http://www.atlasrr.com/Trackmisc/fordfairmont.htm
In June of 2007 Atlas is relasing an HO and N scale model of the 1978 Ford Fairmont. These cars were basically a common everyday car and weren't really too popular among enthusiasts. Although they did share the same Fox body platform that was used by the mustang until 1994 and the 1983-1988 Ford Thunderbirds and Mercury Cougars.
Fairmonts.. ugh.
Barges that require a tug to hold that one corner down on any kind of turn.
Safety Valve wrote: Fairmonts.. ugh.Barges that require a tug to hold that one corner down on any kind of turn.
Be nice now, I had a girlfriend that had one of them. While the car wasn't the greatest, it did seem to break down at the right time for me to swoop in and fix it. Knight in shining armor and all of that crap! Then there was the reward for rescuing the "damsel in distress", but I won't go into THAT!
Good Luck, Morpar
Just saw it at atlas' website,and all I can say is.....NICE I hope they do an Explorer next.....
Keep it up Atlas!
Dave
Now, let's be nice. It's true the Fairmont wasn't a performance car, but if you place it in the context of the times, it was okay. In the late 1970s, with all the new emissions requirements, 55 mph speed limits, and (for then) high gas prices, very few American cars were high-performance items. The same year Fairmont made its debut Car & Driver tried to find American cars that would "double the double nickel" and only found a handful that could hit 110 mph. If I recall correctly, Dodge's "Little Red Express" pickup was Chrysler's only entry and Ford Motor Company didn't have a single vehicle, including police packages, that made the mark.
In addition, Detroit cars weren't nearly as good then as they are now. Between problems caused by the new technologies needed to meet new government requirements and the lackadaisical attitudes towards quality that eventually led to today's automobile market being dominated by import brands, Detroit build quality was at one of its lowest points in history.
All that being said, I think Atlas made a good choice. Despite the opinions expressed by some other forum members, the '78 Fairmont was actually a huge success for Ford and received generally positive reviews from the motoring press. First-year sales of more than 460,000 units made the Fairmont the best-selling Ford car and one of the best-selling cars in America. To put that number in perspective, Ford sold about one Fairmont for every 490 people living in the U.S. at the time. Plus, the Fairmont's exterior styling changed very little from 1978 to 1980 (it got quad headlights and a new grille in 1981), meaning the Atlas model could ride open auto racks almost right up to the time the railroads completed the switch to closed cars. Atlas will offer the model in five colors plus an undecorated version.
In the future, Atlas can also release the Fairmont as a taxi or police car (though I hope that, if they do, it won't be as lame as the Taurus taxi - that was just sad). The Fairmont was the first compact Ford actively marketed as a police vehicle. It wasn't as popular as the more powerful Chevy 9C1 Nova or Plymouth Volare, but some departments bought them for neighborhood patrols and special services. The U.S. government bought them, too; they were used by the Army and Air Force for military police and base security patrols.
So we get a model based on a very common prototype, in lots of colors, for an era with very few bread-and-butter cars in HO scale. Plus, it's perfect for an auto rack load. So what's not to like?
I'm hoping that someone does the Panther chassis trio soon...Crown Vic, Grand Marquis, and Town Car. Especially if they do the 88-91 runs...But the new whales would be great too. I'm waiting...I want to own a 1:160 model of my car!
And then with them...They could do cop cars...Fire chief cars...Taxis...Limos...Wall-Street Executive rides...
Scott - Dispatcher, Norfolk Southern
I must admit, I'm not too keen on the prototype, but we do need more older "plain jane" autos. I could use a dozen or so '57 Chevy's, in addition to some older models. Why? Because I model 1957, and the Chevy dealer's lot is full of them. Back then, I would expect to see cars from the mid to late 40's still going, along with early '50's models, Fords, Chryslers, etc., and at the local docks I should see Macks, GMC's, Fords, Autocars, Diamond Reos, Internationals, etc.
Brad
EMD - Every Model Different
ALCO - Always Leaking Coolant and Oil
CSX - Coal Spilling eXperts
dirtyd79 wrote:Hopefully they'll make some Fox body mustangs,cougars, and t-birds too.
Herpa made models of the Fox-platform Mustang and Mustang Cobra back in the 1980s. Since they are bringing back some of their other old models, perhaps they will reissue these models one of these days.
Other than that, I would rather see new development money go to more models like the Fairmont. We've had models of just about every generation of the Mustang and a number of muscle cars. Don't know about you, but I'm ready to see some of the 4-door hardtops, sedans and station wagons that made up the bulk of cars sold in the 1960s and 1970s.
twcenterprises wrote: I must admit, I'm not too keen on the prototype, but we do need more older "plain jane" autos. I could use a dozen or so '57 Chevy's, in addition to some older models. Why? Because I model 1957, and the Chevy dealer's lot is full of them. Back then, I would expect to see cars from the mid to late 40's still going, along with early '50's models, Fords, Chryslers, etc., and at the local docks I should see Macks, GMC's, Fords, Autocars, Diamond Reos, Internationals, etc.Brad
Brad,
There are plenty of '57 Chevys as long as you want the 2-door Bel Air. Busch offers both convertible and hardtop while Herpa/Promotex offers a hardtop. There have been a number of other 1950s cars, too. A '55 Chevy and '57 Corvette are available from Model Power or Malibu International, 1948 and 1953 Fords are available from CMW, as is a 1957 Chrysler 300. CMW also produced a 1951 Chevrolet Fleetline. Model Power also has the 1953 Cadillac Eldorado. Busch has a 1950 Buick Super Riviera Couple, a 1952 Cadillac sedan, a 1956 Corvette and a 1956 Ford Thunderbird.
Moving to trucks, Busch offers a 1949 Dodge Power Wagon that looked pretty much the same as the Power Wagons produced in 1957. They also make a 1950 Chevrolet 3100 Advanced Design pickup. CMW made a 1948 Ford F1 pickup and panel delivery and will produce a 1954 F-350 with a nine-foot bed this year. Athearn will have the 1955 Ford F-100 pickup and panel delivery. Model Power has the 1956 Ford F-100 pickup.
Bigger trucks? Athearn offers Mack B-Series trucks, CMW has the White WC22 and 3000 COE along with the International R-190. They also made an International Metro van.
Model Power plans to release a 1941 Packard, 1950 Oldsmobile, 1955 Chrysler Imperial and a 1958 Studebaker Golden Hawk (hey, it was introduced in the fall of 1957) this year.
Woodland Scenics has some okay models in their Auto Scenes collection. And then there are a number of resin and white metal kits.
One car I wish we had for the period is a 1957 Ford. We're overloaded with '57 Chevys and Corvettes, but no Fords and T-Birds. The Ford outsold Chevy that year, 1,655,068 to 1,515,177, (and continued to outsell Chevy for a few years thereafter) and the T-Bird clobbered the Corvette.
When it comes right down to it, the period from about 1950 to 1957 probably has more available or planned ready-to-run models than any other era in HO model railroading. Maybe it's time to share the wealth and give the guys who model a later period some attention.
Bill C.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Maybe it's just the picture, but it looks like the wheels on the models are unnaturally large. Like they've been modified with a lift kit and bigger tires
PS - I haven't been on the forum much lately, and just noticed the smiley menu has been fixed. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Kalmbach for doing that!
Dan Stokes
My other car is a tunnel motor
BXCARMIKE wrote:Ah,since Chevrolet is afraid we'll choke on their cars, maybe we could get some Ford Falcons or Fairlanes, some Dodge Darts or Coronets, and Plymouth Furys and Valiants; these cars were a staple of the sixties and seventies. And can't someone get Walthers to re-release their '67 F-100?
The Walthers model was loosely based on a 1966 Ford F-100 and I think one of the reasons it hasn't been re-released is that it wasn't as successful as Walthers had hoped.
The problem wih a Falcon is the fact EKO already makes one. It's not a very good model but it's still in production. However, a later Falcon, a Fairlane or Torino would be a great idea.
I am not sure why there aren't more Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth models. Chrysler is quite happy to license HO models and is not a difficult company with which to work.
Personally, I'd like to see more vehicles, both cars and trucks, from the 1930's. It's probably the most sparsely represented decade since the automobile became relatively common. I have pretty well all of the Jordan vehicles that would have still been in use in the late '30's, and several of the recent offerings from Sylvan, but slightly less detailed models at a lower price would help to fill up scenes that don't normally come under close scutiny. After all, vehicles are more scenery than anything else.
Wayne
doctorwayne wrote: After all, vehicles are more scenery than anything else.Wayne
After all, vehicles are more scenery than anything else.
Well, if you believe everything that isn't trains is scenery, I suppose that's true. However, if you go to great pains to make sure your scenery, including structures, etc., is believable and complements the effort you've put into your trains, then perhaps it's not such a good idea to shortchange the vehicles.
Actually, the 1930s are a bit ahead of the 1980s when it comes to available and announced models and they've attracted more attention in recent years. However, you've picked an era where it's a bit hard to cheap out on the models without making them completely toylike and you've already identified the best of the budget models. And I am a bit puzzled how you think less detailing would make Clare Gilbert's very nice models less expensive. The Sylvan Scale models don't have a lot of parts, which is what usually drives up the price of a model kit. Plus, unlike a high-volume diecast or plastic model, where you have a large investment in tooling and a low per-unit cost of materials and assembly, the cost of a resin model is mostly in the materials and manufacturing.
There are some nice Ricko models, but they're going to run about $15.98 each. The upcoming 1936 Ford from Classic Metal Works should be just a buck or so more than the Sylvan models.
It's not so much that I want to "cheap out" on all of the vehicles, but at $12.00 and up for Sylvan cars, and even more for the trucks, it hurts to relegate them to the background. Most of the Jordan stuff is cheaper, but almost everyone on my layout is driving a 1928 Model A!
Does anybody have any info or opinions on the vehicles from Gregs Garage? They seem to have a lot of cast resin vehicles from the correct time period that would be suitable for background scenes, at least, but not much in the way of pictures.
The Greg's Garage models I have seen on layouts looked okay and should be fine for background models but I've got to confess the models you have already look awfully good.
As to the number of people driving a Model A, if anyone makes a comment, just remind them it's the Depression and a lot of people are hanging on to their old cars!
jeffrey-wimberly wrote:Indeed, I'm waiting for the local Wal-Mart to get some more 1/87 vehicles in, preferably something like a Pacer or a Gremlin. I wouldn't mind having a couple of either one of them. Other more common, modern vehicles would be welcome too.
The Wal-mart down the street from me had a couple AMC Gremlins as part of the Fresh Cherries line-up. The only colors I saw though were red and blue. Maybe they have a better color selection elsewhere but I didn't feel like driving allover town to look for HO scale cars.