This Fairlane generation kept selling in South Africa even after Ford pulled the mainstream Falcon there in favor of the European Granada — and only the top-spec 500 trim made the cut.
Median 94 hp across 297 similar cars
Lead trim: Fairlane ZH 4.9 V8 · up to 260 hp
Ford Fairlane (Australia)1972–1979
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Ford Fairlane (Australia) yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThis Fairlane generation kept selling in South Africa even after Ford pulled the mainstream Falcon there in favor of the European Granada — and only the top-spec 500 trim made the cut.
An all-new, Australian-designed ZF Fairlane was launched in April 1972 with swoopier bodywork (criticised as too like a four-headlamp XA Falcon, with styling reminiscent of the US Mercury Montego) and model names and engine choices unchanged; the 1973 ZF had the last manual transmission. It was also sold in South Africa (where the Falcon had been dropped in favour of the Granada), only as the Fairlane 500 with column shift and six seats and the 250 hp Cleveland 351 (5.8-litre) V8. The ZG of November 1973 brought cosmetic changes — a four-horizontal-bar grille and revised taillights — with an anniversary model with a standard 302 in 1975 and 250 "Town Car" 50th-Anniversary Fairlanes with LTD components (only a handful with the 351). The ZH of May 1976 retained the central section (including the rear doors) of the upcoming XC Falcon with lengthened front and rear ends for more bulk and a luxury impression, the 500 becoming the basic trim (the Custom was deleted) and the Fairlane Marquis the upscale version, a response to the Statesman Caprice; engine sizes moved to metric, the 4.9 L and the 5.8 L.
Collectors Spotted in the Ford Fairlane (Australia) Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Ford Fairlane (Australia) yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
4 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairlane 500 ZF South Africa 351 Cleveland V8 (250 hp) | 1972–1973 | 5.8 L V8 | 250 hp | 355 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| Fairlane Town Car (50th Anniversary) 302 V8 | 1975–1975 | 5.0 L V8 | 240 hp | 305 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| Fairlane ZH 4.9 V8 | 1976–1979 | 4.9 L V8 | 240 hp | 305 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| Fairlane ZH 5.8 V8 | 1976–1979 | 5.8 L V8 | 260 hp | 355 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
Owning one
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Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
The final Australian Fairlane got a bigger 5.4-litre V8 derived from Ford's American Triton engine — badged locally not by displacement but as the 'Barra 220.'
Ford ditched its small-block Windsor V8 for this Fairlane, switching in the larger, three-valve 5.4-litre Modular V8 instead — a complete change of engine architecture.
The AU Fairlane borrowed its C-pillar look from the Lincoln Town Car, then sold so poorly Ford rushed a fix within a year.
New Zealand's government drove NL Ghia Fairlanes as Crown limousines, powered by the same 4.0-litre six sold to the public.
Ford dropped the 351 V8 in 1982, the first sign it was walking away from big Fairlane V8s entirely.
This Fairlane generation kept selling in South Africa even after Ford pulled the mainstream Falcon there in favor of the European Granada — and only the top-spec 500 trim made the cut.
This Fairlane's extra luxury space wasn't a new design at all — Ford Australia just took the Falcon of the day, stretched the body behind the rear door, and pushed the back seat rearward for more legroom.
Despite being an all-new model, this Fairlane launched £200 cheaper than the car it replaced.
Building this full-size Fairlane in Australia wasn’t a quick rebadge — Ford Australia spent nearly two years and about £1.5 million tooling up a local line for it.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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