Car Of The Day: April 21, 2011

Today's car of the day is Hubley's 1958 Ford Fairlane.

The Ford Fairlane was an automobile model sold between 1955 and 1970 by the Ford Motor Company in North America. The name was taken from Henry Ford's estate, Fair Lane, near Dearborn, Michigan.

Over time, the name referred to a number of different cars in different classes; the Fairlane was initially a full-size car but became a mid-size car from the 1962 model year. The mid-sized model spawned the Australian-built Fairlane in 1967, although it was considered a large car there.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Ford Fairlane

When Hubley was still in business, they manufactured cars in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  I live in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania which is the county directly to the north.  So let's follow the journey of this model.  It began life in Lancaster County, and at some point travelled to either New York or New England where Hutt Wheels eventually purchased it.  Deciding to sell it, he brings it to the Keystone CARnival in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (that's right, this little car came home!), where it was originally purchased (along with its police car twin brother) by bangerkid45 who hails from Maryland.  He in turn gave me my choice of the two and I picked this taxi.  I think the police cruiser may be in the better shape of the two but I'll let him post the pics if he's so inclined.  So now this one resides in Lebanon County.

For 1957, a new look gave a longer, wider, lower and sleeker look with low tailfins. A new top trim level was added, the Fairlane 500. For the first time, the lower-level Custom line had a shorter wheelbase than the Fairlane. Engines were largely the same as the year before. The big news for 1957 was the introduction of the Fairlane 500 Skyliner power retractable hardtop, whose solid top hinged and folded down into the trunk space at the touch of a button. Unfortunately, it attracted more attention than sales; the option was expensive, somewhat unreliable, and took up almost all the trunk space when retracted. Even so, it required the roof to be made shorter than the other Fairlanes, and the trunk to be larger.

Another facelift for 1958 saw fashionable quad headlights, a grille that matched the 1958 Thunderbird, and other styling changes. New big-block FE V8s of 332 and 352 CID (5.4) and (5.8 L) replaced the previous largest V8s, and a better 3-speed automatic transmission was also available.

1959 saw a new top-level full-size model introduced at mid-year, the Ford Galaxie.