Basic Cheap Big Car: 1960 Ford Fairlane

Ford’s big news in 1960 was the addition of the Falcon compact. But that didn’t stop them from selling nearly one million full-size cars, too, with the Fairlane, Fairlane 500, and Galaxie being the choices, plus station wagons. Gone was the boxy styling of the 1957-59 models, taking on a futuristic look with a flat deck with bat-wing fins that you could land a helicopter on. The seller has a base ’60 Fairlane 2-door sedan with no apparent frills. If you needed new cheap wheels back in the day, this was the one for you. Located in Willard, Missouri, this bare-bones survivor is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $5,000.

Ford sold more than 93,000 Fairlane coupes like this one in 1960, split between inline-sixes and V8s. This one has the 145 hp, 223 cubic inch “Mileage Maker” 6-banger with a “3-on-the-tree” manual transmission. You weren’t going to get anywhere fast, but you might pass a few gas stations along the way. If the base Fairlane with its rubber floor coverings was a little too drab for you, you could step up to the Fairlane 500 or the Galaxie, the latter being on par with the Chevy Impala.

The seller refers to this Ford as a “10-footer”, but the photos suggest you might be able to get a couple of feet closer before flaws begin to pop out. There appears to be no visible rust or big dents, and the light blue paint may or may not be original. The interior is okay, and the factory upholstery may be hiding under the covers seen on top. If you are interested in a driver rather than a show car, they should do just fine.

Rather than plug in the actual odometer reading, the seller opts for a placeholder in the 1,000,000-mile range. But the Ford starts and runs every time, so it seems like a reliable set of wheels. If you’re looking for a way to get into vintage car collecting on a budget, why not start here? Thanks for the tip, Barn Finder Terry.