What engines were available in a 1966 Ford Fairlane?
The 1966 Ford Fairlane offered two fundamental engine families: the 200 cubic inch inline-six and a 289 cubic inch small-block V8, with the V8 available in both two-barrel and four-barrel configurations. This lineup applied across the Fairlane, Fairlane 500, and Fairlane 500 XL models.
Engine options in the 1966 Fairlane lineup
Here's a concise breakdown of the engines you could order in a 1966 Fairlane, including the common configurations across trim levels.
- 200 cubic inch inline-six (3.3 L) — a dependable, lower-cost engine found in base Fairlane models.
- 289 cubic inch small-block V8 with a two-barrel carburetor (2V) — a step up in power and smoothness, widely available.
- 289 cubic inch small-block V8 with a four-barrel carburetor (4V) — the higher-performance option often associated with higher trims or optional performance packages.
In practice, buyers selected between a thrifty six and a small-block V8, and then chose between 2V or 4V versions depending on trim and options. Availability varied by model and regional market.
Trim and availability notes
The Fairlane family during 1966 included base models as well as the Fairlane 500 and Fairlane 500 XL. Larger engines such as the big-blocks were not generally offered in the mid-size Fairlane line that year, with the 289 V8 family serving as the performance option within the standard lineup.
Summary
For 1966, the Ford Fairlane offered a straightforward engine choice: a 200 cu in inline-six or the 289 cu in small-block V8, with 2V or 4V carburetor configurations. This setup reflected Ford’s mid‑1960s strategy of pairing economical sixes with a versatile small-block V8 across the Fairlane range.
