Ford Fairmont: Basic Automobile Advertisements | The Each day Drive

July 17, 2025

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Promoting within the consolation zone.

1981 Ford Fairmont, blue — 1981 Ford Fairmont

Again in 1978have been you to ask a five-year previous youngster to attract a automobile, she or he would probably—and fairly unintentionally—draw one thing that regarded quite a bit like a Ford Fairmont. This isn’t as a result of children knew what a Fairmont was, however as a result of the Fairmont was the one most anonymous-looking automobile ever retailed within the U.S. by Ford.

Ford Fairmont: Basic Automobile Advertisements

I’ve written concerning the hubris of Seventies Ford Granada advertsadverts that in contrast the small Ford to the likes of the Cadillac Seville, Volkswagen Rabbitand even the Mercedes-Benz Slc sporty coupe. You’ll be able to test these adverts out right here.

Ford took a really totally different tack with the Fairmont, which slotted beneath the Granada within the model’s lineup. New for 1978, the Fairmont—together with it’s Mercury clone the Zephyr—was the primary Ford mannequin constructed on the maker’s Fox Physique structure. In comparison with the dated Granada, the Fairmont was smaller outdoors, roomier inside, and was additionally considerably lighter.

The Fairmont was additionally, frankly, boring. And surprisingly, promoting for the automobile appear to replicate that actuality. Supplied as 2-door sedan4-by sedan, station wagonand barely rakish coupethe Fairmont regarded plain and easy, and that appeared OK with each Ford and the shopping for public.

The Fairmont hit showrooms throughout a interval of worldwide political unrest, excessive inflation, and rising gasoline prices. And the brand new Ford’s boring however acquainted profile appealed to consumers uninterested in change and turmoil.

Although new, the Fairmont’s structure was fairly standard. Ford did make use of unibody building, however the automobile featured rear-wheel drive, and, as famous above, standard physique sorts.

This was in distinction to Common Motors’ new “X-Automobiles” which arrived early in 1979 as 1980 fashions. Each GM division however Cadillac obtained an X, together with Chevrolet (Quotation), Pontiac (Phoenix), Oldsmobile (Omega), and Buick (Skylark).

In comparison with the Fairmont, the X Automobiles have been radical, with unusual physique sorts, together with a 4-door hatchback, front-wheel drive, and transverse-mounted engines. Whereas the X Automobiles have been forward of their time, many consumers weren’t prepared for that a lot change.

Wanting again, the Fairmont could be thought-about a half step between relics just like the Granada, and paradigm changers just like the Quotation.

Ford offered a LOT of Fairmonts, a testomony to the automobile’s approachable simplicity. Mixed, the Fairmont and Zephyr racked up nearly 1.6 million gross sales in the course of the vehicles’ six-year run. So, yeah, the boring and boxy Fairmont could have regarded like a toddler’s drawing, however it precisely met the wants of numerous Individuals throughout a turbulent time.