When the 426 Hemi was introduced for street-going Plymouth and Dodge models for 1966, around 2,700 B-bodies ended up being built for homologation purposes. In contrast, when the redesigned Fairlane was introduced the same model year, Ford built only 57. Our Pick of the Day is one of these rare and unusual Blue Oval vehicles, a 1966 Fairlane 500 two-door hardtop. It is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Laval, Quebec, Canada.
Nineteen sixty-six was a big year for Ford: it won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, introduced the 428, and the Fairlane GT became its answer to the Pontiac GTO. Available as a nicely trimmed hardtop or convertible, the Fairlane GT was advertised in a famous ad that appeared to be a recipe on cooking a tiger—a nod to the Fairlane cooking the “GeeTO Tiger” in performance. However, the truth was the opposite.
Everything about the Fairlane GT was tasteful and upscale, with generous touches of chrome trim everywhere, from the exterior and interior to the engine bay. However, the 335-horsepower 390 was not cutting it on the drag strip. Sure, Pontiac’s standard 389 was rated the same, but Pontiac also had Tri-Power with 360 horsepower, while Ford offered no optional engines. “Genuine Imitation Joins the Supercar Spectrum,” said Car Life in March 1966 after ripping 15.4 ETs. “The GTA’s problem is, quite simply, not enough power.”
So where did that “A” come from? Ford’s new Sport Shift Cruise-O-Matic Drive turned the GT into a GTA. What was unique about this transmission was the three gears (compared to the GTO automatic’s two) with a mechanism to permit both manual and automatic shifting.
However, in the spring of 1966, Ford introduced a Fairlane 500 hardtop with a 427 side-oiler. This car was produced for organized drag racing, though the Fairlane as built was quite stock. Why choose a Fairlane 500 hardtop instead of a Fairlane Club Coupe or even a Fairlane GT? No one knows, but all 57 built were identical: Wimbledon White with black interior, four-speed, fiberglass scooped hood, dual-quad 427, 3.89 limited-slip rear, transistorized ignition, extra cooling package, and 7.75 x 14-inch blackwalls.
Ford would increase the availability of the 427 for 1967 for all Fairlane models save, strangely, the GT (though one was built), and available with a single four-barrel as well. However, even with 230 built, the 1967 Fairlane 427 was not enough to make a strong impact against Brand X. That makes this 427-powered 1966 Fairlane 500 two-door hardtop quite an important artifact of Ford’s “Total Performance” days. Known as an R-code due to the engine code in the VIN, this sanitary Blue Oval is claimed to have 5,140 miles on the original driveline, engine, transmission, and differential. The original Firestone Deluxe Champions reside on the front, while M&H Racemasters support the rear, with the original spare in the trunk.
If you were going to create a museum and feature seminal performance cars of the era, this would be one—some folks may call it a “bucket list” car. If you’re putting together the best of the best, we imagine it’s worth your time to “Contact Seller” and ask about the price.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
