skyliner in 1955, but it was called that 1956. Also, mid way through the model year, Fairlane trim was used on 9 passenger Country Sedans.

[@OldDood]

I remember watching The Andy Griffith Show as a 5 & 6 year old. They had those nice looking Fords. Especially the 60-61 seasons.

[@druballard8929]

You’re doing a great job on this channel. I like the format with the bit longer video. Gives more time for details and allows me to sit back and enjoy for a bit. Keep up the great work!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you very much!

[@joseantoniomartinsdovale4856]

i had a1959 that was gorgeous

[@nathanhardin8530]

Excellent production

[@althunder4269]

My dad bought a 1967 Fairlane 500XL wagon new in 67. Blue on Blue with 289 and 3 speed Criuse-O-Matic. We owned it until around 1974.

[@richardbrimble1319]

Hi Tony I’m loving your content. As you mentioned Ford Australia continued the Fairlane with great success over here in Aus. Fairlane started manufacturing in Aus in 1966 and was a mix of US styling until we released the Australian designed versions in the early 70’s once the US ceased manufacturing. Fairlane and Falcon were Ford icons in the Australian market, Aussie made classics.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I'm glad to hear you are enjoying it! I wish Ford U.S. would have stuck with a few of the Nameplates a bit longer especially the Falcon. One of these days I will dig into the Australian High Performance Fords. I am interested I just need to have enough data to drawn from.

[@petertornabeni602]

This is great . . Thank you !!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for saying so and for watching! It is appreciated!

[@banditta4life66]

Seeing the 2 red 68 Sportsroofs really brought back memories of my first Ford a red on red 68 Sportsroof with the 302 automatic. Car took 18 year old me's abuse and still ran strong even after the transmission and the rear end gave up with close to 200,000 miles. Some guy put the 302 in his work truck and got another 5 years out of it and only quit using it because he wrapped it around a tree.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for watching and sharing your story!

[@davidmccaffery7977]

My first car was a green, 65 4dr 6cyl 3on the tree, tried junk..in need of everything...wish I still had her... thanks,great job Tony

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for David!

[@lesliearblaster2711]

My family moved from upstate NY to Miami Florida. Dad drove us from Balston to south Miami in a turquoise 1956 Ford Fairlane.....Dad , Mom, baby brother Vikki,our English setter and 2 year old me. It was some trip!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@boudewynwagener7653]

Thank you very informative🤙🏻🤙🏻

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for watching!

[@rogerhinman5427]

I've always had a soft spot for the 1966 body style. Dad was thinking about a new car then and I was hoping he'd get one. Nope. He waited until the Maverick came out and he ordered one as soon as he could.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Same here. I have looked at several over the years. It just never was the right car for the right money. One of these days.

[@Craig2760]

I had a ‘67 Fairlane with a 289 v8 in high school. Loved it!

[@joemonahan2972]

Parents owned a 1967 Fairlane convertible. Copper with white interior. 289. It was beautiful. Love to find one like this for sale. In my late 60s...both parents passed but us 5 17:59 children talk about the Fairlane.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

That sounds like a nice car. They are out there and not as expensive as a Mustang but still pricey. Also replacement parts are much more expensive and harder to find for a Fairlane so spending a bit more to get the nice one sometimes makes a lot of sense. Best of luck!

[@joemonahan2972]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs Thank You! Joe

[@parkependleton6453]

My first car fifty years ago was a 1968 Ford Fairlane two door hardtop with a 289 V8 and three on the tree. Very peppy car!

[@arnesahlen2704]

In northwest BC Canada, my parents bought a 1963 4-door Fairlane sedan in beautiful chestnut colour - sporting that 289 badge. Super car. I was heartbroken when Dad sold it 5 years later.

[@dmandman9]

Thanks for this video. Few people discuss the Fairlane. For some reason, the Fairlane seems to be the forgotten brand. But i remember it being fairly popular

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for watching! I have alway loved Fairlanes especially the 66 & 67's. I make videos because I want to learn things and share what I learn. Most folks on KZbin are going for views and tend to make videos about cars that will get views.

[@dmandman9]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs I’m one who believes that when a person makes QUALITY content about a subject they love, they’ll generate interest by their passion. It may not generate the same interest as some content. But folk may be surprised. As for the Year models that grab my attention, it’s the 62-63 and the 66-67. Why? Because my oldest brothers shared a 1962 through their college years. And my cousin who was their same age had a 63. Of course I like looks of the 62 better because that’s what my brothers had😅. My aunt had a 66 . I liked the stacked headlight look that was common among several car lines in the mid 1960s. But the reason THIS particular car was interesting was because she kept it long enough for me to get old enough to actually do some work on it with its (well worn) 289. It would foul a spark plug every so often. And it had a main bearing knock on startup and a slight rod rattle when revved up when hot. But it kept going. My aunt drove it around town to work as well as the once weekly 20 mile each way trip to church on Sundays. Personal memories mean a lot.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

@@dmandman9 Thank you for the kind words and for sharing your story.

[@ronniewatkins]

I love all the new Ford knowledge I get from this channel! Much obliged!!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you so much for watching!

[@JeffKing310]

This content is great. Thanks for including ads and brochures from the era as well.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you very much for the kind words and for watching!

[@jesusramos6114]

Love the 58 and 59 models 😍

[@saleen367]

Those 1966/67 stacked headlight Fairlane 500's are sweet. Its a shame they didn't develop the 428CJ in time for that design. Can you imagine the engineering alone that went into each model from the late 50's thru 1970? Its staggering considering a model may go as long as 16 years now days without a noticeable exterior change (Nissan GTR).

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I agree. I had looked at few 66/67 Fairlanes over the years but never picked one up. The 390 really wasn't a great performance engine. As to the styling changes I agree again. It's crazy to think that Ford changed body styles that many times in that short amount of time.

[@jackroosma1274]

Hey buddy just found your channel for a ford geek like me I really enjoy all the info. After watch some videos and doing a quick search of your page I was thinking you should do one on the mercury comets and cyclones lots of cool racing stuff with those cars. Thanks I love the videos!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for the kind words and for subscribing! I agree with you and I will get there at some point. Thanks for watching and welcome to the channel.

[@richcoleman469]

Very enjoyable. I bought a 57 Fairlane in 67 and a 79 Fairlane in Argentina in 2002 with the same body as a 69 in the USA

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for sharing and for watching!

[@davidallen5776]

The 1968-71 generation was the one I became spoiled with!

[@TeslaRoadtrips]

I love at 16:30 the car is literally parked in the water lol.

[@romemancer7905]

There was also the 300 series which could be had with the f code supercharged engine...in the late 50s the Fairlane 300 was a favorite with the highway patrol...we had them in Australia !

[@stevenweiss2148]

Had a 1965 Ford Fairlane wagon. 289v8 with a 3 on the tree w/optional overdrive 4th gear.

[@GarveyMustangMan]

Have yet to ever see a true 64 Fairlane Thunderbolt in my lifetime.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I saw one in the early 80's and there was a Thunderbolt reunion at Carlisle a few years back and I'm thinking there were 10 plus there. Those cars were insane.

[@P_RO_]

You covered everything quite well and it's a well-produced vid. But you made one error several times throughout: When the Falcon was available it, and not the Fairlane, was Ford's entry-level car. The Falcon was considered a 'compact' with the Fairlane being an 'intermediate' size, but most Falcons could seat six people in a pinch as could a Maverick which replaced the Falcon as 'entry-level'. You can't fit six in a compact today- my how times have changed! I had a 66 Fairlane XL 289 2V auto and a 67 Fairlane 500 289 2V with a three speed converted to floor shift. Loved both and wish I still had either one. IMHO some of the best cars ever built.

[@kenmiller5954]

what about the galixy 500 line

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

That will be a separate video at some point down the road. Thanks for watching!

[@RoadRunnergarage8570]

I have built a few model kits of Fairlanes and Victorias...

[@CJColvin]

You should do a video about what if Ford both Studebaker and Packard in 1954 and turn em into divisions under Ford Motor Company (like Studebaker competes with Pontiac while Packard competes with Buick so that Ford can focus on Chevrolet, Mercury can focus on Oldsmobile and Lincoln can focus on Cadillac) instead of creating the Edsel and Continental divisions in 1958?

[@jeffreysheridan5205]

I had a 55 a 56 and a 57. 56 was the best year, in my opinion.

[@davidallen5776]

I learned to drive on a '66 Fairlane once upon a time!

[@RoadRunnergarage8570]

Merry Christmas BTW!!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you! Merry Christmas to you and yours!

[@michaelwitas9482]

The 1967 Fairlane only had a padded steering wheel hub and did not have an energy absorbing steering column. Te energy absorbing steering column was new for 68.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for the info and for watching. Try as I might I still make a mistake or two in every video.

[@stealthmode8444]

QQ, could you do a review on Centurion Classics. How they started and went about doing conversion vehicles. I can’t find any history on it and would like to learn more about it. Thanks

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I don't see me doing a video on a specific conversion company as there were several back in the day. That said I did sell quite a few Centurion Trucks and vans back in the late 80's at the Ford dealership I worked at. If I remember correctly, they purchased plain jane vans and trucks direct from Ford through fleet sales and made conversations to order. Their salesperson used to stop by the dealership every couple of months to chat to with our sales department. These went out of favor with the rise of minivans and SUV's. They were a bit pricey and the tape lines on the paint stripes always had steps. That said people who were big into camping and tailgating loved them.

[@joseantoniomartinsdovale4856]

I also had a Ford Galaxy convertible 1967 with a V8 289cid

[@arnesahlen2704]

1959 had a total restyling! It was not just (or even mostly) a carryover year. ('58 was that for '57.) Every part and panel was altered; even the Skyliner had a new, slimmer folding flap.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Arne, I appreciate you watching my videos. Please understand that the narrator, editor, research department, film crew, and scriptwriter duties are all handled by me alone. I typically get out one video a week and it takes 15 to 25 hours to put one together. This is a hobby I picked up when I retired a couple of year ago. I make these videos because I have an interest in Ford products and doing this helps me learn about the cars, interact with people who have similar interests, and occasionally I am able to pass along information that is helpful to others. There will be mistakes in just about every video as I am a human being. Once a video is uploaded to youtube it cannot be edited. Things can be cut out but that's it. IF you need perfection from your content maybe look for videos from a companies that have large production staffs and budgets. They still make mistakes just not as often. They will also have sponsors. I refuse to work with any because they only offer cash and typically come with an agenda. Thanks again for watching. It is truly appreciated and hopefully this gives you a little insight for what you are seeing on my channel.

[@samueldeandrade9058]

Aqui no Brasil tivemos o Galaxie

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Engraçado você mencionar isso, já que um vídeo do Galaxie será lançado na próxima semana e eu trago a edição brasileira. :)

[@AussiePom]

The Ford Fairlane in Australia lasted up to 2007.

[@CJColvin]

The Canadian version of the Ford Fairlane is the Meteor Rideau.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

One of these days I need to dig into all the Canadian and Australian Fords. Especially the high performance models. Thanks for watching!

[@CJColvin]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs You're welcome brother

[@bossdog1480]

I had a 59 and a 71, both of them 4 doors. We never got the convertible, two door or wagon models in Australia. i

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I didn't know the Fairlanes were built in Australia. Thank you for the information!

[@foggy634]

Mothers first car (used) 1965 in dark aqua blue. light aqua interior 2 door Found a tail light at a swap meet. Attached it to a basement window so it glows in the daylight. Every time i see it i think of that car

[@StringBender]

The ‘55 convertible is a “Sunliner”, not a “Starliner”.

[@Johnnycdrums]

I know the 68' ~ 69' Cobra was a stand alone model in Sportsroof or Formal Roofline. The Cobra could be had in Torino GT form, but with badging replaced, indicating Cobra. Surprised you didn't cover it, as it's the same body style. If it wasn't confusing enough, come to find out, and I gather from the literature that Fairlane 500 and Torino were available with 428's that weren't Cobras, apparently. If you wanted a sleeper, why not just order the Cobra without one of two optional hood scoops?

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

The 428 SCJ could be ordered in any trim level and any body style. I have a seperate Torino video that can be seen here:kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWG2cpmcjsRljsk

[@HustlehousePA1978]

Man, Id sell my pancreas for a 55 or 56 crown victoria!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I think you could pick one up for a bit less ;) Thanks for watching!

[@spacemissing]

My first car was a 1969 Fairlane wagon, white with red interior, 302, automatic. It was pretty good but I would have liked it better with power steering. Unfortunately it was ruined by a drunk 16-year-old girl who crashed her Dodge Colt into it.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Sorry to hear of the fate of your wagon.

[@georgeburns7251]

Wow. I forgot that Ford could make good vehicles. So long ago. Then along came 2005, and they started their long decline into what Ford is today. Very few people fall for their advertising. They used to be one of the big three. Now they aren’t.

[@CarlJNaquin]

Fords worst engines were the Y block V8s i owned two I rebuilt my 54 and the rear seal is stone age technology and will not seal guaranteed to drip. drove the car for ten years and lived with the drip, no mechanic no matter how experienced could install that crappy rope seal and make it actually seal. I simply made sure the oil was always up to full.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I can’t argue with you on that one.

[@jimgoff1170]

I personally think the thunderbolt is the best looking fairlane ever, and almost all years could look good, but what happened in 1965? The only year that was just plain ugly.

[@chuckselvage3157]

I like how Ford outsold the Chev in 57. Chevs aren't that good it's more a myth.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Don't say this too loudly. You might hurt some people's feelings. ;) Thanks for watching!

[@chuckselvage3157]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs Lol.

[@glenruginski4812]

Love these commercials 👍

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Glad you like them!

[@sidthompso8097]

The last 2 67 427 Gts had 428 experimentals hence 410 mercs and Ford 428s

[@sidthompso8097]

Only 99 t bolts were built i had #97

[@sidthompso8097]

No 667 hp engine was ever installed no cammer was ever factory installed

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Hi Sid, If you are telling there might be a factual mistake in one of my videos I would believe it. The internet is full of conflicting information and I do the best I can to be accurate and occasionally I will make a mistake. Thanks for watching and for your comment.