• In 1962, the Ford Fairlane was changed from Ford's full-sized option to the intermediate option.Vintage Car Engine image by itsallgood from Fotolia.com
  
  The Ford Fairlane was introduced in 1955 as a full-size model and was reborn in 1962 as Ford's intermediate class option. The Fairlane was lighter and shorter than Ford's full-size option, but had the same powerful engine, making it a force to be reckoned with in the muscle car market. It was available as a two-door hardtop, four-door sedan and could be optimized with 500-Model and a 500-Sport performance and trim packages.
  
  

Engine Specifications

• The 1962 Ford Fairlane had several engine options to choose from. New for 1962 was the 221-cubic inch, lightweight V8 which could produce 145 horsepower at 4,400 revolutions per minute. There was an optional 260 Challenger, a bored out version of the 221. Other engines available for 1962 included the 223-cubic inch Inline 6, which was capable of producing 138 horsepower at 4,200 revolutions per minute. The 292-cubic inch V8 could produce 170 horsepower at 4,200 revolutions per minute. The 352-cubic inch V8 was capable of producing 220 horsepower at 4,300 revolutions per minute. There were two versions of the 390-cubic inch V8 available for 1962. One was capable of producing 300 horsepower at 4,600 revolutions per minute; the other was capable of producing 340 horsepower at 5,000 revolutions per minute.
  
  

Drive-train Specifications

• The standard transmission for the Ford Fairlane was the three-speed manual transmission with the gear shifter mounted on the steering column. The Ford-o-matic automatic transmission was the optional transmission for the Fairlane. The Fairlane had a 115-inch wheel base and 6.5- by 13-inch tires for the six cylinder models and 7- by 13-inch for the V8 models. The overall length of the 1962 Ford Fairlane was 197.6 inches, just shorter than the full-sized Ford Galaxy and a little longer than the compact Falcon.
  
  

Production and Options Specifications

• There were 297,116 total Ford Fairlanes produced and sold in 1962. Of these numbers, 129,258 four-door and 68,624 two-door sedans were sold. An additional 19,628 Fairlanes were sold in the sport coupe option. The sports coupe option featured bucket seats, chrome side stripes and three chrome bullets on the rear quarter panels. The Fairlane had a uni-body frame and Ford incorporated torque boxes in the body design to absorb road shock. The suspension was a short-long arm in the front and Hotchkiss drive in the rear.