Ford Fairmont: Traditional Automotive Adverts | The Every day Drive

July 12, 2025

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Promoting within the consolation zone.

1981 Ford Fairmont

Again in 1978, had been you to ask a five-year outdated youngster to attract a automobile, she or he would possible—and fairly by chance—draw one thing that appeared quite a bit like a Ford Fairmont.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 only most anonymous-looking automobile ever retailed within the U.S. by Ford.

Ford Fairmont: Traditional Automotive Adverts

I’ve written concerning the hubris of Seventies Ford Granada advertisements, advertisements that in contrast the small Ford to the likes of the Cadillac Seville, Volkswagen Rabbit, and even the Mercedes-Benz SLC sporty coupe. You may examine these advertisements out right here.

Ford took a really completely different tack with the Fairmont, which slotted under 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 mirror that actuality. Provided as 2-door sedan, 4-door sedan, station wagon, and barely rakish coupe, the Fairmont appeared 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 uninteresting however acquainted profile appealed to buyers bored with change and turmoil.

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

This was in distinction to Normal Motors’ new “X-Automobiles” which arrive 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 had been radical, with unusual physique varieties, together with a 4-door hatchback, front-wheel drive, and transverse-mounted engines. Whereas the X Automobiles had been forward of their time, many patrons weren’t prepared for that a lot change.

Trying again, the Fairmont will 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 virtually 1.6 million gross sales through the vehicles’ six-year run. So, yeah, the uninteresting and boxy Fairmont could have appeared like a baby’s drawing, nevertheless it precisely met the wants of a variety of People throughout a turbulent time.