The Ford Fairmont is a model line of compact cars that was manufactured by Ford from the 1978 to 1983 model years. The successor of the Ford Maverick, the Fairmont marked the third generation of compact sedans sold by Ford in North America and the first design no longer based on the Ford Falcon. Slotted between the Pinto and the Granada within the Ford line (later the Escort and LTD), the model line was marketed by Lincoln-Mercury as the Mercury Zephyr. The inaugural model line of the rear-wheel drive Ford Fox platform, the Fairmont and Zephyr shared underpinnings with twelve additional model lines for Ford and Lincoln-Mercury; though the Fairmont was produced for six model years, the Fox platform underpinned Ford vehicles for another two decades, remaining in production in various forms through the 2004 model year. In contrast to its predecessor, the Fairmont was offered in four different body configurations: two-door sedan, four-door sedan, five-door wagon, and two-door coupe. Through its production, Ford produced the Fairmont at numerous facilities across North America. On November 15, 1977, the 100 millionth vehicle assembled by Ford Motor Company was a 1978 Ford Fairmont Futura coupe. For 1984, Ford replaced the Fairmont with the front-wheel drive Ford Tempo. Background and development In April 1973, the American EPA released its comprehensive list of fuel economy results. In October of the same year, the 1973 oil crisis started. At the time, Ford's North American product line included the subcompact Pinto and Mustang II, and the compact Maverick, but replacements for all of these models would soon be needed. At the same time, Ford of England's Cortina line was in need of refreshing, as was the Taunus model built by Ford of Germany. Changes were also happening at Ford's executive level, as William O. Bourke, ex-chairman of Ford of Europe and one-time managing director of Ford of Australia, was made executive vice president of North American Operations and Robert Alexander, previously with Ford of Europe as vice president in charge of car development, moved to same position in the States. Hal Sperlich was vice-president of product planning and research at Ford. A proponent of downsizing, Sperlich conceived of a "world car" that could be sold in both Europe and North America as a solution to the needs of the various divisions. Some sources suggest that the "Fox" name was borrowed from the Audi 80, sold in