Ford Fairmont

Manufacturer	Ford Motor Company
Production	1978–1983
Assembly	Claycomo, Missouri St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada
Predecessor	Ford Maverick
Successor	Ford Tempo
Class	Compact
Body style	2-door coupe 2-door sedan 4-door sedan 4-door station wagon
Layout	FR layout
Platform	Ford Fox platform
Engine	140 cu in OHC I4 200 cu in Thriftpower Six I6 255 cu in Windsor V8 302 cu in Windsor V8
Transmission	4-speed manual 3-speed C3 automatic 3-speed C4 automatic 3-speed C5 automatic
Wheelbase	105.5 in (2,680 mm)
Length	193.8 in (4,920 mm)
Related	Mercury Zephyr Ford Durango

The Ford Fairmont is a compact car produced by Ford Motor Company for the North American market. Introduced for the 1978 model year, the Fairmont was produced in several bodystyles until it was replaced by the Ford Tempo for the 1984 model year. The Fairmont was the successor to the Maverick; its Mercury counterpart was the Mercury Zephyr, which replaced the Comet.

The Fairmont and Zephyr marked the introduction of the long-running Ford Fox platform, used for a wide variety of later models. Those most closely related to the Fairmont included the 1980-1982 Ford Thunderbird, the 1981-1982 Ford Granada, the 1979-1993 Ford Mustang (and 1979-1986 Mercury Capri), and the 1982-1987 Lincoln Continental.

Design

1980 & 1981 Ford Fairmont Futura

At the beginning of production, the Fairmont was sold as a two-door and four-door sedan along with a five-door station wagon. During the 1978 model year, the model line was supplemented by a specialty coupe with a different roofline known as the Futura, a name which first appeared in the Ford Falcon line 17 years before. The Fairmont Futura featured an unusual two-piece vinyl roof with an upswept central roof band, borrowed from the larger Ford Thunderbird of the same time period, originally inspired by the 1955 Ford Crown Victoria. The Fairmont was a stunning success for Ford; the 1978 model set the record for production of a new model, eclipsing the record held by the 1965 Mustang. While retaining a conventional rear-wheel drive platform, the Fairmont was efficiently packaged and offered excellent passenger and cargo room for its size. Contemporary reviews uniformly praised the Fairmont and it was favorably compared with contemporary Volvo and BMW models. Rack-and-pinion steering gave the Fairmont much better handling and roadability than its Maverick predecessor and despite its roomier interior, lightweight components were used which gave the Fairmont better fuel economy than the Maverick.

The front fascia of the Fairmont differed from that of the Mercury Zephyr at the time of introduction. While the Zephyr always had four headlights, the Fairmont had only two, with the exception of the Futura coupe. As part of a minor facelift for the 1981 model year, the entire Fairmont lineup received the four headlight treatment as well.

Powertrain

1980 Ford Fairmont 2-door

A wide variety of engines and transmissions were available, including a 2.3 L OHC inline-4 and a 3.3 L Falcon Six inline-six. Two V8s were available, with 255 cubic-inch and 302 cubic-inch V8s borrowed from the LTD and LTD II. Transmissions included three- or four-speed manuals and the more commonly ordered three-speed automatic. A turbocharged four-cylinder carbureted 2.3 L engine from the Mustang line was offered in 1979 and 1980. A few turbo four door automatic sedans were used for testing by the California Highway Patrol.

Discontinuation

1981 Ford Fairmont sedan

In 1981, a second generation of the Granada was introduced. Sharing the Fox platform with the Fairmont, it was positioned as a premium model while the the latter took on a basic, entry-level role. A year later, the station wagon model was moved to the Granada lineup.

For 1983, in a major shift in the Ford model lineup, the Granada nameplate was discontinued while the car itself underwent a minor facelift and took on the LTD nameplate. 1983 would be the last year for the Fairmont, still produced as a 2-door notchback sedan, 2-door (Futura) coupe, and 4-door sedan (also available as a Futura). As Ford switched to lighter, more aerodynamic cars with front-wheel drive, the Fairmont was replaced by the Tempo for 1984.

See also

• Mercury Zephyr - Mercury equivalent
• Ford Durango - coupe-utility pickup planned as Ford Ranchero successor.
• Ford Fox platform

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