Ford Rethinks American Luxury with Fairlane Concept

Inside, the Fairlane has been styled and finished like vehicles from the '20s and '30s, modeled after the finest American home

Inside, the Fairlane has been styled and finished with the simple elegance, and care and attention of vehicles made in the '20s and '30s. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada)

furnishings of the time. Interestingly, the Fairlane's cabin has been split into zones like a jet airliner with the first row arranged for driving, the second row for first-class comfort, and a business-class third row. The trunk is the utility zone, doubling as cargo storage and a catering area with a built-in fridge featuring a flip-down food preparation tray. The glass sunroof, which stretches the entire length of the vehicle, ties the three zones together.

Throughout the cabin, a wide variety of materials in different colors and textures differentiate the zones. Up front, light tan leather wraps the two-spoke steering wheel, dash and seats, while open-pore wood veneer and light alloy are used to accent the dashboard and center console. A durable but elegant woven material from recycled paper has also been used on front seatbacks, while the second and third row "club" bucket seats are lined in easy to clean alloy making the Fairlane usable to transport

Rear-hinged doors provide easier access to the third row of seats, and a higher ride-height means that passengers step in, rather than crouch down. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada)

muddy and wet cargo. The rear two rows also fold completely flat, turning the Fairlane from a people-mover to a cargo-hauler.

While the Fairlane's look may bring back feelings of nostalgia, it has been engineered to make life easy for its would-be owners and those who come along for the ride. Rear-hinged doors provide easier access to the third row of seats, and a higher ride-height means that passengers step in, rather than crouch down. The Fairlane also features a triple-hinged rear tailgate. Two small rear doors open to the left and right, while a top-hinged tailgate flips up. Each unit opens separately allowing small for loads to be dropped in without the need to raise a cumbersome liftgate.