$1 million price drop for electric Fairmont

By: Guy 'Guido' Allen, Unique Cars magazine

Date: 19.07.2021

The million dollar Ford Fairmont

The million dollar Ford Fairmont

Old EV in weird ad

In one of those 'only in America' stories, a creative seller in Wisconsin has listed a 1980 Ford Fairmont with an electric conversion for US$1million, before gradually dropping the price to a more realistic, if still optimistic, US$5000 (Au$6800).

His view of the car's provenance is also up for challenge: "It cost $3 billion to make 12 vehicles in 1980. I was told this one was made in Australia and somehow it came back to America. This is a prototype to the electric car that we know today like the Tesla.

"I know what you’re thinking why would somebody pay for a 1980 Ford Fairmont electric car? Because they only made 12 of these cars and this one is for sale....

"Just like any expensive painting or fancy lamp this car has its value as being a piece of history lost in it’s time capsule form..."

Yup. Large parts of that story don't work.

This is however one of a string of cars built by Electric Vehicle Associates in the USA in the late seventies and early 1980s, some of which underwent extensive evaluation by organisations such as NASA.

They were also available as customer cars. At the time this one was converted, EVA would sell you sedans, wagons and two-door coupes.

This example originally packed a 200ci (3.3lt) 'Thriftpower' six, which would have been reefed out to make room for the conversion. In this case 12 batteries were laid out in the boot, and a further six under the bonnet. The latter also held the controllers for the set-up.

It's a quirky bit of automotive history, but you'd have to be seriously keen to tackle it as a restoration project. You'll find it on Craigs List in the USA.

See the seller's video...

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