ZK Fairlane and FD LTD

Behind the redesigned grille, wheel trims and taillights lay a revolution. As part of the XE Falcon program, at last coil springs replaced the ancient leaf springs, while more efficient engines, better refinement, greater dynamics, a revised dash, improved seating, and a usefully bigger boot backed that up.

The base 4.1-litre six-cylinder motor now produced 105kW, with the carryover 4.9 and 5.8 V8s remaining as options. But only until late ’82, when Ford discontinued V8 manufacture locally in favour of a 111kW, fuel-injected 4.1 – now the standard LTD powerplant.

The Fairlane gained an electric boot release, rear head restraints, driver’s seat lumber support, and power mirrors, while the LTD now featured a sunroof.

A wool and two-tone painted Fairlane Sportsman special edition was added in early ’83. A total of 16,896 ZK Fairlanes and 3436 FD LTDs were manufactured.