Ford Cobra News

You can't celebrate the beauty of Australia without delving into our rich motoring history. Since 1948 Australia has been producing some fast, popular and memorable cars, as well as the not-so-memorable ones, from the very first local production car, the Holden 48-215, to the now very valuable Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III.Whether it be Holden, Ford, BMC or the lesser known Lightburn, we have built and been the recipient of some outstanding cars. Next weekend, more than 1200 vehicles will gather in the city as part of the 23rd NRMA Motorfest. All cars have to be at least 30 years old.Rob Foster, a self-confessed Ford fan, will take his Aussie 1978 XC Ford Cobra to next Saturday's Motorfest for the first time. It will join four other Cobras also making their debut.“It's one of the great Australian models, Foster says. “While it's not up with the GTs, it still has its place in Australian history.“It's still up there with the Monaros and Chargers. Everyone just loves the Cobras.”And this year the Australian-built, Falcon-based Cobra, celebrates its 30th anniversary.Foster's muscle car is number 59 out of only 400 models that were built, and is in top condition, with airconditioning, power windows and power steering.“It's a good touring car,” he says. “I just always wanted one.” Foster says there are only about 270 of Cobras left and he knows of 20 that are in NSW.And the Cobra has become much more valuable over time. Foster says one model sold at a recent auction for $85,000, but their value can stretch up to $150,000.While the blue and white colour scheme was derived from the American racing Mustangs, Foster says the car is full of Australian DNA.“They're definitely nice cars and the Cobras were built in 1978 to say thank you to Moffat and Bond for winning in an XC coupe in 1977,” he says.While Foster had been wanting a Cobra since they first came out, the year he got his licence, he hadn't considered it seriously until three years ago, when his partner became sick of him talking about it and told him to buy one.“So in six weeks we went from nothing to an XC Coupe which needs restoring, then an XC ex-police car and then I bought the Cobra,” he says. “From nothing to lots in a couple of weeks. It was amazing to find a Cobra like that. It had been unregistered for about 12 years.”And it's not just the Australian muscle cars that were born Down Under. Fred Diwell enjoys jumping back into time with his rare 1965 Lightburn Zeta Sports and will also be taking it to its first Motorfest next weekend.“They only made 48 of them and there are only three going today,” he says.Diwell says Lightburn, a South Australian company, was better known for making washing machines and industrial machinery, with cars earning little success.“It was too late,” he says. “It coincided with the release of the Mini ... competition from the Mini finished all the micro cars. For pound stg. 100 more you could buy a proper car rather than a toy car.“I'm not sure if this car is a tumble-dry model or a spin-dry model. The suspension is a little bit harsh for the weight of the car.”Diwell has owned the Zeta for 18 years and has the only model built with a surfboard rack.“I'm still looking for a 1960s surfboard to put on it,” he says.Featuring the same 500cc twin-cylinder engine used in the German Messerschmidt Tiger, the Zeta has a top speed of 100km/h.But Diwell says it's a lot of fun to drive.And it won't only be Australian-built cars taking over the city, with other vehicles that have called Australia home over the years also going on display. Daily Telegraph cartoonist Warren Brown, will be showing off his 1925, fully-restored Bean, before he attempts to drive it from London to Melbourne later this year.Brown's journey will be filmed for an SBS documentary, and he'll retrace the steps of Australian adventurer Francis Birtles, who drove a Bean across the world in 1927 and 1928.“There are only a handful of Bean cars left in the world,” Brown says.About half a million people are expected to admire the variety on show, and this year's Motorfest includes classics such as Rolls Royces, Bentleys and Packards.  Snapshot 23rd NRMA MotorfestWHEN: Australia Day, next Saturday, 10am-4pmWHERE: Macquarie St and College St, CityWHAT: More than 1200 cars, all of them at least 30 years old. 

Officially unveiled as one of the stars of the Blue Oval stand at the Australian International Motor Show, the 400 Cobra GTs and 100 Ute stablemates have all found homes. “I had 400 sedans and 100 Utes that were allocated to dealers and every dealer took their allocation,” says FPV general manager Rod Barrett. “I don't have figures on the retail numbers but from what I have heard they have gone quicker than free beer.” Barrett says there is no possibility that any more than the strictly limited 500-car production run will ever be built. “Then they wouldn't be a limited-run special, would they?” The limited-edition GT Cobra harks back to a generation of Cobra muscle cars sparked by the famous XC hardtop 1-2 finish at Bathurst in 1977. That victory led to the release of the limited-edition Cobra XC hardtop the following year. “The Cobra name invokes passion among motoring enthusiasts,” says Barrett. “The new FPV GT Cobra combines the original XC Cobra's bold styling with the latest in FPV engineering and total performance." “While the vehicle's exterior features the same blue racing stripes and coiled snake emblem that Cobra is famous for, the vehicle will be powered by FPV's latest high-performance Boss 5.4-litre quad-cam 32 valve V8 engine, which now produces 302kW.” Like the original XC hardtop, the GT Cobra is designed to lift the excitement quotient for a model that is essentially heading for the exit. The new Ford Falcons (codenamed Orion) are due to be launched in April next year but until then, FPV needs to keep sales of the current GT ticking over. Both the GT and the Ute Cobra will be powered by a specifically tuned Boss 302 V8 fitted with FPV stainless steel-fabricated exhaust manifolds and a high-flow dual-exhaust system. FPV programs manager Paul Cook says the revision of the Boss targeted an increase in peak power and torque in the mid- to upper-rev range; without penalising exhaust emissions and urban fuel economy. “The increased performance, including improvements to the volumetric efficiency of the engine above 3750rpm, has been achieved by a new inlet and exhaust camshaft profile to increase inlet valve lift and duration,” Cook says. Engine calibration has been extensively revised while improvements have also been made to improve accelerator response. It is no accident that the 302kW output (with 540Nm of torque) was the capacity in cubic inches of Ford's small-block V8 engine and is also exactly double the 151kW output of the 1978 Cobra's 4.9-litre V8 engine. The GT Cobra has a limited slip differential and is available with either a close ratio six-speed manual transmission; with a high torque clutch or the ZF six-speed automatic transmission with Sequential Sports Shift. FPV's R Spec handling package is fitted as standard to the GT Cobra; as are Cobra-logoed leather seats and specific 19-inch alloys. The white exterior features blue striping across the bonnet, roof and rear deck lid and is completed by the unique Cobra badge on each front fender. The GT Cobra will also include RSpec badging. The official pricing for the GT Cobra sedan is $65,110, just a tick under $3000 more than the basic GT. The Ute is $61,200. The original Bathurst Spec XC Cobra Hardtops bring up to $150,000 on the open market, while a 'standard' XC Cobra from the limited 400-car run will sell for between $80,000 and $90,000. FPV's second show hero was one of the worst-kept secrets in Australian motoring; the fully-worked turbo-charged performance Territory. Badged as the FPV F6 X, the full-blown Territory is the first non-Falcon model to get the Ford Performance Vehicles treatment. “FPV has always had the goal to extend the brand beyond Falcon-based product,” Barrett says. “The F6 X is designed for the family that enjoys performance-vehicle motoring and appreciates a true sports luxury feel.” Built off Ford's Territory turbo, the F6 X is powered by the 4.0-litre in-line F6 270 Turbo from the FPV Typhoon models with the same 270kW and 550Nm output. Drive is through a ZF six-speed automatic transmission and a full-time AWD system. Standard equipment on the F6 X includes; dynamic stability control, traction control with side curtain airbags and dual-stage driver and front passenger airbags. To match its performance the F6 X's brake package has been enhanced with Brembo six-piston front calipers and a new FPV calibration for the ABS and DSC systems. Specific damper and spring rate tuning has given the F6 X a firmer sports feel and greater body control when pushed along. Unique F6 X exterior styling cues include a front mesh grille insert, rear spoiler, alloy running boards, bonnet air scoop and unique 18-inch five-spoke alloys. The FPV F6 X is due to go on sale early next year.  

Less than 48 hours after being officially unveiled at Bathurst last Sunday, Ford Performance Vehicles' Cobra GT is officially sold out. A Cobra GT will be the star of the Ford stand at the Australian International Motor Show. One of the $65,000 cars is already listed on eBay with a starting bid of $80,000, and a buy-it-now price of $120,000. “Put it this way,” FPV general manager Rod Barrett said yesterday, “I had 400 sedans and 100 Utes that were allocated to dealers and every dealer took their allocation. “Now, I don't have figures on the retail numbers but from what I have heard they have gone quicker than free beer.” Mr Barrett said there was no possibility that any more than the strictly limited 500-car production run would ever be built. “Then they wouldn't be a limited run special, would they?” The modern GT Cobra was built to honour the 30th anniversary of the famous 1977 Bathurst 1-2 result for Ford's XC Falcon Hardtop. Following that win Ford released 30 Bathurst Spec cars and a run of 400 Cobras to use up the remaining body shells from the XC before the arrival of the all-new XD model. Thirty years on and the Bathurst Spec cars are bringing $150,000 on the open market while Cobras with the 302 small block engine are worth between $80,000 and $90,000. “Some of the people who have snapped these cars up are hoping to make a quick 30 or 40-grand like they did on the 40th anniversary models (the FPV GT which was limited to 200 cars when it was released earlier this year),” Geoff Day, president of the combined Ford clubs of NSW, said. “Whether that is going to be the case or not ... who knows.”  

No one is confirming, or denying it, but Ford is working to bring back the Cobra name. Indicators are strong that Ford may release a limited run of special-edition Cobra-badged Falcons in time for this year's Bathurst 1000 endurance race. CARSguide understands that 300 V8 sedans and 150 utes will be built to coincide with the marathon race. The cars are believed to have 302kW V8s and will be sold under the FPV banner as “spec R” cars, which means they have upgraded suspensions and high-performance brakes. Earlier this year, FPV released 200 “spec R” Falcon GTs to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Falcon GT. This year's Bathurst race also marks the 30th anniversary of Ford's one-two win with drivers Allan Moffat and Colin Bond. To commemorate that win Ford Australia released 400 Falcon XC Cobra coupes in July 1978. Ford Cobra Club of Australia president Rodney Hansen says he has heard that Ford plans to revive the Cobra name. Several dealers have also heard the same story and some are prepared to take orders. One FPV dealer, Jefferson Ford in Melbourne, has had strong inquiry for the cars. But despite the speculation, Ford spokeswoman Sinead McAlary will not say if the Cobra name is returning. She says there has been some talk of new model names at Ford, but this was normal for a car company. Ford has registered the names “Falcon R6” “Falcon G” and “Falcon G6”, but McAlary says it is not uncommon for car companies to register names, then not use them. “We like to keep a few things under our hat,” she says. Ford could be reserving the “G” model designation for an upper-end next-generation Falcon, to fill the gap left by the outgoing Fairlane. The 5.4-litre Fairlane G8 is the long-wheelbase range-topper. Fang-tastic prices Holden has also been playing the name game, registering the “RXU” and “L8” names, which could point to new VE Commodore models. Like many 1960s and 1970s Australian muscle cars, which are fetching stratospheric prices today, Falcon Cobras are becoming sought-after among collectors. A mint-condition car can cost as much as $70,000 and a limited Bathurst Cobra can fetch more than $150,000. When Ford built a batch of 400 Falcon XC coupe-based Cobras in 1978 they were painted white with blue racing stripes and had alloy wheels and a cobra snake logo emblazoned on the mudguards. Half the cars were build with a 4.9-litre V8 and the rest with a 5.8-litre V8. By today's standards, given improvements in engine technology, the outputs of the engines are modest. The 4.9-litre V8 developed 159kW at 4600 revs and 364Nm at 3000 revs and the 5.8-litre had 162kW at 4500 revs and 429Nm at 2700 revs. The first 30 Cobras, called Option 97, were homologated for racing, with reinforced suspensions, transmission oil coolers, heavy-duty radiators and reworked mudguards, to accommodate larger wheels and tyres.