Ford Falcon 1969 News

Ford Australia has confirmed the decision in a media statement this afternoon. The announcement will likely come as a shock to Ford fans, many of whom were planning to buy one of the last Falcon GTs and keep them as collector pieces. Ford will instead revive the Falcon XR8 when the new model goes on sale, using a less powerful version of the GT Falcon's supercharged 5.0-litre V8. A media statement issued by Ford this afternoon said the return of the XR8 is timed to coincide with the introduction of the 2014 Falcon sedan and Territory SUV update, ahead of the closure of Ford's Broadmeadows and Geelong factories no later than October 2016. As the Falcon XR8 returns to the Ford range, the Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) range -- which includes the iconic GT Falcon -- will retire, the Ford media statement confirmed. Ford plans a series of limited edition GT models during 2014, the company said. Ford took control of FPV late last year and brought production of the GT back in house in February 2013 for the first time since 1976. But Ford has now decided to wind up production of the GT as well. It's the second dose of bad news for Australian V8 fans in two weeks. Last week, News Corp Australia exclusively reported that a leaked SA Government document revealed that Holden will not have a V8 in its lineup by 2016 or 2018. Buoyed by a string of Bathurst victories Ford sold more than 12,000 Falcon GTs in the eight years from 1968 to 1976. As a sign of the changing market, however, it took 21 years to sell the same number of Falcon GTs from 1992 to 2012. "FPV has been very successful for the last 12 years and our relationship with Tickford for many years before that," said Ford Australia Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Service Graeme Whickman. "We appreciate all of the great team members, dealers, customers and fans who have supported FPV through its history. We look forward to sharing further details of the final FPV models and the new XR8 over the coming months." "We have received a lot of interest and continued requests from Falcon fans to bring back the XR8. Re-introducing the XR8 sedan, packaged in our updated Falcon, will make our renowned locally-engineered and manufactured V8 engine available to a broader group of people." This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling

It featured a 289 cu in (4.7-litre) Windsor V8 engine that pumped out 225 horsepower (168kW). The engine was sourced from the Ford Mustang - the car that inspired the production of the sporty GT. The XT Falcon range updated the GT visually and gave it a slightly larger engine, but it wasn’t until 1969 with the XW that Ford got a bit more serious about its performance hero. In August 1969, Ford introduced the legendary GTHO specification. Built for homologation, it looked almost identical to the GT, but under the bonnet things were different. The ‘HO’ stood for ‘handling option’ but there was more to it than that. The Phase I GTHO used the GT’s now larger 5.8-litre V8, and gained larger Holley carburettors plus other performance tweaks. But it was soon upgraded for the Phase II version, which used a 351 cu in (5.8-litre) Cleveland engine that produced 300hp (224kW). With the introduction of the Falcon XY model range in 1970 came the Phase III GTHO. The most sought-after of the GTHO cars, the Phase III produced a whopping 385hp (287kW) from its upgraded Cleveland V8. It got bigger Holly carburettors and, again, more performance upgrades. It also received exterior updates like racing stripes, sporty wheels and a plastic front spoiler. The Phase III GTHO was Australia’s fastest four-door production car, reaching top speeds of around 227km/h. Alan Moffat had great success with the Phase III in the early 1970s, including wins at Bathurst, Oran Park and Phillip Island. In 1972, the XA Falcon was born and -- as a result of the Falcon not being produced in America anymore -- Ford Australia had a lot more input into Falcon design. Unfortunately, changes to production racing regulations meant that the GTHO was no longer required and production was stopped, but not before four examples were produced. Three of those became race cars and one was sold to a member of the public. Given their demand and rarity, Phase III GTHOs can now fetch in excess of $600,000 and this has had a flow-on effect to GS and GT Falcons of the same era. In 2007 a mint Phase III sold at auction for $683,650.  

A fully restored Sebring Orange 1969 Monaro GTS 350 coupe sold at auction for $200,000 this week.It was the highest price paid for the 32 cars on offer at the Shannons 2007 Australian International Motor Show Auction.Second best was a low-mileage 1972 LJ Torana XU-1 finished in Lone Orange that went for $143,000.The sales follow a similar auction in September when a record $450,000 was paid for a 37-year-old XW Ford Falcon GTHO.The V8 muscle car was bought for $4933.25 on April 24, 1970, in Mackay.When the car came up for sale again on at the Shannons Auction it was passed in at $620,000.The immaculate Monza Green 1971 XY was expected to beat the $683,650 record price, which a Queensland buyer paid for a similar car earlier this year.Owner Steve Ribarevski, 30, is still confident the muscle car classic will sell on the private market.He bought the fully-restored GTHO for $200,000 three years ago saying it was a promise he had made to himself years earlier.“I was told by everyone at the time that I was the biggest goose in town for paying that much money for the car but I had promised myself I would own one before I was 30,” he said.“I don't look that silly any more.”It could even turn up at the first Shannons auction, which is to be held at a Brisbane Motor Show next February.Shannons Queensland business development manager Philip Ross; said the auction was the beginning of what he hoped would be the first of many auctions in Queensland.“Generally speaking if a car is passed in at auction it turns up at the next one, so the GTHO could be there,” he said.“We're looking at having about 30 cars at the show."“I've been out west and had a look in some of the sheds at the stuff that may come out of the woodwork."“I'm thinking that we know there is a lot of interesting stuff in Queensland that owners weren't prepared to send to Melbourne or Sydney auctions, but may send to Brisbane because it's closer to home."“I have no idea of what we have so far, but we like to have a good cross-section of vehicles.”The auction vehicles will be on display at the show from February 1-10 with the auction at 2pm on the Sunday.The last Shannons Auction held reached a record $3.75 million with $2.64 million achieved for the 62 number plates; and more than $1.1 million paid for the eclectic mix of Australian; US muscle cars as well as American and European classics on offer.It was the best result achieved by Shannons in a combined single day sale in the company's 26-year history of classic auctions.It was beaten only by the $4.1 million achieved in last year's RTA plate auction at the 2006 Australian Internation Motor Show. The highest single sale of the auction was $245,000 paid for the right to display the early NSW number plate 78.Personalised Plates Queensland also holds an annual plate auction on the Wednesday of the Brisbane Motor Show, last year raising more than $531,000 for the Road Safety Fund of Queensland.  Does it make sense to waste your life savings on a 30-year-old car when for the same money you can buy 13 brand new Holden Barinas?   

With recent auction prices exceeding $200,000, long-time owners are discovering their purchase many years ago, and for a much lower price, was a worthy investment. And of the models that made their mark in Bathurst in this era, the most valuable today is probably the Ford GTHO Phase III.Car enthusiast Angelo Sarigiannis is one lucky owner who has seen the value of his car shoot through the roof. He bought his GTHO Phase III 11 years ago for $42,000.Sarigiannis is now knocking back offers as high as $500,000. And there's one thing stopping him taking up the offers."My kids won't let me sell it," he says.Sarigiannis doesn't take his Ford out very often, but when he does his four sons, all aged under 12, love to go for a spin with dad.And while it may be worth a lot of money, Sarigiannis says it's not the most comfortable car to drive — far from it."There's no airconditioning, it's heavy on the steering, the clutch is heavy, it doesn't stop well, it doesn't corner well but I wouldn't swap it for the world," he says with great pride."You can't compare it to the new Commodores and Falcons, it's a different feeling of driving it. But you expect that. That's why you only drive them three or four times a year."Owning a valuable muscle car also means extra security precautions. As Sarigiannis says, you have to "lock it down"."It's not at my house. Where it's kept, I make sure no one's following me, it's locked up, with bolts and screws and an alarm and bits of the motor are pulled out so it doesn't start," he says. "It's worth it, people will try to pinch it if they can."According to the Ford fanatic, the reason these vehicles have become so highly sought after is their limited numbers. Sarigiannis says they built 300 Ford GTHO Phase III's in 1971 and there are probably only 120 to 130 left. His model is standard without any modifications, just as it was built more than 30 years ago. And he gets plenty of attention when he drags it out, mainly on club runs."Every time I take it out to a show, to the Shannons day and All Ford Day, I get offers, or people call with an offer," he says."Every year, it's going up. Five years ago, it was worth $100,000 and that was a big thing. Year after year, it's going up because they're rare these days, collectors are into them."When first released, the Ford GTHO Phase III cost $5300. Now, as the cashed-up baby boomers reclaim the muscle cars of their youth, they fetch between $250,000 and $350,000 at auctions, sometimes even more.Sarigiannis says the publicity the cars are given also adds to the hype and ridiculous figures people will pay for a piece of history.Sarigiannis has another GT Falcon, a 1969 model. It has increased in value from the $18,000 he paid for it 15 months ago, to the $50,000 it is now worth. Other GTs, Mustangs and what he calls your "average family cars" have also parked in his garage.Sarigiannis says it's great to be able to call these classic models your own. But he offers some worthy advice to anyone considering jumping onboard the muscle car trend."Definitely get someone to verify it's a GT and hasn't been rebodied," he says, listing the GT Club as a possibility. "They're very expensive to get now, these cars. But if they like it, they're definitely not going to lose investment wise, it's good."