Ford

Introduced for the 1978 model year, the Ford Fairmont marked a major turning point for Ford in North America. It was the first model built on the new Fox platform, a lightweight and highly versatile rear-wheel-drive architecture that would underpin numerous Ford and Lincoln-Mercury products well into the 1990s. Designed during a period of rising fuel prices and tightening emissions standards, the Fairmont combined traditional American proportions with improved efficiency and reduced weight. Available as a two- or four-door sedan, a station wagon and even a stylish Futura coupé, the Fairmont offered a broad range of configurations. Engine options initially included economical inline-four units as well as Ford’s familiar 3.3-litre inline-six and small-block V8s, allowing buyers to balance fuel economy and performance. Production continued until 1983, when it was replaced by the front-wheel-drive Ford Tempo, but its underlying platform would enjoy a much longer legacy.