Ross's NB Fairlane:

More Questions than Answers

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When the mint gets the details on a new note or coin slightly wrong, the result is usually a batch of currency that will be worth a motza in a few years time. So I ask, what about this Fairlane?

Anybody with an ounce of knowledge about Ford vehicles will tell you that the corresponding Fairlane to the EA Falcon was the NA Fairlane - with it's series 2 component coming online late in 1989 with the new electronically controlled 4 speed autos (ancestor of today's silky smooth item) before going to EB spec with the 4.0 litre engine and 5.0 litre V8 re-introduction. - That is until you meet Ross. Yes - you like everybody else will stare in disbelief and try and tell him he is mistaken. But there's no denying the one unmistakable fact - one look at this car's build plate will put all such questions to rest.

Taken at the 'Pinnacles' near Cervantes, WA.

'NB' you say - that would be the Fairlane associated with the EB wouldn't it? - Well, it would be if it had been built in 1991 onwards - but not 1989!!! Those in the know would realise by now that with the EA being released in March 1988 and the Fairlane typically following about 6 to 12 months later - making Ross's Fairlane one of the first of the 'new shape' to be sold. Interestingly, the car's handbook cover and first few service tabs are covered with "Ford Motor Company Product Engineering Office" stamps with the last of these tabs dated 18 / 5 / 92 - only further adding to the mystery.

Not bad considering the PEO is almost an entire continent away! "I found the upholstery also carries a 92 dates printed on it so I suspect it may have had some re-trimming before Ford sold it." adds Ross.

By now you should be starting to pick up a pattern but nothing will prepare you for the next bit - while being listed as a June 89 build the car came already equipped with a 4 speed LE89 automatic trans with the 4 speed automatic code as listed on the VIN plate!

Keeping the mystery going, most parts of the car are marked with a beige paint "MV-1" (even the plastic hub caps on the alloys) "so I suspect it might have been some sort of Ford test vehicle - perhaps the first 4 speed Fairlane?" Ross continues "I know when I first bought it and tried to get parts I was initially told by the Ford Dealer there was no such model. I then rang Ford in the east and initially they told me that my particular car wasn't on their system (I panicked then thinking it might be a stolen car) but they got back to me a few days later saying it was built by their new Product Engineering group. - Therefore being virtually hand built and as it had been taken off the assembly line early it hadn't been entered on the computer system but had now been entered."

"My local Ford Dealer says it's the only NB they know of although they say there are some annotations about NB on their computerised parts system. Some Ford Dealers and staff that I have been to have refused to accept that there is an NB saying that no such model.

Recently, I contacted the official Ford Australia historian - Adrian Ryan at the Ford Discovery Centre and he was emphatic that my car does not exist and that there never was a NB model."

Ross notes a number of other sources that all seem to acknowledge the existence of a 'NB' including a parts display board on show at many Ford Dealers at the time. Could it be that Ford had intended to market the NA series II as a NB? We may never know... "My wife was at Titan Ford some time ago picking up some parts and they mentioned that a lot of the genuine Ford parts themselves (i.e. heater hoses) were labelled as NA to NB or NB to NC so it seems some parts of the Ford empire acknowledge the model exists. They said they thought of her as ours was the only NB they had seen. They also had another look at the compliance plate as well. - Of course it may just be the suppliers labelling them thus for Ford as a few aftermarket suppliers certainly list parts for an NB."

Suppliers and aftermarket companies such as Powerchip, Magnecor and Moulded Carpets. "Powerchip and Craig Davies (on their fan clutches) in fact list an NB and an NB II with 3.9 L, 4.0L and 5 L engines." Painted in Ford's gold called "Chardonnay." this Fairlane looks as good as the day it was produced. Ross is now looking for any further information anybody can give about his rare find - so if anybody else's got an NB or information about the model please don't hesitate to get in touch!

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