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HomePick of the DayNice survivor 1963 Ford Fairlane

Nice survivor 1963 Ford Fairlane

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Often forgotten in the realm of early 1960s Fords is the attractive midsize Fairlane, generally overshadowed by the full-size Galaxie on the one hand and the popular compact Falcon on the other. But the Ford Fairlane has much going for it, as anyone who’s driven one would know. 

The Pick of the Day is a 1963 Ford Fairlane 500 hardtop coupe, a top-drawer model said to be a two-owner car with just over 70,000 miles and in great condition. The car is powered by Ford’s lightweight 221cid Windsor V8 rated at 145 horsepower, with automatic transmission and power steering. 

Ford Fairlane
A pair of pert tailfins adorn the rear of the Fairlane

This was the second year that Fairlane was produced as an intermediate car, 12 inches shorter than the Galaxie and 16 inches longer than the Falcon. Its name, by the way, was derived from Henry Ford’s Michigan estate, Fair Lane.

The Fairlane is largely in factory condition, aside from a repaint “many years ago” that is now fading, according to the Greene, Iowa, dealer advertising the car on ClassicCars.com. The only changes from stock mentioned in the ad are an aftermarket tachometer and an FM converter for the AM radio. 

“Its original two-tone interior is in impeccable condition,” the dealer adds.

Ford Fairlane
The original interior is said to be in in excellent shape

The coupe rides on its original steel wheels and dog-dish hubcaps, although the dealer suggests that a set of custom mags would “really change this car from a stock original to a beautiful head turner.” I tend to disagree, liking what I see right here.

Model year 1963 was a stylistic standout for Ford cars in general, partially because of the adaptation across the model range of the “Thunderbird roofline” with its wide C-pillar. It certainly works on the Fairlane. Front-end styling for the ’63 Fairlane was similar to that of the Galaxie, while the interior received some of the higher-end components of the bigger car. 

The Fairlane looks very straight in the photos accompanying the ad, and fairly priced at $17,995.

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.

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Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen is a longtime automotive writer and editor, focusing on new vehicles, collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. He is the former automotive writer and editor for The Arizona Republic and SPEED.com, the website for the SPEED motorsports channel. He has written free-lance articles for a number of publications, including Autoweek, The New York Times and Barrett-Jackson auction catalogs. A collector car enthusiast with a wide range of knowledge about the old cars that we all love and desire, Bob enjoys tinkering with archaic machinery. His current obsession is a 1962 Porsche 356 Super coupe.

8 COMMENTS

  1. The only flaws I see are the customized(?) taillight lenses and a crooked rear bumper…also, those ‘dog dish’ hubcaps are circa 1953. I’d want to put the correct ones on it, but that’s just me…? Other wise, a gorgeous example of the Ford midsize 🙂

    • Hey, at least they’re not 20” billet aluminum wheels and modern led tail lights…these definitely compliment the car.

  2. Of all the Fairlanes Ford built I think the 63 Sports Coupe is the best looking. Back in the day we’d pull the factory Windsor, Drop in a 390 or 406 with the C-6 automatic. Out would come the inner headlights in favor of ram air ducting. These cars were light by todays standard, very easy to do swaps or work on, had a solid frame, rear end structure where there was much room for the power to grow and all wrapped up in a very pretty package. Whether the next owner of this car uses it as the basis for a stylish resto-mod or keeps it bone stock a nice set of Cragar SS mags (true to the era) and some wider tires would make this a street dream. Good price for a sweet car.

    • Nice review Alex. Good solid ideas. I lean towards keeping it stock myself, not many good ones left. But the new owner gets to choose of course. Beautiful car.

  3. that looks exactly like the ’63 I had including the 221 engine! man did I love driving that car! where is this car located? I live in Oregon back then

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