1970 · Ford · United States
1970 Ford Fairlane
The last Fairlane year: the name survived only on the Fairlane 500 beneath the new Torino, with a mid-year Falcon sharing the body at the bottom of the range.
United States · researched through 2026-09-23
1970 was the last Fairlane model year: the name survived only on the Fairlane 500, now the lower series beneath the new Torino, and a Falcon version was added late in the year sharing the same body at the bottom of the range. A Standard Catalog lineage gives 110,029 Fairlanes against 230,411 Torinos and 67,053 Falcons for the intermediate line as a whole; the 429 performance engines optional across both Fairlanes and Torinos are covered in more depth on the separate 1970 Torino record.1,2
Body counts include 25,780 Fairlane 500 four-door sedans, 70,636 Fairlane 500 two-door hardtops (body 65B), and a Fairlane 500 station wagon figure of 13,613 that the fact sheet's own text instead attributes to the Torino wagon, while the production table puts that same 13,613 on the Fairlane 500's 71B row and gives the Torino's own 71C wagon 10,613, a discrepancy carried in the separate Torino record's conflicts rather than resolved here. Those three Fairlane 500 body figures sum arithmetically to the 110,029 series total, though that is an observation about the numbers rather than a statement made directly by any source. Separately, the Falcon and low-priced Fairlane sedans were counted together at 30,443 and their wagons together at 10,539, and a combined Falcon/Fairlane 500 block total of 177,082 does not separate the mid-year Falcon from the Fairlane 500 within it; a Falcon two-door sedan row of 26,071 is labeled as Falcon specifically, with no separate Fairlane 500 two-door sedan listed for the year at all.2,3
List prices ran from $2,460 for the Falcon two-door sedan up to $3,047 for a V8 Fairlane 500 station wagon, with the Fairlane 500 four-door sedan at $2,627/$2,716, the Fairlane 500 hardtop at $2,660/$2,750, the Falcon four-door sedan at $2,500, and the Falcon wagon at $2,767. The standard 250 six made 155 hp; a 302 two-barrel added $108 for 220 hp, a 351 Windsor two-barrel $84 for 250 hp, and a 351 Cleveland four-barrel $194 for 300 hp. The 429 Thunder Jet, at $295, made 360 hp at 4,600 rpm and 480 lb-ft at 2,800 rpm and was optional across all Fairlanes and Torinos, while a 370 hp 429 Cobra Jet added $504, with the source not stating whether that Cobra Jet was actually offered in the Fairlane 500 specifically.3,2
A three-speed manual was standard (not with the 429), a four-speed manual was optional (not with the six or 302), and Cruise-O-Matic (C4 or FMX depending on engine) was optional across every engine at $201 for the six and 302 or $222 for the 351 and 429. Further options included $389 air conditioning, a $61 AM radio, $181 AM/FM stereo, a $139 8-track player, $65 power disc brakes, $100 power steering, $100 power windows, a $74 vinyl roof, and, for station wagons, a $47 luggage rack and a $35 power tailgate window.2
On a 117.0-inch wheelbase (114.0 for wagons), the car measured 206.2 inches long (209.0 for wagons), with the two-door hardtop standing 52.3 inches tall and 76.7 inches wide, on a 60.5-inch front and 60.0-inch rear track; base tires away from wagons and GT models ran 7.35 x 14. Twenty-seven exterior colors were charted, several carrying distinctly period, half-joking names like Bring Em Back Olive, Freudian Gilt, Three Putt Green, There She Blue, Good Clean Fawn, Counter Revolutionary Red, and the special-order Home on the Orange. Interior trim for the Fairlane 500 sedan and hardtop, all bench seating, ran to nine cataloged codes in black, medium blue, light nugget gold, medium ginger, dark red, medium ivy green, and white-with-black cloth or vinyl, each tied to its own list of compatible exterior colors.2,4
Fact sheet · 1970 · United States
The numbers
1970 Ford Fairlane — The last Fairlane year: the name survived only on the Fairlane 500 beneath the new Torino, with a mid-year Falcon sharing the body at the bottom of the range.
Coverage: Partial — researched sections are shown; missing ones are not yet sourced. Researched through 2026-09-23.
Every figure is labeled with how sure we are. Reported means a manufacturer, registry, or reference figure we cite but have not reconciled against factory records ourselves. Disputed means credible sources disagree and both are shown. Rows are separately scoped; don't add them together unless the note says they make up a total.
Key facts
Production
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairlane, all models1 Fairlane 500 · as published Standard Catalog lineage. The production table's Fairlane 500 rows (54B 25,780; 65B 70,636; 71B 13,613) add to the same figure. | 110,029 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairlane 500 4-door sedan2 Fairlane 500 · 4-door sedan · as published | 25,780 | delivered, model-year | Reported |
| Low-priced sedans, Falcon and Fairlane versions combined2,3 Falcon and low-priced Fairlane · 2- and 4-door sedans · as published Source says the Falcon was counted statistically with the Fairlane versions. | 30,443 | delivered, model-year | Reported |
| Low-priced wagons, Falcon and Fairlane versions combined2,3 Falcon and low-priced Fairlane · station wagon · as published | 10,539 | delivered, model-year | Reported |
| Fairlane 500 2-door hardtop (65B)3 Fairlane 500 · 2-door hardtop, 65B · as published | 70,636 | built, model-year | Reported |
| Fairlane 500 station wagon (71B)3 Fairlane 500 · station wagon, 71B · as published The fact sheet text gives 13,613 as the Torino wagon; the table puts 13,613 on the Fairlane 500 71B wagon and gives the Torino 71C wagon 10,613. See the 1970 Torino record's conflicts. | 13,613 | built, model-year | Reported |
| 2-door sedan (62A), Falcon3 Falcon (mid-year) · 2-door sedan, 62A · as published The table labels the 62A body 'Falcon 2-dr Sedan'; no Fairlane 500 2-door sedan is listed. | 26,071 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falcon and Fairlane 500 block total3 Falcon (mid-year) and Fairlane 500 · as published The table does not separate the mid-year Falcon from the Fairlane 500 in its block total. | 177,082 | built, model-year | Reported |
Rows are separately scoped; do not add them unless a note says they partition a total.
The Fairlane 500 2-door hardtop count (70,636) comes from the production table, which lists it as body 65B. Fairlane 500 sedan (25,780), hardtop (70,636) and 71B wagon (13,613) add to 110,029, the Fairlane total above; that is an arithmetic observation, not a source statement.
The production table's 'Production Total' of 362,873 leaves out its own Torino Brougham model total (44,620); its four model totals add to 407,493, the intermediate total relayed from the Standard Catalog. The 362,873 figure is not carried as a row.
Prices when new
| Model | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Fairlane 500 4-door sedan (54B), six3 | $2,627 | factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year |
| Fairlane 500 4-door sedan (54B), V83 | $2,716 | factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year |
| Fairlane 500 2-door hardtop (65B), six3 | $2,660 | factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year |
| Fairlane 500 2-door hardtop (65B), V83 | $2,750 | factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year |
| Fairlane 500 station wagon (71B), V83 | $3,047 | factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year |
| Falcon 4-door sedan (54A)3 | $2,500 | factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year |
| Falcon 2-door sedan (62A)3 | $2,460 | factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year |
| Falcon 4-door station wagon (71D)3 | $2,767 | factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year |
Prices are the nominal dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation.
Engines
| Engine | Factory rating | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| N · 429 Thunder Jet 4-bbl2 429 cu in · 4-barrel | 360 hp @ 4,600, 480 lb-ft @ 2,800 (SAE gross) | optional, $295 as compiled | Not yet sourced |
| L · 250 I6 1-bbl2 250 cu in · 1-barrel | 155 hp @ 4,000, 240 lb-ft @ 1,600 (SAE gross) | standard six | Not yet sourced |
| F · 302 V8 2-bbl2 302 cu in · 2-barrel | 220 hp @ 4,600, 300 lb-ft @ 2,600 (SAE gross) | optional, $108 as compiled | Not yet sourced |
| H · 351 Windsor V8 2-bbl2 351 cu in · 2-barrel | 250 hp @ 4,600, 355 lb-ft @ 2,600 (SAE gross) | optional, $84 as compiled | Not yet sourced |
| M · 351 Cleveland V8 4-bbl2 351 cu in · 4-barrel | 300 hp @ 4,800, 380 lb-ft @ 3,400 (SAE gross) | optional, $194 as compiled | Not yet sourced |
Ratings are the manufacturer's advertised figures under the standard shown (SAE gross before 1972, SAE net after). They are not dyno results, and gross and net ratings can't be compared directly.
Transmissions
| Transmission | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|
| 3-speed manual2 | standard; not with 429 | Not yet sourced |
| 4-speed manual2 | optional; not with six or 302 | Not yet sourced |
| Cruise-O-Matic 3-speed automatic (C4 or FMX)2 | optional, all engines | Not yet sourced |
Options and packages
| Code | Option | Price | Installed |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Air conditioning2 | $389 | Not yet sourced |
|
AM radio2 | $61 | Not yet sourced |
|
AM/FM stereo radio2 | $181 | Not yet sourced |
|
8-track stereo tape player2 | $139 | Not yet sourced |
|
Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission (six and 302)2 | $201 | Not yet sourced |
|
Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission (351 and 429)2 | $222 | Not yet sourced |
|
Four-speed manual transmission2 | $194 | Not yet sourced |
|
Power disc brakes2 | $65 | Not yet sourced |
|
Power steering2 | $100 | Not yet sourced |
|
Power windows2 | $100 | Not yet sourced |
|
Tinted windshield2 | $44 | Not yet sourced |
|
Two-tone paint2 | $27 | Not yet sourced |
|
Vinyl roof, 2-door hardtop2 | $74 | Not yet sourced |
|
Wheel covers2 | $45 | Not yet sourced |
|
White sidewall tires2 | $34 | Not yet sourced |
|
Luggage rack, station wagons2 | $47 | Not yet sourced |
|
Power tailgate, station wagons2 | $35 | Not yet sourced |
|
302 V8 engine2 | $108 | Not yet sourced |
|
351 2-barrel V8 engine2 | $84 | Not yet sourced |
|
351 4-barrel Cleveland V8 engine2 | $194 | Not yet sourced |
|
429 360 hp 4-barrel V8 engine2 | $295 | Not yet sourced |
|
429 370 hp Cobra Jet 4-barrel V8 engine2 | $504 | Not yet sourced |
Paint
| Code | Color | Built |
|---|---|---|
|
Olive Stardust2 | Not yet sourced |
2 |
New Lime2 | Not yet sourced |
3 |
Paris Blue2 | Not yet sourced |
5 |
Ginger2 | Not yet sourced |
6 |
Hulla Blue2 | Not yet sourced |
8 |
Morning Gold2 | Not yet sourced |
9 |
Medium Peppermint2 | Not yet sourced |
A |
Raven Black (special order)2 | Not yet sourced |
B |
Dark Maroon2 | Not yet sourced |
C |
Bring Em Back Olive2 | Not yet sourced |
D |
Bright Yellow2 | Not yet sourced |
F |
Young Turquoise2 | Not yet sourced |
G |
Medium Lime2 | Not yet sourced |
J |
Grabber Blue2 | Not yet sourced |
K |
Freudian Gilt2 | Not yet sourced |
M |
Knight White2 | Not yet sourced |
N |
Baby Blue Ice2 | Not yet sourced |
O |
Original Cinnamon2 | Not yet sourced |
P |
Three Putt Green2 | Not yet sourced |
Q |
There She Blue2 | Not yet sourced |
S |
Good Clean Fawn2 | Not yet sourced |
T |
Counter Revolutionary Red2 | Not yet sourced |
U |
Competition Gold2 | Not yet sourced |
W |
Yellow2 | Not yet sourced |
X |
Dark Blue2 | Not yet sourced |
Y |
Medium Bronze2 | Not yet sourced |
Z |
Grabber Green2 | Not yet sourced |
1,3 |
Home on the Orange (special order)2 | Not yet sourced |
Color names are the factory's. We don't show color swatches, because a screen color is no guide for a restoration.
Interiors
| Code | Trim | Built |
|---|---|---|
3A |
Black Cloth and Vinyl; Fairlane 500 Sedan & Hardtop - Bench; exterior colors all4 | Not yet sourced |
3B |
Medium Blue Cloth and Vinyl; Fairlane 500 Sedan & Hardtop - Bench; exterior colors A - M - N - Q - X4 | Not yet sourced |
3Y |
Light Nugget Gold Cloth and Vinyl; Fairlane 500 Sedan & Hardtop - Bench; exterior colors A - B - C - K - M - S - 84 | Not yet sourced |
5A |
Black Vinyl; Fairlane 500 Sedan & Hardtop - Bench; exterior colors all4 | Not yet sourced |
5B |
Medium Blue Vinyl; Fairlane 500 Sedan & Hardtop - Bench; exterior colors A - M - N - Q - X4 | Not yet sourced |
5F |
Medium Ginger Vinyl; Fairlane 500 Sedan & Hardtop - Bench; exterior colors A - B - C - K - M - S - 84 | Not yet sourced |
6A |
Black Vinyl; Fairlane 500 Sedan & Hardtop - Bench; exterior colors all4 | Not yet sourced |
6B |
Medium Blue Vinyl; Fairlane 500 Sedan & Hardtop - Bench; exterior colors A - M - N - Q - X4 | Not yet sourced |
6D |
Dark Red Vinyl; Fairlane 500 Sedan & Hardtop - Bench; exterior colors A - B - M - T4 | Not yet sourced |
6F |
Medium Ginger Vinyl; Fairlane 500 Sedan & Hardtop - Bench; exterior colors A - B - C - K - M - S - 2 - 84 | Not yet sourced |
6G |
Medium Ivy Green Vinyl; Fairlane 500 Sedan & Hardtop - Bench; exterior colors A - C - M - P - 24 | Not yet sourced |
6W |
White Vinyl with Black; Fairlane 500 Sedan & Hardtop - Bench; exterior colors all4 | Not yet sourced |
Specifications
| Measure | Value | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Wheelbase2 | 117 in | all except wagons (114.0) |
| Overall length2 | 206.2 in | except wagons (209.0) |
| Overall height, 2-door hardtop2 | 52.3 in | 2-door hardtop |
| Overall width, 2-door hardtop2 | 76.7 in | 2-door hardtop |
| Front track2 | 60.5 in | all |
| Rear track2 | 60 in | all |
| Tires, base2 | 7.35 x 14 | except wagons and GT |
Identification
Read a 1970 Ford VIN
The VIN decoder runs in your browser and never sends the VIN anywhere. How the factory numbered this year's cars:
Same model year
Also in 1970
- AMC AMX The last two-seat AMX: a restyled nose, a 360 base V8 and a 325-hp 390. At 4,116 cars it was the rarest of the three two-seat years.
- AMC Javelin Penske and Donohue brought the Javelin to Trans-Am, and the showroom answered with 2,501 Mark Donohue Javelins and 100 red-white-blue Trans Am Javelins, while total production fell to 28,210.
- AMC Rebel and Rebel Machine AMC's intermediate supercar: a 340-hp 390, four-speed and Hurst shifter in the Rebel hardtop, first in white with red-white-blue stripes. Totals reported for the one-year run range from about 1,200 to 2,326.
- Buick Riviera The 455 (370 hp gross) arrived with a restyle; production fell to about 37,300 with some 3,505 GS cars.
- Buick Skylark Gran Sport, GS and GSX Buick's GS went to a 455 rated at 510 lb-ft, the Stage 1 option added 10 advertised hp, and a mid-year GSX package was built 678 times in two colors.
- Buick Wildcat The final Wildcat, Custom trim only, with the 370-hp 455; 23,645 built.
- Chevrolet Chevelle and Malibu SS The year the Chevelle Super Sport split into RPO Z25 SS 396 and RPO Z15 SS 454, with the LS6 454 rated at 450 gross horsepower.
- Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova Last year the source engine table lists the big-block (as 402) in the Nova. Enthusiast-compiled production: 307,280 cars; Super Sport 19,558.
- Chevrolet El Camino SS The Malibu/Custom El Camino could carry either RPO Z25 SS 396 or RPO Z15 SS 454, including the 450 hp LS6; the El Camino share is not separately published.
- Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS The first Monte Carlo, with the SS 454 as RPO Z20: 3,823 of 145,976 Monte Carlos per Chevrolet-report-derived tables.
- Dodge Challenger Dodge's first pony car arrived as a 1970 model with nine advertised engines, base, SE, R/T, and R/T SE hardtops, two convertibles, and a one-year Trans-Am homologation special, the T/A.
- Dodge Charger The last year of the second-generation body: a new full-width grille, three series (Charger, 500, R/T), the 440 Six Pack added to the R/T, and production roughly half of 1969's.
- Dodge Coronet R/T and Super Bee The final Coronet-based R/T and Super Bee: the R/T fell to 2,615 cars, while the Super Bee added a 3-speed manual and kept its Six Pack and Hemi options.
- Dodge Dart GTS, Swinger and Demon With the GTS gone, the Swinger 340 was the only performance Dart; it kept front discs, Rallye suspension and a twin-scoop hood and sold about 13,800 beside the new Challenger.
- Ford Maverick Grabber The Grabber appearance and tire package arrived in mid-1970 on the new two-door Maverick; no Grabber count for 1970 was found.
- Ford Ranchero GT The Torino-based Ranchero GT could take the 429 Cobra Jet and Super Cobra Jet; reference counts give 3,905 GTs, while Barn Finds rounds the GT figure to about 3,600 of 21,640 Rancheros.
- Ford Thunderbird The 429 at 360 hp was the standard and only engine listed in the 1970 catalog.
- Ford Torino A new, longer body on a 117-inch wheelbase; the Torino Cobra became its own model with the 429, offered in 360, 370 (Cobra Jet) and 375 (Super Cobra Jet) horsepower forms.
- Mercury Comet and Cyclone A new, longer Montego-based Cyclone in three versions: the 429 Cyclone, the small-block Cyclone GT that outsold both others, and the Ram Air 429 Cobra Jet Cyclone Spoiler.
- Mercury Cougar The last first-generation Cougar moved to the 351 Cleveland, kept the Boss 302 as an Eliminator-only engine, and built 2,268 Eliminators.
- Mercury Marauder and S-55 The second and last year of the 1969-70 Marauder: production fell to about a third of 1969's, with the X-100 near half of it.
- Oldsmobile Cutlass, 4-4-2 and Hurst/Olds The 4-4-2 got a standard 455 rated at 365 hp, the W-30 went to 370 hp, and the small-block W-31 moved to the Cutlass and F-85 coupes.
- Plymouth Barracuda and 'Cuda The E-body redesign split the line into Barracuda, Gran Coupe, and 'Cuda hardtops and convertibles, put every Chrysler performance engine through the 426 Hemi on the order form, and added the one-year AAR 'Cuda for Trans-Am homologation.
- Plymouth Duster 340 and 360 Plymouth's new Valiant-based fastback coupe arrived with a 275 hp 340 performance model priced at $2,547; the Standard Catalog lineage counts 24,817 Duster 340s among 217,192 Dusters.
- Plymouth GTX, Belvedere and Satellite Now hardtop-only, the GTX fell to 7,748 cars while its 440 Six Barrel option cost just $119.
- Plymouth Road Runner Production halved from 1969, the 440 Six Barrel became a regular option, and the winged Superbird was built as a Road Runner hardtop to put Plymouth back on NASCAR superspeedways.
- Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am A late-arriving, coupe-only second generation: 48,739 Firebirds, 3,196 of them Trans Ams, and 88 Ram Air IVs.
- Pontiac GTO A new Endura nose, a 455 added beside the three 400s, and GTO production falling to 40,149.
- Pontiac Grand Prix The SJ took a 370 hp 455, Hurst built the SSJ, and production fell to 65,750.
- Pontiac Tempest and LeMans The T-37 and GT-37 bring budget performance to the Tempest.