When it got here time to switch the unique Ford Maverick compact, which had offered properly however was primarily based on the more and more antiquated chassis design first used underneath the 1960 Falcon, Ford turned to its brand-new Fox platform and created the Fairmont (and its Mercury-badged sibling, the Zephyr) for the 1978 mannequin yr. There have been Fairmont sedans with two and 4 doorways plus Fairmont station wagons, in fact, however the smooth Fairmont Futura two-door and its Thunderbird-ish traces was the best-looking model. This is a type of Futuras, present in an Oklahoma Metropolis boneyard in Might.
1978 and 1979 have been the one two years wherein the Futura identify (which started life as a Falcon trim degree) was utilized solely to Fairmont coupes. For the rest of Fairmont manufacturing, which continued by way of 1983, there have been Futura wagons and sedans.
The Fairmont Futura received a snazzier snout with 4 headlights, whereas the odd Fairmont needed to accept simply two headlights.
In contrast to its Granada and LTD platform-mates, the Fairmont Futura coupe could not be mistaken at a look for another Fox automobile (apart from its near-identical Mercury Zephyr Z-7 twin).
The bottom engine was the two.3-liter OHC “Pinto” straight-four, rated at 88 horsepower and 118 pound-feet. This automobile has the non-compulsory 200-cubic-inch (3.3-liter) pushrod straight-six, an engine that powered many Mustangs again within the Sixties, producing the identical 88 horsepower however a far superior 154 pound-feet. A 255-cubic-inch (4.2-liter) Windsor V8 with 115 horsepower and 195 pound-feet was accessible as properly.
You might get a four- or five-speed handbook transmission with the bottom engine, however a three-speed computerized was necessary for 1981 Fairmonts with a straight-six or V8 underneath the hood.
This automobile has the non-compulsory vinyl seats with “knit-weave” fabric inserts.
The MSRP for a 1981 Fairmont Futura 2-Door began at $6,407 (about $22,469 in 2023 {dollars}), however this automobile’s out-the-door value would have been a lot larger because of the six-banger engine ($213 extra, or $747 right this moment), computerized transmission ($349 extra, or $1,224 now), air con ($585 then, $2,052 after inflation), AM radio ($51 then, $179 now) and so forth. We’re spoiled by all the usual options we get in new vehicles right this moment.
The proper automobile to take to the disco (although this 1979 commercial would not have been as related two years later, when disco was lifeless and even the Village Individuals had switched to New Wave).