Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt

The Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt was a limited-production, factory-experimental drag racing version of the Fairlane built for the 1964 model year only; Ford made 100, forty-nine with four-speed manual gearboxes and fifty-one automatics. It put the 427 cubic inch high-rise V8, rated conservatively at 425 horsepower and intended for the much larger Galaxie, into the light two-door intermediate Fairlane body, which needed a reworked front suspension, and fibreglass doors, hood and fenders saved weight. Street equipment such as the radio, heater and sun visors was left out. The cars were not built on a regular Ford assembly line but with Andy Hotton of Dearborn Steel Tubing, the first eleven painted vintage burgundy and the rest Wimbledon white. A four-speed car ran the quarter mile in 11.61 seconds at 124.8 miles per hour in testing, and the Thunderbolt secured the 1964 NHRA Super Stock championship for Ford.