Welcome back to The Carchive, where we have an economy-class ticket for a flight into history, before collecting some outdated, forgotten luggage from the creaky carousel after landing. Apropos of nothing my hand randomly plucked this brochure for the Australian Ford Fairlane out of the darkness and, on the basis of it being a dismally short publication, we’ve accidentally established a theme after the three-page Peugeot brochure on Tuesday. Start nibbling your Vegemite sandwiches, we’re off Down Under. “Reflecting the requirements of today’s prestige car driver.” We’re looking at Ford Australia’s largest automotive offering for 1981, the ZJ series Ford Fairlane. This was derived from the then current XD generation Ford Falcon, a machine which was itself visibly inspired by the European Ford Granada. The links between the Fairlane and the Falcon could barely be more obvious if they tried, to the extent that they even shared rear doors despite the Fairlane’s extra wheelbase. Just look at the amusing effect between the rear door shutline and the wheelarch. There was a busy look to the Fairlane, with numerous separate panels of side window glass and quad headlamps levered into the nose to continue with a traditional Fairlane theme. Most importantly, the car had that total lack of any curvature presumably demanded by the Australian Prestige Car buyer. “In short, we suggest you will find the distinctive and highly appointed Fairlane is a prestige car in tune with today.” Up until this brochure materialized within the impenetrable walls of The Carchive, I had looked upon the ZJ Fairlane from afar with a sense of wonderment. Photographs and descriptions of it portrayed a European Ford Granada MK2 with gigantism- extra length added here and there, bigger engines and who knows what level of obscene, debaucherous luxury. The reality, it appears, was not quite as I expected. Though the list of optional gewgaws and trinkets which could be specified certainly fitted in with my luxury preconceptions, the underlying machine seems to be a far more utilitarian device than I had imagined. The illustrations show that keep-fit window winders are fitted, seat-back coverings are of vinyl and there is no rev-counter. Ford Fairlane was a big, basic car. If you needed luxury, you needed an LTD. Not included within this gossamer-thin brochure, the LTD had luxury to spare, and V8 motivation beyond the “Inherently economical” 4.1 litre inline six of the Fairlane. There was a restyled front end, too, losing the slightly contrived quad lamps and gaining integrated headlamps and a swanky grille. But that’s a story for another day. (Disclaimer: All (3!) images are of original manufacturer’s publicity materials, photographed by me. Copyright remains property of Ford Australia. Y’know, my house contains like about seven Australian items, and I think they’re all car brochures)