Last Fairlane charity auction - Epic Fail

[Sunboost]

04 March 2008
Chris Riley

The Ford Fairlane was a bit of a fizzer in the end.

A charity auction ended in disappointment when the last Fairlane to leave Ford's production line failed to realise even its list price on Sunday afternoon.

Disappointing for Ford perhaps and the National Breast Cancer Council that was due to pocket the proceeds.

But not for Melbourne boat dealer Simon Miller, 43, who suddenly found himself the proud owner of another car.

“I don’t I think I could have got one that cheap even if I’d haggled,” he said.

Ford had anticipated “strong interest” in the event, but the Fairlane, a six cylinder Fairmont Ghia that retails for $58,625, managed to raise only $48,100 – and that's a driveway price including 12 month's registration.

Ford enlisted the services of cricketers Andrew Symonds and Matthew Hayden to promote the event, but the current one day international series must have been more interesting.

Perhaps the auction would have attracted more interest if the car had been a V8 model?

Yes, concedes Ford, but the trouble is that it stopped manufacturing V8s some time ago.

A Ford spokesman, however, confirmed the car is literally the last Fairlane to leave the line.

“It's a nice collector car and a very good price at that,” a spokesman said.

In the lead-up to the auction, Ford described the car as the final example of more than 250,000 Fairlane and LTD vehicles manufactured between 1967 and 2008.

Early last year, Ford decided to pull the pin on the Fairlane as well as the more luxurious LTD model in the wake of falling sales.

A total of 12 bidders registered for the auction which ended at 5pm on Sunday.

It attracted 40 bids in total, with the winning bid coming just seconds before the end in typical eBay fashion.

As the auction drew to a close there were some anxious moment as the eBay site refused to accept any further bids.

At the time Miller was out on a boat enjoying the sunshine off Frankston, with a friend keeping him updated on proceedings via text messages.

The father of two revealed his own father had owned five Fairlanes over the years but said he had no plans to give him this one.

Miller might however cook up something with his beloved Geelong Football Club.

Other than that, he has not decided what to do with the car yet.

In fact, the boat dealer has just taken delivery of a new turbo-diesel Landcruiser which he uses to tow boats.

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How shameful. Poor form Ford!

[EFFalcon]

HA!

[stevo]

LOL. Thats a real kick in the head for them. Not only can ford aus not sell these things, they cant even EBAY them.

Poor fairlanes.

[Commando]

What on earth did they expect? OK, Fairlanes are awesome but when it's a run-of-the-mill job, you know it's destined to disappoint, like a romantic duet starring Amy Winehouse & K-Fed with backing music by Simple Plan.

[EFFalcon]

Its asking for a demotivational poster.

[Sunboost]

[XRated]

It seems they just can't put a foot right.

And an I6? They could've at least tarted it up in cheap Ford Australia fashion.

LOL Wayne + 347 = Epic Fail.

[Commando]

(picture here)

FAIRLANE:
Ebay Antonym for Monaro

[LTDHO]

I saw this on another forum.

Ford have NFI and have seriously lost the plot.

The last luxury LWB. They do the right PR thing by donating the money to charity but then provided the lamest attempt of a Ford since AU. No sunroof, no V8, just boring Fairlane, then the monkeys scratch their ass wondering why they didn't sell!

Perhaps the auction would have attracted more interest if the car had been a V8 model?

Yes, concedes Ford, but the trouble is that it stopped manufacturing V8s some time ago.

Well the LWB was canned some time ago also, Ford should have used half the brain they share and saved it for this car, or better yet, drop in a new GT motor!

If Ford was serious about cars, this Fairlane would have had everything, including custom paint and interior. Then they would have got double of what they did, instead of less than retail.

Very lame and pathetic by Ford. I can see the demise coming very soon.

[Commando]

^^^ That would've been a great one-off, dropping a 302 into the Fairlane + having a non-striped (ie: subtle) bulge.

[Sunboost]

I don't think they should have made anything special out of it, that's kind of not the point of it.

Just a fully loaded black V8 Fairlane with tan leather and a sunroof would have sufficed.

Even Rips' olds' Fairlane is better value than that. Black + Tan leather = sexiest sht ever.

That guy should sell it to a limo service owner so that some VHB plates can be tacked on it.

Mmmm I remember reading a long time ago that the last XE ESP was put in a competetion for dealers all over Australia to have a go at winning it. Can't remember the exact details of it but it ended up at a dealer in QLD who kept it for a a few years before selling it off IIRC.

And whatever happened to the sik sht photos Ford used to take of a whole bunch of people standing around the special cars under a large banner that would say something like "The last Ford Fairlane to roll off the Broadmeadows assembly line" with a lot of Ford employees surrounding them. Photos like that in the ebay as would have made it seem more special.

The last one I can remember is the BA Job 1 one which was back in 2002.

[sphell]

Last Fairlane ever.....WGAF.

[stevo]

Edit: take back what i said. Too harsh as well

[Steady]

Just say it Stevo

[pHaT`eL]

That ESP was sold for $50k back in the day, with 31km on the clock, AFAIK, the dealer still has is (Denmac Ford Brissy) with no more k's driven.
Ford shoulda made that Galaxie 540 a reality for the last one, go out with a bang!

[Bipolar]

That's a mad idea! Dumbarses.

[Malakai]

the Fairlane, a six cylinder Fairmont Ghia...

Which was it, a Fairlane or a Fairmont?

[krisisdog]

lol dont even know what theyre selling. best ford.

[Commando]

Bump

http://www.caradvice.com.au/12158/final ... at-auction

lol

[Malakai]

LOLLERAUCTION

[Dansedgli]

FAIL!!

[Malakai]

Damn it... not again!

[Dansedgli]

Best gif evar.

[Commando]

LMAO!!!