(first posted 9/18/2015) If it weren’t for the dent in the rear, this great shot by CC Cohort and Contributor Mike Hayes could be straight out of the 1970 Torino brochure. Well, except maybe for the dumpster. And yes, the brochure was called ‘Torino ’70’, but that included the Fairlane 500 too, which by this time was down to just two medium-low trim body styles; the 2-door hardtop coupe and a four door sedan.
I had thought that about Mike’s shot before I went to oldcarbrochures to see the Torino brochure, and sure enough, the Fairlane 500 merits just one page, and it looks like it could be the same car, except for the different side trim. Modest, but not timid. If you say so. Especially not with the optional 429 Cobra jet Ram-Air V8. Nothing modest or timid about that.
Mike’s shot of the front would be fine too, if not for the other cars and bike. I remember driving these at Towson Ford during my high school car jockey days; they were…very average. Forgettable. Dull. Not as wallowy as the big Fords, but none too well planted either. Of course the ones I drove were all plain-Jane versions destined for the nice old ladies or gents in Towson; who else was buying these in 1970? Not the young woman in the brochure shot. And sadly, there were no 429s on the lot anywhere.
The likely buyer demographic probably explains how this one survived so well; it was someone’s grandmother’s or great aunt’s car, and now it’s been treated to some styled steel wheels and dual exhausts. It’s never too late to live a little, even if you are just a modest (but not timid) Fairlane 500.
And why no post coupe version of the Fairlane? That’s because Ford did a rather odd thing in 1970, discontinuing the “real” Falcon at the end of the calendar year, and then replacing it with this 1970½ Falcon, a stripper Torino/Fairlane. That turned into a big dud almost instantly. CC covered this half-year only oddball here: 1970.5 Falcon: Mission Implausible
Someone’s great aunt had some sense of style. The dual sport mirrors and the road wheels look like options from the Ford catalog. Obviously, someone could have added them later, but as a package this is a nice looking car, potentially close to as sold in 1970. It is missing it’s Ford lettering from between the tail lights, and the side trim may be a bit off – at least according to the brochure picture.
I am surprised by the idea that this would have been an old persons car in the two door form. The fast back roofline and the rakish 70s persona would seem a turn off to an older person who might still be used to the more Joe Fridayish Fairlanes of the then more recent past.
With centerlines, it would fit right in my eighties high school parking lot.
“…old persons car in the two door form?”
“You can sell a young man’s car to an elder man, but not vice versa”
Bunkie Knudson
Neighborhood kid’s grandfather had a ’71 Torino 500 coupe, sporty roof and all, for 10 years.
Don’t forget that 2-door hardtop coupes had been in fashion since the late 40s. So yes, old folks were very much buying 2-door coupes, along with the 4-door sedans in the 70s.
Also overlooked is the fact that the vaunted “youth market” that bought the Pony cars and Muscle cars when they were new, are now Grammas and Grampas, 😉
My father-in-law had a pale yellow Torino coupe very similar to this car – it was the next to the last car he owned before he died. As specified in the article, it was a very average sort of a car, a 302 automatic, a car whose styling was the only thing that would set it apart.
We were vacationing in the Florida Keys in 1972 when Hurricane Agnes was headed in, and we had to get the heck out of Dodge…and fast. One of the families we were traveling with had a Fairline/Torino in this bodystyle…dark green and a manual transmission is all I remember about the car, except that it developed a mechanical issue and had to be left somewhere in central FL…they piled in other cars with other families and we got out of Florida, post haste.
That powder blue doesn’t do it any favors…
CincyDavid:
Yeah, looks like a giant Kaopectate bottle on wheels, LOL!
Clint Eastwood would not approve. 😀
Hurricane Agnes… early July 1972 as I remember. We were living in Manassas, Virginia at the time, don’t remember much effect on us, but our families were from the Wilkes-Barre, PA area and it caused the Susquehanna to flood….it decimated that area, almost 50 years later and still haven’t fully recovered from it in many respects. We live 1600 miles away now in central Texas, don’t get back there much, though up to 10 years ago we tried to make at least one trip a year (sometimes more than 1), but I haven’t been there since my Dad’s youngest brother died 5 years ago….the month before my Dad himself died, he’s buried there too. My Grandmother’s store was still open, and as the flood came to within a block of her, she did a brisk business since none of her inventory was affected (she ran a small mom/pop grocery store up through 1975 when she retired)…..my sister spent the summer helping her out that year.
My family was big into Fords back then; my Grandfather had a 1963 Fairlane, and my Dad was on his first of two large wagons, a 1969 Country Squire he bought new…he bought a 1973 Country Sedan in 1973 (the spring before the 1st gas crisis). He bought a solid state ignition kit for the ’73 in hopes of getting a bit better fuel mileage with the 400 CID, but it ended up failing on a trip where we were almost at our relatives in PA…my Uncle had to come out and rescue us…turned out to be a blown coil; my dad replaced it and tore out the ignition kit never to be used again.
Have Dumpsters changed that much in over 40 years? This car does look nice despite the dent and I wonder if it has been repainted, but a bunch of American cars from about 1968-1977 have a bloated look that I do not care for.
Olympian size was everything during the period you
mentioned. Only AMC and the imports even dared to
buck that trend. “Handling”, domestically, referred to
a car’s 0-60 times.
Dumpsters did not fit in with the look that was then in vogue. Check out the 70 Torino brochure to see what was in then: a gauzy, quasi-sexy, ’60s hippiesh look.
Dumpsters didn’t have plastic lids 40 years ago.
The brougham models did.
Only the Dumpster-brand trash bins, which are top-of-the-line, and not the Trash-Co waste disposal units (this according to Otto from The Simpsons).
The 1970 Fairlane is definitely a transitional vehicle. For starters, while the fastback was still plenty swoopy, the concave curve was worse than the more convex shape of the previous two years. This mostly came into play on the high-banked NASCAR ovals where factory support from both Ford and Chrysler would soon be discontinued.
Then there’s the interior, specifically, the instrument cluster. The previous generation had four dial pods with an optional gauge package that included a tach. But in the 1970, everything went to a horizontal pointer-and-scale, and the only extra gauge available (besides the standard fuel and temp gauges) was a small, horizontal, pointer-and-scale drum tach that was wedged into the clock location. I get the feeling that the money for a proper gauge package was all spent over at Mercury for the Cyclone, where dial gauges got inserted into the padded dash to the right of the main cluster. That couldn’t have been cheap to have an entire, separate dash pad just for extra gauges.
Finally, there’s the move from the FE-series 428 CobraJet engine to the somewhat more sedate 385-series 429 CobraJet. IOW, with impending emission controls and railroad-tie 5mph bumpers just around the corner, Ford’s ‘Total Performance’, ‘Going Thing’ was in the early stages of going completely brougham.
I agree that it was a curious move on Fords part to offer such a hot Torino in 1970, but then it equips it with a horizontal speedometer and that ridiculous tach. Then in 1972, Ford is deemphasizing performance, and they bring out an excellent full gauge cluster with a full set of round gauges.
I however, disagree that the 429 was more sedate the 428. Sure the 429 Thunder Jet was really just a T-bird 429, but the 429 CJ and 429 SCJ were two of the top muscle car engines from the era. Most Torino’s with these engines turned out high 13’s to mid 14’s in contemporary road tests. Today, in FAST drag racing these cars are turning even better numbers. Keen mind that the 1970 Torino gained a lot of weight. Most 429 2-door cars were over 4100 lbs in street trim. I would also argue that the 385 series engine was a more advanced design and has potential for more power than the FE series engines.
One further note, emissions standards came into play in 1968 (federally). They got stricter every year. Many of these early cars actually didn’t have that many emission controls, and they ones they had usually didn’t have a massive effect on overall power. What they did was reduce driveability, response and generally make the engines more sluggish. Further, to meet these standards as they increased, manufacturers had to use lower compression ratios, lean out carburation and use milder camshafts which obviously caused a significant loss in power. The engines did burn cleaner, but at the expense of lost performance.
I think someone got the wrong memo to put the Mercury dash in the Ford and vice versa for 1970, there is a genuine continuity between the Cyclone dash and the podded 68-69 Fairlane/Torino dashes. Then again the pod gauges on the 68s were ridiculously wild looking for what was a relatively plain intermediate, so maybe the 70 was an overcorrection.
Agreed on the 429. The Biggest drawback to the 429CJ was just that it came on the scene way too late to gain the kind of notoriety the 428CJ did at the peak of the Muscle car boom.
From what I’ve read, while neither was a slouch, in strictly factory trim, the 428CJ was more potent, but the 429CJ had more potential and could be made to run better.
Also, your run-of-the-mill FEs (352/390/428) were really not performance engines even with four-barrel carburetors. The performance iterations that existed, like the 428 CJ, were created by adding pieces from the 406/427 racing engines, which were very different animals from the regular FE.
Indeed. Nobody, including Ford themselves, ever said base 4V FE’s were performance engines. They were low speed, high torque engines that could tow a house. Or in the case of the 360FE in my brothers ’71 F-250 4X4, a D9 Cat on a trailer. Which like all FE’s in 4X4 trucks, was a 2 barrel.
Are you sure the Cat was a D9? That has an operating weight of 49 tons.
We had a 70.2 Falcon back in the early 80’s and man was that thing a stripper–302 Automatic but rubber floor covering. I remember the first time I seen a Mercury with the optional guage pkg and could not believe how cool it looked compared to the Falcon dash. Even the top line GT Torino could only have a small tach so low it was useless–and that ment losing the clock option.
I don’t know if it was a Falcon thing or across the board at Ford in 1970 but the owners manual was not a booklet–it unfolded open just like the maps you used to buy at the gas station and have hell of a time folding it back again.
My cousin had a 71 Torino in the light green metallic the 4 door pictured is painted. Her’s had a dark green “halo” vinyl roof (the roof has a very small painted metal border around it’s bottom edge) and a green interior….not sure if it had buckets or a bench in front.
I remember thinking it was a “nice” car, but the color was just okay, and I’ll bet it had either the 6 or a 302 under the hood….so no tire-shredder.
From a styling standpoint these are BLAH both inside AND outside. But as the basis for a big-time sleeper you can’t do much better than a 70-71 Torino (or Fairlane), any body style.
Or how about a ‘70.5 Falcon with a 429 as a sleeper? Couldn’t have been many of those built.
There are a few around. I saw one with CT plates at a car show a few years ago. Had a “T” handled top loader too.
How cool to find the twin of the brochure car. The midsize buyer in 1971 had quite a variety of styles, with this car, the Satellite and the Chevelle. Three totally different design philosophies.
The 70-71 Torino (and Fairlane) was really cool from certain angles, and Mike may have picked the best angle that this car has for his opening shot. As a kid, I considered these cars extremely cool. The fact that the mother of a kid at school drove a red convertible with the fat yellow-Orange-Red side stripe didn’t hurt.
Unfortunately, as good as these looked, they did not feel substantial, and the interiors were deadly dull. The there was the rust. These things rusted like crazy I could see where the 72 Torino could have been seen as an upgrade, as it was a much more substantial feeling car. Between the two, however, I would take one of these today, just for the looks.
I must say I’m not familiar with this car at all, in fact I thought it was an Australian model because its proportions look too tidy for the era here in North America. Something about the front and rear styling also says ‘not from around here’ as well.
Anyone else?
I always thought they cribbed the Fiat Dino front end. Pretty good one to copy.
The funny thing is the first time I saw Mad Max 2/The Road Warrior I remember thinking the Interceptor was a heavily modified 70-71 Torino haha
Nar just a mildly modded 74/5 Falcon two door. the XB my favourite Ford from OZ.
+1 on the XB Bryce.
Me to till I clocked the Washington Licence plate. The styling must have been the best thing about it, reading about the models lack of performance and “nonhandling”. Guess most 70s american cars were built to a price ,to do the job and no more. Not many buyers cared or they all would have brought imports… just like what happened in the UK. The one and only British car. Ladies and gentleman I give you the Morgan…
I could happily drive this car or it’s Mercury relative, nice find. One of Americas best looking cars and another on my wish list.
Love the styling. Much better than the bloated Pinto influenced [see the 2 doors of both in profile] that came in 1972. Motor Trend’s Car Of The Year.
Still following that “bigger is better” theme, though and that was disappointing to see at the time. The 66-67 was trim compared to these. 68-69, as big as they ever should have gotten. Could be all in the styling, but “intermediate” only in relation to the full size Fords.
Used to think Mad Max car was a ’70 Torino, from the promos, but then learned it was an AUS movie.
Within a decade, Ford’s mid size line changed and demoted names quickly.
1967 Fairlane
1968-70 Fairlane/Torino
1971 Torino
1972-74 Gran Torino/Torino
1975-76 Gran Torino
1977 LTD II
Phew!!!
The base Torino line existed until 1976.
It’s always fun to see my one of my photos used for an Outtake. I found that car parked next to a tavern, and at first glance, I thought it was one those “Type N/W” special editions that were sold here in the northwest., but those had a black stripe on the rocker panel. I was very curious about what might be under the hood, but the owner was nowhere to be found.
“And why no post coupe version of the Fairlane? That’s because Ford did a rather odd thing in 1970, discontinuing the “real” Falcon at the end of the calendar year, and then replacing it with this 1970½ Falcon, a stripper Torino/Fairlane. That turned into a big dud almost instantly.”
It’s probably fair to call the 1970½ Falcon a dud, but I think it was always intended as a short-term fix, to bridge the gap between Ford taking the “real” 1970 Falcon out of production as of January 1, 1970 (choosing to discontinue it rather than upgrade it to comply with new ignition lock regulations which became effective on that date) and the arrival of an expanded 1971 Maverick lineup that would better replace the “real” Falcon (with a new 4-door sedan body on a longer wheelbase, and larger 250 and 302 cubic inch engines available). I don’t think Ford ever had any intention of continuing the 1970½ Falcon beyond the 1970 model year.
Calling the 1970.5 Fairlane pillared coupe a Falcon was really bizarre. It’s hard to believe that someone at Ford really felt that they needed to spend the money to tool up a 2-door Fairlane sedan for the brief period between the time the ‘real’ compact Falcon was discontinued and the 1971 Maverick got into dealership showrooms. I’d be very surprised if the 70.5 Fairlane-Falcon didn’t end up losing money for Ford. The only question would be how much.
OTOH, maybe it was some sort of ‘better safe than sorry’ thing where they didn’t know if the real Falcon would stay in production, or if the Maverick was going to get built as soon as it was. In either scenario, I guess they could have kept the Fairlane-Falcon in reserve as their pseudo compact car to be built longer, if necessary. Plus, there was always the chance it would simply catch on, and that, alone, would keep it going into 1971.
Also, the tooling difference may not have been all that much. I haven’t made a detailed comparison of Falcon sedan and Torino two-door hardtop bodies, but I would assume a lot of the shell is basically the same.
I don’t know. The Falcon not only had a frame around the door, it had vent windows, too, things no other Fairlane or Torino 2-door had. Add in what would be a specific quarter panel for the B-pillar, and it looks (to me, anyway) that the low sales would never recoup the development and tooling costs, especially for a low price car.
To me it looks like the quarter panel is identical, only with a window frame added in the existing opening
The circumstances make me inclined to think Matt is probably right. Different pieces don’t have to be identical to share the same tooling, and pieces that can be made with a minor modification or variation on the existing dies is obviously vastly cheaper than an all-new panel.
Easy to just add those window frames. Everything else is essentially the same.
I would concur with this. I suspect someone figured that there was a risk of a low-end buyer walking in, asking for a Falcon, and then balking at the idea of a base Fairlane on general principle (“A Fairlane? Nosir, that would be too expensive for me…”). A little silly, but no more so than pricing something at $1,999 rather than $2,000, and they did that all the time.
Imagine if Ford USA had picked up the latest revisions we Aussies made to the Falcon bodyshell. You reckon this would have sold in ’70?
No. Performance four doors were the kiss of death, and the Falcon four door already had a very dowdy image. Totally different market realities.
Posted in thread about the 70.5 Falcon, but there was a mild down turn in car sales in 1970, and there were all these ‘budget’ cars introduced that spring selling season.
I liked the quad-headlights and grill on the Fairlane/Falcon much more than the hide-aways and/or blacked-out grills of the high-trim Torino models.
IIRC, the Cobra trim kept the grill but did some tasteful black-out treatment that emphasized the chrome headlight trim rings and the horizontal bar on the grill.
While I prefer the simpler, exposed headlights and tasteful black-out grille of the lower Fairlane/Cobra cars, I must say that Ford did a good job of differentiating the grilles in a manner appropriate to the upper trims, too. IOW, someone looking to buy a Torino GT would probably want the busier grille or hideaway headlights to go along with the added stripes and chrome those cars got.
The 1970 Fairlane 500 also came in a wagon. My father purchased one in December 1969 which he kept for well over 200,000 miles until March 1981. It had a 302, three speed manual, power tailgate, and no other options.
These were among my favorites as a kid. I still like the fairly clean and simple rear, but I think the way the bulge of the fenders extends in a crease falling down across the doors makes the rest of the car look swollen and lumpy. Would love to clean up that beltline.
The Falcon was one of the 60’s most successful nameplates, only to be stuck on a bottom level after thought for 1970.5 and then dumped. A few years earlier Toyota introduced it’s Corolla. In very unAmerican fashion, they redesigned them repeatedly to this very day and they are still Corolla’s. Why American car companies drop names like Falcon, Valiant, Thunderbird and for many years Impala and Dart is lost on me. Pontiac shelved GTO for 40 years and when they brought it back, most of the market was too young to remember them. Ford made the Taurus a rental fleet queen ( also unthinkable), and destroyed the equity that they fought so hard for in doing so. Why oh why is the Thunderbird name collecting dust? If nothing else make an F150 Thunderbird, with every bell and whistle with a $60,000 price tag.
F150 Thunderbird? Huh?!
hehehe
Speaking of 1958, maybe they should have just reprised that year and tried something like this. Stretch it out and give it some RX8 style doors.
… and call it a spacecab.
It’s no weirder than a Ford Harley Davidson pickup.
The eternal problem is that familiar names can end up tarnished or associated with an image from which the manufacturer later becomes eager to distance itself. “Falcon” is a perfectly fine name, but by the late ’60s, the U.S. Falcon had become such a perpetually frumpy thing that it was a turnoff to younger buyers. Likewise the Valiant and Dart a few years later. The reason why the Corolla and Civic names have persisted is that they’ve been consistently successful and because the way they’re marketed hasn’t dramatically shifted.
The times Toyota and Honda have tried to do something different that’s intended to appeal to a different class of buyers, they’ve seldom hesitated to dispense with the names even if the mechanicals are clearly related. In fact, not doing so has often turned out to be a mistake. If either manufacturer ever decided it wanted to seriously reinvent its mainstream products or if they had a couple of bad generations, those names would go the same way.
Is it possible that there was a 2 door post sedan Fairlane at the beginning of the model year, before the Falcon version?
I know when I was very young, my folks had a ’70 Ford 2 door. I have always thought it was a Fairlane, and do not believe it was a hardtop.
Whatever it was, it was much cooler than the ’74 Pinto wagon that followed.
A case study in “product line extension:” two models with a substantial amount of established market identity – the Fairlane and Falcon – recast in identical sheet metal. Genius or suicide? Based on a friend’s experience who acquired one of those cars that year which self-destructed, I’d choose the latter.
We had a base ’70 Torino. Oddly, they didn’t differentiate the wheelcaps – the Fairlane, Falcon and Torino all share the same design.
I saw that car just the other day. It is still looking good, I am happy to report.
Does anybody now what colors they came in for that year my mom had one when I was a kid and if I can remember correctly it was a 500 Fairlane but it was like a canary yellow with the vinyl top but my dad took it off and painted it gloss black I would just love to have a pic of one if possible. Its proving hard to find