By the beginning of the 1960s, U.S.-built compact cars were starting to pop up everywhere. Ford’s entry was the Falcon which enjoyed an 11-year run from 1960 to 1970 (the name was briefly applied to a bare-bones Fairlane in 1970 1/2). After a great launch, the Falcon changed little from the prior year except for a new grille that was no longer concave. This 4-door sedan is a running project that doesn’t excel in the looks department but could be fixed up while you drive it. Located in Denver, Colorado, this Ford mini-me is available here on craigslist for $2,300 OBO. Thanks to Barn Finder Mike F. for a tip for “the world’s most successful new car” (Ford’s 1961 Falcon advertisement).
Ford and Chevrolet remained the top two best-selling automobile brands in the U.S. in 1960. Both got into the compact car space that year. While the Chevy Corvair was unorthodox by comparison (rear-mounted, air-cooled engine), the Ford Falcon followed conventional wisdom. A meager 144 cubic inch I-6 engine rode up front along with a radiator because it was water-cooled like every other Ford. Both cars sold well, but the Falcon did just a little better.
The Falcon left a footprint for many other FOMOCO cars to follow. The Comet (Mercury), Mustang, and Maverick all had a variation of the underpinnings of the successful Falcon. The seller’s 1961 sedan doesn’t seem to be loaded with options as the 170 inline-6 might have been the only extra ($37.40 more). It has a “3-on-the-tree” manual transmission, which is likely how many of these cars were sold in the name of low price and fuel economy.
This Ford once had shiny red paint, but that’s mostly a memory now. And we hope rust hasn’t become a problem in this unibody automobile. We’re told the mileage is 35,000, but that could very well be 135,000 since odometers started over at 100k back then. The seller says this Falcon runs and drives, but not how well although some parts like the carburetor, alternator (wouldn’t that be a generator?), and starter are new or newer. Since the seller says to bring a tow truck, the car may only be reliable enough for trips around the block. Remember when cars like this were commonplace everywhere? Not an electric convenience, backup camera, or GPS in sight!
Like someone pointed out the other day, $2,000 is the going rate for what used to be the old $500 beater. Even at that, I’d still give this a hard pass.
Steve R
$500? Try $50 in my day. I bought two.
So true Shuttle!
I bought a ‘65 Chevelle Malibu 2-door HT roller for $25.00 back in 1978
Slapped the 283 pglide in it from my wrecked 4-door and I was good to go till I crashed that one also about a year later!
lol
No injuries
Or about $1000 if it had a good set of tires which they usually did not.
Oh no, this is a good runner, I had a 62, nice little cruiser, always started and I regret selling it.
Already gone
He deleted the ad, put a new one up, now he wants $2800.
Yep he figured higher price for more pocket money
https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/denver-1961-ford-falcon/7812750184.html
He sure did, must have seen the Barn Finds post
https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/denver-1961-ford-falcon/7812750184.html
Too many doors. I like the later Futura model coupes and convertibles. However when I checked the original listing was gone but the identical car just popped up on CL for $2800.
Would love to have one of these… in nice condition.
Had a 62 automatic ,ran tall skinny studded snow tires,went better than my YJ,XJ, couple Toyotas in snow and ice, didn’t have power to spin, unstoppable…
These were everywhere in Australia back in the day, although perhaps with stronger suspension. We had a mid 60s wagon as a kid and dad used to pull out tree stumps with it and there were lots of ute versions on farms. Good solid car that ate up dirt roads and never let you down.
Half the teachers at my elementary school drove these. Like them, no style but solid. The cute one(mine) drove an Impala convertible.
I had one just like this in white with a 2-speed automatic. Drove like a tank in the snow. I remember driving by several cars that were stuck. I bought it from a family with a bunch of girls. They had bought the car new and passed it down from one to the next as they became old enough to drive. I bought it from them for $75 (actually $74.75 as that was all the cash I had) when the youngest one went off to college.
This is about as much car as most people need. Inoffensive to look at, cheap to buy, cheap to operate and cheap to service and repair. Tool kit consists of 2 screw drivers, pliers, crescent wrench and hammer. Manufacturers claim that they can’t make a profit selling this class of automobile. That kind of thinking is the result of many choices they have made over decades prioritizing profits and shareholder value over actual end users of the manufactured goods. I don’t know what it would take to alter their business model other than severe economic collapse or other catastrophic event.
It conveys a humble image and Falcon owners are self assured with healthy ego strength.
I caution you that my expressed opinions may be crapola but are nonetheless genuine twaddle.
I agree! The market is open for another “people’s car” or perhaps a whole class of them. Low-cost, low-tech, economical cars. We’ll see if and when the first automaker seizes that opportunity.
You’ll never see it. Just CAFE standards alone require engine technology that is highly advanced to the point of being non repairable. Add on various safety requirements and you have a car that’s far beyomd the scope of simplicity.
Relisted on craigslist for $2800 https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/denver-1961-ford-falcon/7812750184.html
I’m w/Paolo.
Surprised they put the hot water choke to the flee-bay chinese 1904.
Lub dat carb w/da glass bowl (it replaces that flanged alu rectangle w/the inch’n a 1/2 cylinder on frnt). Dont like that style choke.
Also lub me the grill & ‘round bodied’ models (’60/‘3). Too angular/chromed after that (’64 on)… the 2 inch longer WB models (111’), last 6 yrs (65+) are rare and Nova- (post Cheb II, NUMMI) -like. So for me it’s the 1st’n last (skip ’64 – ’65). B it chero, waggy, vert or van p/u (& van), EB (my early bronk) or stang – all are falcons to me. The successful challenge to the ve dub Bug, decimating the merican auto industry (’45 start here. By ’72 it passed the Model T to be the most produced/sold single platform model ever), launching the suv AND muscle car craze (much of what’s still here in modern form). Dont call the lill car humble, eh?
The hot water hoses under the carb do not control the choke. The system was designed to heat the base of the carb to prevent icing. If this model didn’t have a hand choke, then it had a heat tube from the exhaust manifold to thermostatic choke spring.
Nothing a Good seat cover can’t fix!
All of us of a certain vintage remember when $500 bought a decent car. In fact when I first started buying; this was top dollar in the previously well loved market. It wasn’t hard to find a car that actually moved under its own power for $50-100. Like other commenters have said a beater these days is at a minimum $2,000. This Falcon was so ubiquitous back in the day because so many people wanted/needed economical transportation. This is still true today to a certain extent. But wind up windows, three on the tree and manual everything won’t cut it now. Times sure have changed. A/C, touch screen and Apple Play are mandatory. The economy car of today is not your grandfather’s Falcon. Happy holidays.
And those $2000 dollar beaters have so many hidden issues due to all the electronics that they need a bunch of repairs before they can be driven or pass emissions.
How many hurricane storm surge salt water flooded vehicles are making their way into CoPart yards and then into the hands of people who are trying to flip them? 10,000? 100.000? In order to bypass the registration and inspection rigamarole that comes with trying to get a vehicle with a salvage tile back on the road I can speculate that a big chunk of these get a quick once-over before being stuffed into shipping containers and sent to war torn parts of the world that have suffered massive harm to civilian infrastructure. Places that need a huge influx of vehicles to replace the ones destroyed by bombs and rockets. Central Africa, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Ukraine all come to mind. When I see news footage from these places my morbid curiosity compels me to try and identify any destroyed cars and trucks I see.
A white ’61 was my first car. Bought it from my next door neighbor for $100 ! It was in great shape and used it to go to school when gas was only 32 cents ! Never had any problems with it.
This is a great car. But at $2,500. was stretching it and now it seems seller has raised the price?
A simple car that the average person could understand and fix on their own if they had any mechanical ability.
I’d consider it but not at sellers price, before or after the rise.
The Falcon has to have been one of Ford’s brightest ideas
It trounced Corvair in sales. 1961 450,000 units vs 230,000 for the Chevy, and it was much cheaper to produce
It spawned the Mustang, Fairlane, Granada, and Maverick, as well as the Mercury’s Comet and Cougar, as well as the Lincoln Versailles. Don’t forget the Canadian Frontenac! (Easy to forget: one-year only!)
It was built in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, and Australia.
Launched in 1960, it was in production in Argentina until 1991
That is on success!