2003 Fairlaine

[richdave]

Not the best pics I've ever taken 1 - 2

[richdave]

2 - 2

[Guest PaulST]

Thanks for the close-up photos!

One thing I'm not sure about is the rear end how there is such a vast expanse of metal around the Ford logo, mabey a fet indents would make it look abit better?

[Guest XR6T BEAR]

I like the look of this, way better than the au ever was, looks less of a barge and more of a car, backs a little plain but otherwise it looks nice. fronts a great improvement.

[Mondie]

l wonder what sort of l@rdarse Ford have created here given the weight of the BA.

If a Pursuit ute can crack the scales at 1870kg, l am betting the new Fairlane will give two tons a big fright

[Guest Phantom]

Looks like a great car for a funeral.

[Guest BAnter]

Overall, an improvement over the garish AU models.

However, I do wish that both Ford and Expensive Daewoo would learn that slapping on some chrome strips do not make a luxury car. The chrome strip under the headlights looks tacky and overdone. The horrible garnish across the boot at the rear looks very American - and no-one outside the US takes American attempts at luxury cars seriously.

Please, please, how about a bit of restrained elegance, and concentrating on what makes a lreal uxury car - sophistication, engineering and quality..

Personally, I've never seen the point of these cars (Fairlane/LTD/Statesman) anyway - hardly anyone needs the extra legroom in the back except parents of teenage basketballers and politicians. They're not realistic rivals for proper luxury cars anyway, because they lack the quality and engineering input, so why bother? Would they even make a decent profit on them, given the small numbers they sell?

I think Ford is on a much better bet investing in things like the Territory, which could really open up new markets for them, here and perhaps overseas. And its an area where Ford can meet the requirments of the buyers of these types of vehicles and win sales from Japanese and European makers.

[Falchoon]

Article and pic from drive.com.au

Sporty G220 Fairlane out to make up lost ground

By Alexander Corne

The Age

Thursday March 6 2003

Ford is readying a sporty new Fairlane to try to win back lost ground in the local limousine wars.

The new G220 (pictured) will sit above the BA Fairlane Ghia and below the LTD when the new stretched Falcon-derived models arrive in July.

The long-wheelbase cars pick up all the mechanical changes and additions of the BA Falcon range including Tiptronic-style automatic transmission, Control Blade independent rear suspension and the new straight six and three-valve V8 engines.

The G220 features the 220kW, 5.4-litre V8, sporty multi-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels as well as red leather interior and Teutonic-style brushed aluminium trim in place of wood grain -- all aimed at setting the G220 apart from the limo-hire market Ghia and CEO-oriented LTD.

Ford hopes to reach down to younger buyers with the G220 -- in a similar way to the sportier BA Fairmont Ghia - after receiving a pasting in the LWB sales race from Expensive Daewoo in recent years.

The battle lines will be drawn in late April when Expensive Daewoo wheels out its updated Statesman and Caprice models. The mid-life update changes to the LWB Holdens are not expected to be as dramatic as those carved into the BA Fairlane models, which for the first time have seen substantial sheet metal changes.

"This is the first time ever we have done rear sheet metal on a Fairlane at this point in the cycle," Ford Australia president Geoff Polites said at the unveiling of the G220 at the Melbourne motor show.

Ford has effectively grafted the BA Falcon nose on to the Fairlane, while it has slimmed down the boxy tail and inserted Falcon-like lamps.

Ford thought it would be acing Holden's new Statesman by revealing the G220 early, but realised it had been double-bluffed when the big Holdens failed to appear at the show.

A Fairlane built by Ford Performance Vehicles is also a possibility.

[Guest news]

The Ford press release.

An all-new performance version will spearhead Ford's prestige line-up when the BA Fairlane launches later this year.

The Fairlane G220 will redefine the term prestige performance car with a heady mix of standard Barra 220 5.4-litre V8 engine, responsive sports tuned Control Blade IRS, 17-inch alloy wheels and a range of interior options to set it apart from its long wheel base siblings.

Inside, occupants will immediately notice the new red leather seats and the absence of woodgrain inserts, replaced by a futuristic brushed aluminium finish.

"This is the luxury car that lifts you out of the back seat and puts you firmly behind the driver's wheel," Market and Sales Vice President Bruce McDonald said.

"The BA Falcon has redefined its market in terms of performance and handling, and the Fairlane will do the same in its segment.

"Our engineers are talking about the handling of the prototype vehicles as cars that defy their generous dimensions."

While the performance oriented Fairlane G220 is aimed at a younger market, traditional Fairlane Ghia and LTD buyers have not been overlooked with a sumptuous interior of warm charcoal leather, lashings of woodtrim, plush ride and outstanding levels of comfort.

The long wheelbase versions of BA will feature all the upgrades that helped make the new Falcon the most awarded car of 2002.

An all-new exterior and interior design, new engines and the much-lauded Control Blade IRS will all combine to make the BA Fairlane and LTD class leaders.

"Fairlane is a special car for Ford Australia. We created the locally built long wheelbase segment with the revolutionary ZA Fairlane in 1967 and the BA version represents nearly 40 years of fine tuning that concept," McDonald said.

The new Fairlane, G220 and LTD will go on sale on July 1. Pricing will be released at launch.

[CJF077]

I like it.. especially with dark windows.. very classy