The Ford Fairmont was a mid-sized sedan made in the late 1970s that was built for fuel economy and efficiency. The Fairmont made its debut in 1978 with a design that featured a European flair and European-like handling. "Road and Track" magazine rated it and its sibling, the Mercury Zephyr, the best American-made sedan priced between $5,000 and $7,500 in the U.S. for 1978. The car was available in a variety of sedans as well as a sports coupe and a wagon.
Models
The 1978 Ford Fairmont came in a variety of models, including two-door and four-door sedans, as well as a wagon in its base model package. A Fairmont Futura four-door sedan, which had a nicer trim package, was available, as was a Futura sports coupe.
Three basic engines were available with either a V6 or a V8 configuration. The largest engine was a 5.0 liter, as fuel economy was a major concern and the engines were kept relatively small in this car. All three models were available with three-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmissions.
Engines
The smallest engine was the 2.3 liter, 140 cubic inch V-6 that produced 88 horsepower and 118 foot-pounds of torque, or pulling power. The bore and stroke, or size of the piston and the distance it travels, was 3.78 and 3.12 inches. The fuel and air mixture from the two-barrel carburetor was compressed to a 9 to 1 ratio.
The middle engine was an in-line 3.3 liter, six-cylinder engine that produced 85 horsepower and 154 foot-pounds of torque. The bore and stroke was 3.68 and 3.13 inches, with a compression ratio of 8.5 to 1.
The largest engine was the 5.0 liter, 301 cubic inch V8 engine that produced 139 horsepower and 250 foot-pounds of torque. The bore and stroke was 4.0 and 3.0 inches, respectively, and the compression ratio was 8.4 to 1.
Dimensions
All of the Ford Fairmont models had a 105-inch wheelbase and measured 193 inches long, 70 inches wide and 53.5 inches tall. The front track, or distance between wheels, was 56.6 inches and the rear track was 57 inches.
The Fairmont had a 16-gallon gas tank and averaged around 20 miles per gallon of gas. Depending on the model, it weighed between 2,700 and 3,000 pounds. The top speed rating for any of the Fairmonts was between 92 and 96 miles per hour.
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