page_title: Ford Falcon (EL)
section_title: Facelift and upgrades
hierarchical_section_title: Ford Falcon (EL) / Development / Facelift and upgrades
caption_attribution_description: English: 1997 Ford Fairmont (EL) station wagon. Photographed in Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia. Vehicle registration enquiry results Jurisdiction Victoria Registration OLS296 Chassis code 6FPAAAJGWAVG71002 Engine code JGWAVG71002 Compliance date 1997-08 Year of manufacture 1997
context_page_description: The Ford Falcon (EL) is a full-size car that was produced by Ford Australia from 1996 to 1998. It was the fifth and final iteration of the fifth generation of this Australian-made model and also included the Ford Fairmont (EL)—the luxury-oriented version of the Falcon.
  The EL series served as the final chapter of the fifth generation "E-series" architecture, which began with the EA of 1988. Ford discontinued the car in 1998, and replaced it with the AU. Like its predecessors, the EL Falcon was widely favoured by Australian police and taxi operators. The EL remains one of the most popular Falcons produced.
context_section_description: Compared to the EF, the most obvious visual change was the return of the front grille for GLi and Futura models. The grille itself was now elliptical in shape, a trait shared by other Ford models available at the time. The overall effect was to give the front of the car a rounded visual theme, continuing a shift away from the angular aero style of the early "E-series" models. From the rear, amber indicators were fitted on the base sedan models, with white lenses reserved for the luxury and station wagons. The performance models (XR6 and XR8) saw revised quad headlights.
  Interior upgrades came in the form of reshaped seats and headrests, new colour schemes and switches. Third-row seating, a cargo barrier, and preinstalled wiring to accommodate mobile phone usage were made available as options for the station wagon variants. Additionally, all models were fitted with an advanced window film known as Smart Tint, which claimed to provide equivalent protection levels of SPF15 sunscreen. For improved vehicle refinement, thicker glass was installed to lessen wind noise and a further insulation was added in the dashboard to produce a quieter ride.
caption: Ford Fairmont wagon. Compared to EB–EF station wagons, ELs are differentiated by white as opposed to amber rear turn signals.
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