1955 FORD FAIRLANE
IF YOU WANTED SOMETHING THAT SPOKE TO BOTH THE FIFTIES AND FORD HISTORY, THIS WOULD BE HARD TO PASS UP
FAIRLANE IS one of the famous names in the Ford catalogue both here and in the USA, but did you know where it hails from? It’s taken from the Ford family estate, called Fair Lane, in Dearborn, Michigan.
In the USA the name was adopted in 1955 and lasted across seven generations through to 1970. There was a huge number of variants and body styles, including two- and four-door coupes and sedans, plus two- and four-door wagons. The two-door wagons were produced in 1964 only and may be the rarest of the variants.
Meanwhile in Australia the name ran from 1959 all the way through to 2007 – an incredible run. If you were looking for the first locally-designed and built Fairlane, that would be the ZA of 1967, based on the XR Falcon platform.
What about this car? We reckon it’s a bit of a rarity – certainly over here and even in the USA. It’s the very first generation Fairlane and therefore has some historical significance. While four-door sedans can be found relatively easily in the States, two-doors are somewhat thin on the ground.
This Club Sedan started out as a California car, but what happened from there is a little murky. What we do know is it had what looks to be very comprehensive restoration and it comes across as the best-presented example we’ve seen in a long time.
Under the paint is a 292ci V8 matched to the three-speed column-shift transmission. That 292 (4.8lt) Y-block was an option (the stocker was a 272) and was branded the ‘Thunderbird V8’.
Neil Wood of Classic & American Imports in Adelaide has the keys to this one and is asking $52,990. If 50s Americana is your thing, we reckon it’s well worth a look.