Confirmed: Fairlane Dead & Buried

Tornf6 · 10-05-2007, 11:29 AM

Ford have just advised all dealers that the fairlane & ltd will cease production and the beginning of 2008 and there is no future plans to revive it in the future.

Very sad day for the LWB buyers in australia IMO.

:

holmsy · 10-05-2007, 11:32 AM

i find that odd seeing as there has been pictures of a short wheel based orion and a longer wheel based orion.
not just looking like in pictures. but you can see the difference in person.

King Nothing · 10-05-2007, 11:32 AM

Bugger. Sign of the times I suppose. Hopefully it will make a return, even if it is in the distant future.

Bill_R · 10-05-2007, 11:56 AM

Long live the Falcon stretch limo!

S3SR · 10-05-2007, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill_R

Long live the Falcon stretch limo!

prices will soar now....look out ebay

Bitmap · 10-05-2007, 12:34 PM

So what will Ford now use to compete against the Statesman and Caprice????

kooky · 10-05-2007, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bitmap

So what will Ford now use to compete against the Statesman and Caprice????

They have never been in the race against the Statesman & Caprice the Generals offerings were just too good for the fairy & LTD, I'm not stirring the pot here it's just fact, the Ford LWB options were not up to the standard set by Holden plain and simple.

Paull · 10-05-2007, 12:52 PM

Well that's a real shame. Can't say we didn't see it coming though.

apolloxbgt · 10-05-2007, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kooky

They have never been in the race against the Statesman & Caprice the Generals offerings were just too good for the fairy & LTD, I'm not stirring the pot here it's just fact, the Ford LWB options were not up to the standard set by Holden plain and simple.

Fairlanes and ltds dominated the market for a long time against statos,I would say it's the last 5 years that have been the problem.

There is no reason to want a fairlane/ltd over a fairmont ghia options wise,and most buyers in the price range go for euro's,and of late,300c's.

Statos are really the least of the LWB's worrys these days.

Allen · 10-05-2007, 12:55 PM

Nooooooooooooo!!!! :(

Ok, I'm over it...

The last of the LWB, despite being a nice car, didn't really have much more than a Fairmont Ghia, and prospective buyers thought the same. If only Ford had put the effort in, they could have been a standout car.

Its a shame really...

kooky · 10-05-2007, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by apolloxbgt

Fairlanes and ltds dominated the market for a long time against statos,I would say it's the last 5 years that have been the problem.

There is no reason to want a fairlane/ltd over a fairmont ghia options wise,and most buyers in the price range go for euro's,and of late,300c's.

Statos are really the least of the LWB's worrys these days.

Yes, I should have clarified my point to recent models, from AU onwards they were never in the game IMO.

4.9 EF Futura · 10-05-2007, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tornf6

Very sad day for the LWB buyers in australia IMO.

:

Yes a sad day for all 50 of them.

Theyve been getting flogged in this space for some time now. A wise move IMO. Pretty pathetic that in the day and age of scarce resources and growing environemtal concerns that people still think they need a barge to drive around town in because "its a free country".

If i were a ford employee id certainly welcome the news.

Life moves on.

sfr rob · 10-05-2007, 01:22 PM

it is a shame, but yeah as said, Ford never really had anything that sold/competed too well against the stato & caprice.
The g220 was about as 'cool' as a fairlane could get.
I think ford might have done something similar to what Holden done with the Carpice VE's.

jimmy_c · 10-05-2007, 01:29 PM

I am never buying another ford ever again. next car will be a Stato or caprice.

This is what happens when your marketing and design department are run by Accountants.

PETE_XR6 · 10-05-2007, 01:32 PM

My Parents Drive a 2000 75th anniversary Fairlane and in it's defence they are a quiet and comfortable car to drive . Heaps of room and great on the freeway just point and it goes

WASP · 10-05-2007, 01:34 PM

I wonder if out of a sign of respect for the brand name. Ford would consider making a limited edition Fairlane, fully loaded ...and with a 290 or at least an enhanced 3V. It would be a nice way to end the model and would also make a nice collectors item in the future.

mcnamg · 10-05-2007, 01:43 PM

Hopefully they do a runout model that is really special to commemorate their dominance in a market they created in the 60's and 70's

Mongoose · 10-05-2007, 01:57 PM

Noooooooooooo! god dammit, now im gonna have to buy an LTD. I loved the fairlanes so much more than the falcons, to me they felt like a full car, not 3/4 of a car (how much better would the XR-XC falcons looks with a full sized boot? not one that looks like it got chopped off)

Pearly · 10-05-2007, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4.9 EF Futura

Pretty pathetic that in the day and age of scarce resources and growing environemtal concerns that people still think they need a barge to drive around town in because "its a free country".

This coming from a person that drives a V8? What excepts you from that same statement?

I really enjoy driving around in a large, spacious car. The extra cargo space is also a great added bonus, which I make a lot of use off. I also prefer the look of a LWB over the Falcon.

Our next purchase will most probably be another LTD, for those same reasons.

ClevlndStemer · 10-05-2007, 02:14 PM

sad sad day but when Ford put in two fifths of nothing worth of effort into the last couple of LWB's thats what you get.

Paull · 10-05-2007, 02:23 PM

So the question now is, what will happen to the prices of the BA and BF second hand Fairlanes and LTD's - up or down?

PETE_XR6 · 10-05-2007, 02:23 PM

http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/Ar...rticleID=39086

End of road for Fairlane/LTD
Glenn Butler, drive.com.au, 10/05/07

After almost five decades, Ford has killed off its luxury flagships due to dwindling sales.

One of Australia's longest-running nameplates is dead.

Ford today bowed to the inevitable by withdrawing its luxury twins, the Fairlane and LTD sedans, from production in response to falling sales.

Homer1 · 10-05-2007, 02:29 PM

I reckon part of this is self-inflicted by Ford. For the last 5 years or so, it looked like they put bugger all effort into the LWB cars. Holden did well with the Stato and Caprice to make them appealing to buyers.

King Nothing · 10-05-2007, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PETE_XR6

Gorman hinted that the upcoming 2008 model Falcon could feature a more upmarket variant in the mix.

"It gives us the opportunity to look at our model mix with Orion. We can do some things here to bring the luxury buyer into our range at that time."

Now this is an interesting bit of news. A new model? Turbo ghia, anybody?

:

Jab · 10-05-2007, 02:40 PM

Well farewell.... :(

I have had over time an NA (6Cyl) and the NC III (V8), both great cars and in my humble opinion the last to look really different to the Falcon. I test drove a G220 when trading in the NCIII and it was nice but just didn't do it for me.

Happy with my XR6T but miss a few of the luxury items from the Fairlane(s).

Come back again soon

Jim

sfr rob · 10-05-2007, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King Nothing

Now this is an interesting bit of news. A new model? Turbo ghia, anybody?

:

Force 6......
although, the force 6 has everything crammed into it, maybe they will release something like the force 6 but without the whistles, but keeping the bells. haha

LeadFoot81 · 10-05-2007, 03:12 PM

Post NL Ford couldnt afford the investment needed to run with Holdens Stato and Caprice (which were being exported overseas) add to this the big money spent on the AU2 update, not to mention the BA overhaul, meant Ford simply did not have the cash to do much about Fairlane.

A lot of hard decisions have been made at Ford since '99, including axing the Fairlane. If you want to allot blame- blame the AU falcon, blame Holdens export deals, blame Ford US and the Crown Victoria, or you can blame the beancounters at Ford Oz for making the right choice.

Hopefully one day the 'Lane will return.

Superluxury short wheelbase sounds interesting though.

King Nothing · 10-05-2007, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sfr rob

Force 6......
although, the force 6 has everything crammed into it, maybe they will release something like the force 6 but without the whistles, but keeping the bells. haha

Yeah, but maybe without the $25K premium on top of the ghia. Or maybe a diesel?

Or a v10 GTHO

: I wish....

uranium_death · 10-05-2007, 03:32 PM

No surprise, but a move that had to be made. At one stage, only one LTD was sold in a month which clearly outlines the requirement to drop the range.
Mercedes and Beamers are also a common choice of car now for the person with the dollars. The main reason the Statesman can exist is due to the export deal, which Holden was smart enough to find and practice.

It's a sad day, but I guess it will allow Ford Aus. to concentrate on the Falcon itself.

charles_wif_xf · 10-05-2007, 03:34 PM

The AU based Fairy's ad LTD's were awesome looking cars, for the simple fact that they were a whole lot different to look at than the Falcon's. They exuded class and that's the reason limo companies are keeping 'em. The BA based LWB cars are a mongrel to look at. Shows that the designers just pasted the Falcon bits on the end of the big cars.

Ah well, they are reaping what they sowed.