Ford Fairlane (Australia)

Ford Fairlane
Overview
Manufacturer	Ford Australia
Also called	Ford LTD
Production	1959–2007
Assembly	Broadmeadows Eagle Farm
Body and chassis
Class	Full-size luxury car
Body style	4-door sedan
Related	Ford Falcon (Australia)

The Ford Fairlane and LTD are full-sized luxury vehicles^[1] produced in a series of models by Ford Australia between 1959 (with the LTD commencing production in 1973) and 2007.

From 1959 to 1964, the Fairlane was a locally assembled version of the American Ford Fairlane, which had taken its name from Henry Ford's estate, Fair Lane, near Dearborn, Michigan. The car was Ford Australia's top-of-the-range model until replaced by an Australian-assembled version of the full-sized American Ford Galaxie. In 1967, Ford Australia reintroduced the Fairlane, this time as an Australian-developed, luxury, long-wheelbase version of its mainstream Falcon/Fairmont, positioned between the Falcon and the Galaxie. The locally assembled Galaxie evolved into the LTD which was itself replaced in 1973 by an Australian-developed, Fairlane-based model, also known as the Ford LTD. Unlike its designation in Australia, in North America the LTD was not considered a luxury vehicle. In Australia, "LTD" originally stood for "Lincoln Type Design", although Ford Australia later promoted a connection with the meaning "Limited".^[2][3]

The Fairlane and LTD competed in the marketplace with the Holden Brougham (1968–1971), the Statesman (1971–1984), and later with the Holden Statesman and Caprice (1990–2007).

Ford produced the Fairlane/LTD at the Broadmeadows Assembly Plant and Eagle Farm, Queensland, in the early years. Until around March/April 1978 with the upcoming release of the Ford Falcon (XD) and its derivatives, Ford consolidated Falcon production at Campbellfield and Fairlane/LTD manufacturing to Eagle Farm. Around the release of the next generation during the EA Falcon era (1988), Eagle Farm ceased manufacture of cars and only produced heavy trucks until its closure in 1998.