Photos by Mike Hayes from the CC Cohort
“Falcon is the U.S.A’s best-selling compact wagon for a whole wagonful of reasons,” Ford proclaimed in the 1962 Falcon brochure. It went on to explain that while “folks came to Falcon first for savings,” almost “65% percent of all Falcon buyers order their cars with Deluxe trim.” While it’s hard to tell from the remaining trim on this 1962 Ford Falcon Tudor Wagon, now clad in matte gray, it does seem to be the Deluxe model — which means that back in ’62, someone bought this rare survivor for the very same reasons the brochure mentioned: economy, with a taste of De Luxe.
Starting at $2,484 back in 1962, the Falcon Deluxe Tudor Wagon was practical transportation with a (very light) sprinkling of “luxury.” Someone in Washington State felt it could still fulfill such duties today.
Practical? Yes, it could still haul stuff and get around town comfortably enough. As for the other part of the equation, our idea of “deluxe” trim has changed greatly in the last six decades, but back then, it meant bright moldings on the body sides and side window frames, the little gun-sight ornaments on the front fender-tops, interior carpeting, nylon and vinyl upholstery, a rubber cargo mat, foam-padded seats, armrests, a cigarette lighter, an automatic dome light, and a deluxe steering wheel with horn ring. Not too fancy except compared to a base Falcon, but over the years, old wagons have gained a coolness never imagined back in the day, especially in two-door form.
Just to compare, here’s a non-Deluxe ’62 Falcon Tudor wagon:
Getting the gray wagon roadworthy wasn’t easy. According to a Facebook post by the owner, it was “acquired in 2013 with a blown engine … and rotting away in a yard hoping someone would revive it.”
Understandably, it took a while to “revive it.” This was no tech billionaire’s pet project, but a labor of love that’s no concours garage queen, but a regular-use vehicle. (The kind of fate we tend to prefer at CC. Who says there aren’t happy endings out there?)
As has been told before, the Falcon was the most traditional in concept and execution among the Big Three compact offerings that dawned in 1960. Turned out, playing it safe had merits, and the Falcon’s basic package was what US buyers wanted at the time, with the model becoming the bestseller of the Falcon/Corvair/Valiant trio (not that it helped Ford gain a bigger market share, but that’s a story covered elsewhere at CC).
Early success aside, the Falcon didn’t remain static, and better-trimmed, more exciting options started to appear as early as 1961, including an optional 170-cid six-cylinder engine and the plusher Falcon Futura, which had bucket seats like the Corvair Monza. Factory air was offered starting in ’62, and a mid-1962 addition was the new Sports Futura featured on the brochure cover above, which had a Thunderbird-inspired roof with optional vinyl top and exclusive trim. It gave quite a different impression than the plain-jane 1960 Fordor sedan that had graced the cover of the 1960 brochure:
Yes, the Falcon was moving up the automotive food chain.
Two- and four-door station wagons had joined the Falcon line in January 1960, along with the new compact Ranchero pickup. Starting in 1961, there was also a Falcon sedan delivery, plus the Falcon-based Econoline van. The wagon line got an extra taste of glamor for 1962 with the new Falcon Squire, which had woodgrain exterior trim like the big Ford Country Squire wagons:
Ford Motor Company
The Falcon Squire was only available with four doors, though, and it cost $176 more than the Deluxe four-door wagon. A little more Luxe, not quite so much economy.
1962 also saw several minor styling updates across the Falcon range, which present on today’s find. The front fenders and more substantial squared-off bumpers were new. So was the hood, decorated with a prominent chrome-trimmed fake scoop. A richer flush grille treatment filled out the car’s face nicely.
There was no mention at the Cohort or the FB post of what lies in this one’s engine bay. What could it be? From the online post, sounds like the original powerplant died long ago in that yard. If the present owner replaced it with a correct original 1962 Falcon powertrain, this wagon might have either a 144-cid or 170-cid six, with 85 or 101 hp respectively. A 3-speed manual was standard, but about half of ’62 Falcons came with 2-speed Fordomatic, and the English Ford all-synchro 4-speed was a new option from mid-year.
Then again, if the owner really had to replace the engine, anything is possible, including a mightier V-8 of later origin. However, nothing about this one suggests it’s been hot-rodded, so I would think a more sensible six still resides in there. Maybe the seven-bearing 200 from a later Falcon?
Two-door wagons were on the wane when this ’62 first appeared. Ford built 109,427 Falcon wagons for 1962, but just 20,025 of them were Tudors like this one. No mystery there: a Fordor wagon cost only $43 more, and was preferable to many buyers.
Those numbers fell even further for 1963, with the two-door wagon selling only 11,591 units: 7,322 standard and just 4,269 Deluxe. Still, Falcon two-door wagons would remain around for a bit longer, only going away altogether when the third gen Falcon appeared in ’66.
As I recall, sometime in the Aughts and mid-’10s, these Falcons became an in thing with the hipster crowd. Dowdy, sensible looks, and space-age booster-rocket taillights? Yeah, I can see that — the youth rebelling against the angry kitchen appliances of that SUV-dominated era.
At first glance, I thought this Falcon’s gray-matte finish belonged to that hipster spirit. But, reading the owner’s FB post, they seem more of a Bohemian type: someone who likes the car for being different in today’s landscape, but more for what it represents than as some sort of statement. Perhaps not much of a difference to many, but relevant in my eyes. (Then again, it’s not like I’ve met the owner, so I could be way off.)
Even when it was new, this Falcon Deluxe wagon had only a tiny bit of bling to set it apart from the standard model, but someone decided it was worth an extra $86 over the skinflint basic model. A small difference, but one that mattered. Nobody would have looked at it twice back then, but time has made the Falcon wagon eye-catching, and if it has a six under the hood, it still offers cheap transportation. Not a bad progression for a modest compact wagon that never really dressed to impress.
Related CC Reading
Curbside Classic: 1961 Ford Falcon – How To Build A Winning Compact (by Paul N)
Curbside Classic: 1962 Ford Sports Futura – Ford Sees The Future; At Chevrolet (by Paul N)
Curbside Find: 1962 Ford Falcon – Birdie Num Num (by Tatra87)
Nice to see one being loved and cared for .
-Nate
Don’t forget this a two tone two door that is just too cute for words.
Never was a fan of those “fender ornaments”. Color combo on the lil wagon is great.
The pic showing the “Thrift Shop”, in the back ground goes perfect with the car.
The “Falcon Squire”, pic looks “deceptively stately”.
Detroit made a *huge* mistake when conceiving the 1960 compacts. That is, they assumed that the buyers would be cheapskates or broke people who couldn’t/wouldn’t pay for a “real” car. Fortunately, the mistake was easy to correct when they realized that many buyers wanted a car that was nice and had extras, but just smaller, so they quickly and readily applied the gingerbread, and soon enough, larger and more powerful engines.
Cool, like it, its an old wagon trying to find the deluxe aspect is hard I have a wagon from 66 that has more doors and a smaller engine its a 4 speed floor shift manual automatic was optional disc brakes were standard the front seats recline everything else deluxe on that age of Falcon is in it, We didnt get two door wagons from OZ but panel vans were supplied and 4 door Falcon wagons came here from Aussie because they were a factory build not a conversion like the UK sourced Zephyr and they were significantly cheaper.
Yet another interesting car that I found within walking distance of home.
Nice old wagon.
This is the first time I have noticed the white reversing lights fitted to the one in the ad.
Given the US didn’t require amber turn signals, its surprising Ford didn’t incorporate them in the centre of the tail lights. They just look homemade to me.
I know that parking lot and store. Way back in the day that St Vinnie’s was an old fashioned lumber yard. Went there with my father a number of times in the wagon to pick up lumber for some project around the house. You went up to the sales desk and said I want x, they ring you up and you went out to your car and drove through that center raised area and they would stop you at the appropriate spot(s) and load it into your vehicle.
Neat little wagon, it would be perfect with a 200 cid six and three speed. I guess that the modern equivalent would be a compact SUV/CUV, and those are really popular. These modern vehicles would be much more comfortable, safer, and get much better fuel mileage.
My Dad bought two new 61 Falcons for our Midwest household. One was the four-door sedan with deluxe trim but no radio; the other a two-door sedan without deluxe trim but with the optional radio. Both cars were equipped with the 144, three-on-the-tree, heater, and nothing else. I was an only child so we never had a station wagon.
For 1961, the deluxe trim in the sedans gave you the mentioned exterior chrome trim accents but no fender top ornaments. Although the deluxe interior was far superior to the standard it did not include carpeted floor covering as you indicate came with the 1962. The deluxe upholstery was better padded, the nylon inserts were attractive, and the vinyl surrounds were of higher quality. And you got a white steering wheel with a horn trim ring, rear arm rests, a cigarette lighter, and automatic dome light.
Even deluxe models did not have, as standard, basic safety features like seat belts, padded dash, or back-up lights. In 1962 we made a 5000 mile round trip across the country in the Falcon deluxe sedan. For news, weather, and music we used my portable transistor radio. Back in the day when the interstate highway system was in its early stage of development many folks traveled around the country in cars equipped in a similar manner. Few today would be satisfied without more power, automatic transmission, and luxe features like the A/C and power assists found even in base model contemporary cars.
For 1962, the Falcon Deluxe was actually classed as a separate series — in 1960 and 1961, it was an option package — and so it did include color-keyed full carpeting.
Interesting. I knew the 62 Falcon with Deluxe Trim came with carpeting but I did not know it was considered a separate series rather than as a trim option – the 62 brochure I found refers to it as Deluxe Trim rather than a Falcon Deluxe – a bit misleading.
https://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Ford/1962_Ford/1962%20Ford%20Falcon%20Brochure/image7.html