Another car we would have never seen ourselves getting geeked over

Of course, this is no garden variety Ford Falcon; it’s amazing how the right stance, wheels, and tires can completely transform a car.

The Ford Falcon was an automobile produced by Ford Motor Company from 1960 to 1970. It was a huge sales success for Ford initially, handily outselling rival compacts from Chrysler and General Motors introduced at the same time. During its lifespan, the Falcon was offered in a wide range of body styles: two-door and four-door sedans, two and four door station wagons, two door hardtops, convertibles, a sedan delivery and the Ranchero pickup.

But that’s not all:

Robert McNamara, a Ford executive who became Ford’s president briefly before being offered the job of U.S. Defense Secretary, is regarded by many as “the father of the Falcon”. McNamara left Ford shortly after the Falcon’s introduction, but his faith in the concept was vindicated with record sales; over half a million sold in the first year and over a million sold by the end of the second year (source).

How’s that for a staggering piece of trivia.

~ by velofinds on July 28, 2011.

Posted in Still images
Tags: 1963, falcon, ford, robert mcnamara, robert s. mcnamara, sprint, v8

7 Responses to “Another car we would have never seen ourselves getting geeked over”

motoringconbrio said this on July 28, 2011 at 8:23 pm
- Might I direct you to that other supremely wonderful blacked out Ford racer, the Turbonique Galaxie?
  
  http://hooptyrides.blogspot.com/2008/03/1964-ford-galaxie-500-rocket-car.html
  
  Raphael Orlove said this on July 28, 2011 at 9:14 pm
Totally badass. No shame in liking this baby!
Just taking the bumpers off does wonders. Although MacNamara may have fathered the Falcon, his tenure at Ford saw mostly really boring cars with lackluster styling. A numbers man, he didn’t have real feel or flair for product, in fact he was pretty much the original “bean counter” executive, and his ilk went on to spawn the likes of the K car, etc.

Automobiliac said this on July 28, 2011 at 9:40 pm
- this is true. bob lutz he was not.
  
  motoringconbrio said this on July 28, 2011 at 9:49 pm
Ate Up with Motor has an awesome write-up on the interaction between the Falcon, McNamara, the Mustang and Lee Iacocca.

http://ateupwithmotor.com/compact-and-economy-cars/128-the-salesman-and-the-statistician-robert-mcnamara-lee-iacocca-and-the-ford-falcon.html

http://ateupwithmotor.com/sports-cars-and-muscle-cars/262-1964-1965-1966-ford-mustang-history.html

Mad_Science said this on August 1, 2011 at 1:34 pm
After massaging the Falcon into Mustang form, it continued to sell well. Unfortunately, McNamara wasn’t very astute about Vietnam either.

philinmpls (@philinmpls) said this on August 17, 2011 at 3:26 pm
I saw this car at Amelia Island a few years ago. The current owner said that the original owner bought it to go racing and left the interior largely stock so that he could drive it to events, take the bumpers off and race. It really sticks out among the more typical Mustangs and Camaros that dominate the big bore vintage racing classes.

Rory Carroll said this on August 23, 2011 at 9:39 pm