Ford Fairlane to Get New Style But No Detroit Debut

Everyone thought it would be there. Ford’s answer to the minivan, the Fairlane, was assumed to be a big star at the 2007 Detroit auto show in either concept or production form. That will not be the case, as The Detroit Free Press reports Ford never planned to show the vehicle there, even though it’s supposed to reach dealers in calendar 2008. The Detroit appearance would be too soon, sources say.

The other big news is that the Fairlane will look different from the well-received concept at the 2005 Detroit auto show, shown here. According to one source, the Fairlane will not be as boxy as the previous concept. Well, now we’re really confused. The boxy concept was the one that got such positive press it forced Ford’s hand to replace the Freestar minivan and Freestyle crossover with an entirely different model.

The reason for delaying the Fairlane’s reveal is to not show the goods too soon and stop buyers from purchasing a new Freestyle  — a vehicle still on the company’s production schedule through at least 2008.

[Fairlane Appearance Scrapped, Detroit Free Press]