If you want to give yourself a taste of déjà vu, simply trawl through eBay until you spot a car you have seen in person, perhaps you spotted it a few months ago while on vacation. That’s what happened when this ’67 Ford Fairlane Squire wagon caught my eye, as I actually gave it quite the once-over while vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard this summer. What struck me was how perfect the setting was: a beachside community, surfer dudes strutting everywhere, kids in their lifeguard sweatshirts getting ice cream, and this very original Fairlane Squire wagon sitting amidst it all, just fitting in like it had been there since the swingin’ 60s. You can now find it here on eBay with a BIN of $10,000. Ferry trip included at no charge!
I remember this car vividly. The paint was strong, the wood trim was largely intact and it just felt well loved. Coupled with the healthy chrome trim and polished hubcaps and this old wagon is still a stunner. More than that, the interior looked new, as verified by the photos. Too often, I see vehicles that have lead tough lives by the water, clearly suffering the consequences of use. From torn vinyl seating and beat up body panels to bearing the scars of environmental damage like cracked dashes and pitted chrome, beach life may be fun but it’s no picnic for the vehicles we use to go from the shack to the surf. Thankfully, this Fairlane has an intriguing history that kept it preserved in spite of sand and sun.
The seller notes that the car remained with its first owner for many years, deep in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. It was purchased by the founder of a multi-generation family owned business. When the grandson entered the company, he did some analysis of expenses and his quick accounting exercise revealed that the family had been paying for garage storage for 32 years, but for what purpose? It was then that the Fairlane was discovered and the grandson quickly disposed of it with under 40,000 miles on the clock. I wonder what the current seller was thinking when he got the car and attempted to navigate it across an island. Perhaps the sheer length of the wagon made it too difficult to park on the Vineyard’s narrow roads!
Hemmings pegs high values for the Fairlane Squire at just under $11,000. While this car looks like it has potential to meet that benchmark, the seller doesn’t do himself many favors acting a bit coy about the rust. He indicates that there could be some rust underneath, but it’s nothing he has bothered to verify. It doesn’t take too much effort to snap a few pictures of the car’s belly, so hopefully the ad gets updated soon. Mainly, I’ll be a bit bummed not seeing this charming Fairlane Squire parked near the town square in Oak Bluffs this coming summer. It seemed like the perfect car for an American island and I hope the seller at least finds something equally intriguing to park in its place. Do you have a wagon that dons surfboards when the beach comes calling?
70’s suburban mommy hauler. But this is not a $10K car by a long shot.Sort of a Country Squire Jr.but actually a really useful car. The dark colored paint on Fords held up much better than the white. I had a Mercury version of this and liked the car. The auto transmission developed troubles after a couple of bad winters, but Ford had a cold weather kit that cured that problem. Gas mileage was a pleasant surprise once you got it rolling, well up ino the 20’s. One of Fords better efforts in the 70’s.
Nice old Ford.. I see some damage to the grill, and bumper. Someone hit this car in the front. Typical rust on the bumpers, and mirrors, and the taillight bezels show corrosion. This car needs to be buffed out, and the wood needs mold removal. I would look at the underside for rust issues.
That front end damage may be typical of New York parking style – bumping the cars in front and in the back to wedge yourself in. Probably spent a good number of years in the City…
Definitely not a bargain. The engine bay reveals quie a bit of oxidation, which may or may not be indicative of the rust condition but being with the first owner deep in the heart of Brooklyn does not mean it was stored in the heart of Brooklyn. And even if it was, few miles away from the coast AND in humid summer and salty winters does not make much of difference…
The big Detroit wagons from 60’s and 70’s have a very strong following and thus can command very surprising prices. I found that out first hand when shopping for a Ford Torino wagon a few years back. I do have wagon now, not a Torino but an E39 Touring that I bought for much less than anything comparable in US vintage wagons….
Could you get a 390 in these?
Yes. I had a 66 silver-blue wagon with a 390, automatic, 15″ rims and mustang style wire wheel covers. It was a blast to drive. But one day, while backing up the street (which was being replaced) I stepped on the brake and the front bench seat let loose from the floor leaving me lying on my back with my feet in the air as the car propelled it self into the front of a steamroller.
These things were everywhere back in the ’60s and ’70s, standard family haulers. And the comment about it being so long tickled me. The Fairlane was “mid-sized”, in Detroit parlance, compared to the Country Squire! So not the biggest at all. Nice to see one in presentable condition after all these years, though the Brooklyn and Vineyard heritage would make me want to examine it very carefully for rust. And just getting some of those oxidized nuts and bolts off for service would be a bit of a chore at the start. If it checks out rust-wise, someone should grab this and get it out on the highways and byways again!
I’ve seen a few references to the size – obviously not the biggest you could own, but in terms of both modern-day “haulers” and what’s suitable for island parking, the Fairlane may as well be a limo. ;-)
There was one of these in the bushes next to my fathers house in the late 60’s-early 70’s. I used to use it as a trampoline when I was a kid. When I was 16 in the 1980’s I asked my father who’s it was and he said he thought it was my uncles. So I asked my uncle who’s it was and he said he thought it was my fathers! So I did some research and found out it was neither of theirs and was stolen from New York City when it was almost new, driven upstate and then dumped. It must have sat there in the bushes for 20 years before my father called the junkyard to haul it away…
ooops, how about returning it to the owner ?
A stolen car in New York will never find it’s owner after 20 years. The state police purge their records every few years. I had a super rare Porsche 928 Weissach Edition stolen from me in 2000 and a 1969 Firebird convertible stolen in 2001 when I was out of the country. When I got back in 2005 I went to the state police to see if they had any new info on them and they said they don’t have it in their database anymore because it was stolen too long ago… I later heard that someone spotted the 928 in a nearby town, but I’m not a detective so looked but never found it… I do have the vin tag to the station wagon, if someone has a way to find it’s owner…
I was considering one of these a few years back, as they came with a third jump seat in the back.
Not this one.
Looks like this was driven hard for 138k miles and then put away wet.
Newly out of storage from what it looks like but not cleaned up,
not enough for ten grand, that is.
too many other SWs out there with less rust to think about this one. but if it does not sell than do the PI and make the seller an offer. nice find
Tom, that’s a sad story! Did your 928 still have the 3-piece luggage set?
I never got either of the cars back, they’re probably in collections now…
@tom999p
Don’t give up hope!
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/17/nyregion/17corvette.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0