The Ford Fairmont is a model line of compact cars manufactured and marketed by Ford for the 1978 to 1983 model years. The successor of the Ford Maverick, the Fairmont marked the third generation of compact sedans marketed by Ford in North America. Initially positioned between the Pinto and Granada, the Fairmont was later marketed between the Ford Escort and Ford LTD. In contrast to its predecessor (only offered as a two-door or four-door sedan), the line was offered as a two-door notchback sedan, two-door coupe, four-door sedan, and five-door station wagon. Though never marketed by Lincoln, Mercury marketed a rebadged divisional counterpart of the Fairmont as the Mercury Zephyr.
As the first models to use Ford's new rear-wheel drive Ford Fox platform, replacing models based on the Ford Falcon, the Fairmont and Zephyr would ultimately share the platform with twelve other model lines across the Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln brands. Though the Fairmont itself was manufactured across only six model years, the Fox platform would continue for another two decades, underpinning vehicles (in updated form) through model year 2004.
Throughout its production, Ford manufactured the Fairmont at numerous facilities across North America. On November 15, 1977, a Fairmont (a 1978 Fairmont Futura coupe) became the 100 millionth vehicle assembled by Ford Motor Company. For 1984, the model line was replaced with the front-wheel drive Ford Tempo.
Background and development In April 1973, the American EPA released its comprehensive list of fuel economy results. In October of the same year, the 1973 oil crisis started. At the time, Ford's North American product line included the subcompact Pinto and Mustang II, and the compact Maverick, but replacements for all of these models would soon be needed. At the same time, Ford of England's Cortina line was in need of refreshing, as was the Taunus model built by Ford of Germany.
Changes were also happening at Ford's executive level, as William O. Bourke, ex-chairman of Ford of Europe and one-time managing director of Ford of Australia, was made executive vice president of North American Operations and Robert Alexander, previously with Ford of Europe as vice president in charge of car development, moved to same position in the States.
Hal Sperlich was vice-president of product planning and research at Ford. A proponent of downsizing, Sperlich conceived of a "world car" that could be sold in both Europe and North America as a solution to the needs of the various divisions.
Some sources suggest that the "Fox" name was borrowed from the Audi 80, sold in the US and Australia as the "Audi Fox" beginning in May 1973, because Ford's executives considered the 80 their class-leading subcompact competitor, and made it the baseline reference for the new platform. Another reports that Ford used the Fox name in an internal report as early as February 1973, making it less likely to have been borrowed from the German model. In December 1973, Ford President Lee Iacocca formally approved development of the Fox platform.
Although the Fairmont would be the first Fox-based car to reach the market, development was guided by an anticipated sport coupe to be based on the new platform.
Development started in early 1973 on both a short wheelbase version, to replace the Pinto/Cortina/Taunus lines, and a long-wheelbase version, that would become the Fairmont. By 1974, the difficulties faced in meeting the conflicting regulatory requirements in different markets and differing production methods used by the various divisions had killed the world car idea. In 1975, North American Automobile Operations took over development of the Fox platform from Sperlich's Product Planning and Research group.
The first running Fox/Fairmont prototype was a modified Cortina with a MacPherson strut and torsion bar front suspension.
A 1980 Fairmont station wagon converted to an electric vehicle by Electric Vehicles Associates Inc. and renamed the EVA Current Fare Wagon was evaluated by the US Department of Energy from March 1980 to November 1981.
Model overview The Ford Fairmont was launched in August 1977 as a 1978 model. The name was first used by Ford in 1965 for the Australian Fairmont, an upscale trim level model of the Ford Falcon (XP), and had also been used in the South African market in 1969.
Chassis specifications The Fairmont is based on the rear-wheel drive Ford Fox platform, using steel unibody construction. The independent front suspension comprised lower lateral arms, MacPherson struts, and helical-wound coil springs. In what Ford called a modified or hybrid MacPherson strut system, the coil springs were mounted separately from the struts rather than concentrically, being located between the lower arm and front cross-member. A front anti-roll bar was standard equipment. The rear suspension used a solid axle suspended on coil springs and vertically mounted dampers. The axle was located by four links; two lower trailing arms and two sharply angled upper control arms.
The Fairmont has power-assisted brakes, with 10.0 inch vented front discs and 9.0 x 1.8 inch rear drums. Standard wheels and tires were 14x5.0 and DR78-14 respectively. Steering was by a rack and pinion system with 3.2 turns lock-to-lock.
Powertrain For its entire production run, the standard engine for the Fairmont was a inline-4 (shared with the Pinto). Initially producing 88 hp, following several revisions, output rose to 90 hp by 1983. The 2.3 L engine was at all times paired with a 4-speed manual as standard, with a 3-speed automatic offered as an option. For 1980 only, a 120 hp turbocharged version of the 2.3 L engine (shared with the Mustang Cobra) was available in Fairmont sedans and coupes. Examples with the turbocharged engine were distinguished by a center-mounted hood "power bulge".
As an option, a inline-6 (shared with the Maverick and Granada) was offered from 1978 to 1983 model years. While offering less horsepower than the 2.3 L inline-4, the 3.3 L inline-6 produced significantly more torque. For 1978, the standard transmission was a 3-speed manual which was dropped for 1979; a 3-speed automatic was offered as an option and became a mandatory option.
For 1978 to 1981 model years, the Fairmont was offered with two different Windsor V8 engines (shared with mid-size and full-size Ford vehicles). For 1978 and 1979, a 139 hp V8 was offered. It was replaced by a 115 hp V8 for 1980 and 1981. The V-8 engines were paired exclusively with a 3-speed automatic transmission.
Engine familyYear(s)Bore x StrokeDisplacementValvetrainInductionCarburetionHorsepowerTorqueLima Inline-41978–1981SOHCNaturally aspirated2-barrel88 hp at 4800 rpm118 lb-ft at 2800 rpm198286 hp at 4600 rpm92 hp at 4600 rpm117 lb-ft at 2600 rpm119 lb-ft at 4600 rpm19831-barrel90 hp at 4600 rpm122 lb-ft at 2600 rpm1980Turbocharged2-barrel (Draw-through)120 hp at 5400 rpm145 lb-ft at 3000 rpmThriftpower Inline-61978–1979OHVNaturally aspirated1-barrel85 hp at 3600 rpm154 lb-ft at 1600 rpm1980–198391 hp at 3800 rpm160 lb-ft at 1600 rpmWindsor V81978–1979OHVNaturally aspirated2-barrel139 hp at 3600 rpm250 lb-ft at 1600 rpm19802-barrel119 hp at 3800 rpm194 lb-ft at 2200 rpm1981115 hp at 3400 rpm195 lb-ft at 2200 rpm
Body design The Fairmont debuted for 1978 with three body configurations; a two-door sedan, a four-door sedan, and a five-door station wagon. The wagon was available in both base Fairmont and higher Fairmont Squire trims. Late in the 1978 model year (December 1977), a two-door coupe was introduced; named Futura, the name revived the sporty trim level used for the 1960s Ford Falcon.
The Fairmont Futura was developed from a Fairmont-based Thunderbird design proposal from March 1976. The Futura was a two-door coupe distinguished by a model-specific roofline that featured a wrapover B-pillar similar to the 1977–1979 Ford Thunderbird but without opera windows. The rear fascia was also given its own wrap-around taillamp design. To further differentiate the Futura from the standard Fairmont, the coupe was fitted with the 4-headlight fascia from the Zephyr, and a cross-hatched grille was used in place of the standard eggcrate grille. For the 1980 model year Ford expanded the Futura nameplate to include a four-door sedan and added a Futura station wagon for 1981.
For 1981, the exterior trim was revised with the addition of a slim molding strip along the side exterior panels; convenience equipment was also increased. For 1982, several model revisions were made. Ford moved the Fairmont station wagon to the Granada model line and the Futura trim became the sole trim, expanding it to the two-door sedan for the first time. Effectively, this standardized the four-headlight front fascia (of the Futura coupe and Mercury Zephyr).
For 1983, Ford introduced an "S" model of the Fairmont Futura as a base trim. Sold only as a sedan and only with the 2.3 L engine, the radio and right-hand mirror of the Futura S became options.
Discontinuation
During the early 1980s, Ford undertook a major revision of its product ranges. Following the 1981 introduction of the Ford Escort, the automaker sought to expand its use of front-wheel drive across the compact and mid-size segment; the rear-wheel drive Fox platform remained in production, used mainly for performance and luxury vehicles (the Mustang, Thunderbird, their Lincoln-Mercury counterparts, but also the Ford LTD/Mercury Marquis).
Released for the 1984 model year, the Ford Tempo and Mercury Topaz replaced the Fairmont/Zephyr. An extended-wheelbase sedan counterpart of the Escort/Lynx, the front-wheel drive Tempo and Topaz followed the Thunderbird in using aerodynamic-influenced exterior styling. As the Fairmont was ending its model cycle in 1983, it became the only Ford model in North America to retain the "FORD" lettering in place of the Ford Blue Oval emblem.
The same one-piece lift-up tailgate designed for the Fairmont wagon was also used on the fourth generation Australian XD, XE and XF series Ford Falcon and Fairmont wagons, which were produced until 1988.
Production Figures:
+Ford Fairmont Production Figures2-door SedanFutura Coupe4-door SedanWagonYearly Total197878,776116,966136,849128,390460,981197954,798106,065133,813100,691395,367198045,07451,878148,42477,035322,411198123,06624,197104,88359,154211,3001982 -26,073101,666 -127,7391983 -11,54669,287 -80,833Total201,714336,725694,922365,2701,598,631 *Futura sedans and Futura wagons are included in the Sedan and Wagon figures
Mercury Zephyr
From the 1978 to 1983 model years, the Mercury Zephyr served as the Mercury counterpart of the Ford Fairmont, replacing the Maverick-based Comet. The third vehicle to use the nameplate within Ford Motor Company, the Mercury Zephyr shares its nameplate with the 1936–1940 Lincoln-Zephyr and the 1950–1972 Ford Zephyr (produced by Ford of Britain). Within the Mercury line, the Zephyr was slotted between the Bobcat (replaced for 1981 by the Lynx) and the Monarch (replaced for 1981 by the Cougar).
Sharing the same model range as the Fairmont, the Zephyr was offered as two-door and four-door sedans, a five-door station wagon, and the two-door "Zephyr Z-7" coupe. At its launch, the Zephyr was externally distinguished by the use of four headlights. The exterior was styled with design elements that were adopted by multiple Mercury product lines during the early 1980s (the Lynx, Capri, Cougar, and Marquis), including a waterfall-style grille, horizontally ribbed taillamps, and (non-functional) front fender vents.
The Zephyr was initially offered in standard, ES (a successor to the ESS trim of the Monarch), and Ghia trims, for 1981, both were replaced by GS trim (the equivalent of Futura on non-coupe Fairmonts). In line with other Mercury station wagons, the model line was offered with a Villager option package, including exterior (simulated) woodgrain trim.