Retro Stories by David Burrell
I’m an American car fan and the Australia built 1959-62 Fairlane has always been a favourite. I like its shape and lines, so much so that in January 1973 I almost bought one—a Custom 300—as my first car.
In those days I was a cash poor first year university student who needed a car. After visiting many used car yards and seeing all manner of woeful examples of Holdens, Falcons, Zephyrs, Hillman Minxs, Morris Majors and such like, I’d narrowed the choice down to a 1961 Vauxhall Velox and the Fairlane. My limit was $220.
The Ford and the Vauxhall were lurking in a dubious lot on Tudor Street, in Newcastle. Both had “FOR SALE $210” signs covering their grimy windscreens.
Make no mistake, both were cheap cars. As a comparison, a new Holden Kingswood with a few options was $3,500. Yet neither was cheap when new.
Looking up the new car prices in the Wheels magazines in the AMHF’s collection reveals that in 1961 the Vauxhall retailed for £1,388 ($2,776), compared to a Holden Special at £1,169 ($2,338).
The cheapest ’59 Fairlane, the 300, was £2,173 ($4,346). The more “luxurious” 500 would set you back £2,463 ($4,926).
That both, barely a decade old, were now selling for less than 7% of their new car price shows how unfashionable their 1960s wrap around windscreens and rear fins had become.
The Fairlane was in reasonable condition. A test drive showed that the 204 hp/152 kW, 332-cu.in/5.4 litre V8 engine did not blow any smoke, the brakes worked and the three speed manual gearbox did its job. No doubt about it, it was a powerful and fast car. Magazine tests in 1960 reported zero to 100kph in 12 seconds.
But, it was BIG. At 76 inches/1930mm wide and 208 inches/5283mm long, it occupied a significant slice of the road. It weighed a hefty 3550 pounds/1610kgs.
The 300’s size and weight meant its fuel economy was not a strong point, and by then it had earnt the nickname of “Tank” Fairlane. Given my lack of cash I knew I could not afford the petrol, even in 1973 when fuel was cheap. And what of the repair costs if there was a problem with the V8? Buying the Fairlane would have been a fabulously extravagant choice, but in the end my wallet ruled my heart. The Vauxhall it was.
What a clunker it turned out to be!! Clever use of fibreglass hid the extensive ravages of rust. My friends unkindly observed that with so much fibreglass it would easily float. It displayed dangerous handling habits and had very little in the way of brakes. It was such a bad car I never took a photo of it.
By early 1974 the Velox was gone, swapped for my mother’s 1968 Holden Kingswood. She used the Vauxhall as a $300 trade in on a new Datsun 120Y. And, before you laugh at the 120Y, let me tell you it was the most trouble-free car my family has ever owned. For 15 years it did heroic service, using almost no petrol.
I never did buy a “Tank” Fairlane, but in 1998 a 1961 Pontiac Laurentian found its way into my garage. In early 2007 I replaced it with a pristine ’64 Pontiac Parisienne. Both are stories for the future.
