2/17/2024 0 Comments For a 1980 thunderbirdAlthough there was the halfhearted semi-custom joint-venture Durango ( here), a proper Ranchero would have been a fabulous and memorable addition to the lineup. The roof treatment of this car just begged for a resurrection of the little ute. Is it just me, or did Ford miss the best looking variation of this body – a new Ranchero. Maybe this is why the Futura may be the best looking of all of the early two door (larger) Fox cars – instead of taking the traditional dimensions of a 1960s two door hardtop and shrinking them down to a smaller size (like the 1980 Thunderbird), the Futura went with a roof concept that defied easy comparison to an earlier generation. The Fairmont Futura coupe took the concept and made it the central focal point of the car. Is there a single company that has been more enamored over the years with the outsize B pillar on a coupe? From the original 1955 Crown Victoria to the 1977 Thunderbird, to even the big Bronco ( here), Ford was the home of the “basket handle” roof that seemed to get most of its support (visually, if not actually) from the central B pillar, while wispy little A and C pillars served largely as places for the windows to attach. It would have been cheap and easy to tart up the regular two door Fairmont, so Ford should earn some extra credit points for this car’s unique body. This was quite an expenditure for a single model, when you think about it. Because the age of the convertible and two-door hardtop was long gone by 1978, this was how Ford chose to add a little Thunderbird-inspired spice to the lives of those who liked sporty, two-door cars. Let’s move on.įord was alone in coming up with a unique sporty coupe that was quite different from the regular two- door sedan. To me, the Futura name was a welcome blast from the past, and one of the few Ford names that was never sullied by a bad car. Ford refused to recycle a well-known name for the car line, but pulled out an old name for the sporty model? Maybe in 30 years we have just become accustomed to everything being called a Sport, a GT or a SSEIRFDXR4TISVOETC. Whatever the reason, midway through the Fairmont’s debut year came the Futura. Probably because Lee Iacocca was still running the show at Ford during the Fairmont’s development. But this time, Ford would not wait quite as long before putting a little personality into the car. Sound but undistinguished mechanicals? Check. The 1978 Fairmont was the 1960 Falcon reincarnated, albeit with updates. Why was this car called the Fairmont and not the Fairlane? Or better yet, the Falcon? I have no idea. Suddenly, the dowdy little Falcon became acceptable to a different demographic, at least until the Mustang arrived.įast forward to 1978, when Ford brought us another honest little car – the Fairmont ( CC here). It is amazing how a few simple bits of trim made the plain-Jane Falcon almost stylish: Bucket seats, chrome console, three little “venti -ports” on its flanks, and a little red, white and blue “Futura” logo. In 1961, in a Ford Motor Company that employed a rising star named Lee Iacocca, the honest little Falcon got a little flash, and the Falcon Futura was born. Like its namesake, the Falcon Futura, the Fairmont Futura would do its thing in a modest and competent way until being more-or-less replaced by another car – the Mustang. Both times, it had the same job to do, and it did it well. Consider the Fairmont Futura: Both the car (in concept) and the name had been in showrooms before. ![]() ( first posted ) Sometimes history really does repeat itself.
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