It’s been almost three years now since I had the grand idea of acquiring a Ford Fairmont.  Why would anyone collect such a dull, slow, boring, basic, unattractive hunk of plastic and metal?  I came into this world on December 31st, 1977, same year as the Fairmont, which debuted for the 1978 model year (new cars typically debut the autumn before their designated model year).  This means we are the same age.  We grew up together during a time of great strife in the auto industry.  It was the height of “The Malaise Era.” 

Surely your thoughts are “What the heck does that mean?”  In 1974, the United States government launched a series of automotive regulations in the attempt to curb pollution, traffic fatalities, and save gasoline.  It was the end of the “Muscle Car Era” where even the most rudimentary station wagon could be ordered with a fire breathing V8 powerplant.