Ford Falcon 1971 News

A prize winning Falcon GTHO was passed in at auction this week after it failed to reach the $500,000-plus asking price.

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

They can’t, because the only surviving car - in which the four-time V8 Champion won his first title - is in the Bowden museum collection in Queensland.But one Carsguide reader can win the next best thing: a $15,000 one-off car cover honouring the GTHO and used to launch the V8 Supercar livery Moffat’s son James will sport with Team Norton DJR this year.Not many people would spend that sum to make their car look nearly 40 years older. However that’s exactly what Team Norton DJR did to unveil their new V8 Supercar.They wanted a car cover that would look like the XY GTHO, but fit perfectly onto the highly modified XR6 race car.So leading theatrical company George Aviet Staging - better known for their sets for the Wiggles, Hi-5 and Tamworth Country Music Awards – flew a team to Queensland to measure every centimetre of the V8 Supercar. Or at least, every part that was already built.“The challenge was working out how to make a perfectly fitting car cover for a car still under construction,” Aviet says. “And then there was the technical aspect of making it fit a V8 Supercar but look like a 70s Falcon.”After all the measurements were calculated, Aviet’s team hired a stock XR6, created mock spoilers and bodykit to match the DJR car – and swaddled the result in 500 metres of cling wrap to protect its own duco.Over the next fortnight, the GTHO cover was shaped, sewn and painstakingly hand-painted on the dummy car, panel by panel. The effort paid off and the result was a perfect fit.The inspiration for the car cover unveiling was the team’s primary sponsor, internet security software Norton by Symantec, which follows their function in ‘protecting the stuff that matters’.James Moffat says Norton and V8 Supercars share a similar concern for safety and rules. “There are rules governing behaviour on the race track, and there are also rules we should all follow when online,” Moffat says.“I know that if I do something irresponsible during a race, or stray off track, I could get hurt or cause damage. The internet is the same: if you stray away from reputable sites, ignore safety rules or act irresponsibly, there could be serious consequences.”So if the Number 9 XY GTHO Phase III was in your driveway, what 'stuff that matters' would the neighbours think you were protecting with it?This competition has now closed and the judges are considering the entries. Stay tuned, as we will be announcing a winner soon.Seven runners-up - one in each state - will also each win one of the $1000 prize packages. The competition closes on March 30 at 11.59pm AEDST. For full terms and conditions click here.

When it comes to used dream cars, the Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III takes the cake.

And now he is giving it away. he former security manager is flogging off his $120,000 classic and donating the entire proceeds to charity.The highly collectable 1971 Ford will be sold in Melbourne this weekend. The proceeds of the Sotheby's sale will go to Soul4Give, a non-profit indigenous advocacy group run by Georgiadis's mate Rob Batzke. Soul4Give promotes forgiveness, mental, social and physical health for indigenous communities.Georgiadis, from Kingsgrove in Sydney, admits he could do with the cash himself to help pay his mortgage. "But I do believe it will come back to me," he says. "Rob does great work for Soul4Give and I want to help out."He has owned the pampered car for the past 20 years. Apart from a new yellow ochre paint job, it is totally original."It's a great car but it's time to move it on," he says. Georgiadis says Batzke had been there for him when he experienced his own problems. Both his parents died recently and other family members have been plagued with health problems. Before his mother died, Georgiadis was forced to quit his security job to care for her."I'm pushing 50 and have been through a few tough situations so I understand what forgiveness is about," he says. "Rob's been a good mate and he's helped me so I wanted to help him."Sotheby's national head of collector cars, James Nicholls, says Georgiadis's generosity has stunned staff. "It's really quite an amazing offer," he says. "It makes you feel quite humble." Nicholls says the car was one of the best examples of the XY GT series. "We expect spirited bidding," he says.Rare classic Falcon GTs are highly sought after, with six figure prices common. Some Falcon GT-HOs have even fetched more than $500,000 in recent years. Apart from Georgiadis's pride and joy, Sotheby's is auctioning off 28 cars, motorbikes and memorabilia.

That is exactly where Salvatore Coco began and he has his share of breakdown stories. He loves classic cars, which is appropriate for an actor who is stepping back in time for the third series of Underbelly. This time Coco is Hammer, an enforcer with plenty of muscle, in 'The Golden Mile'. He describes the role, which sees him as a mate of Kings Cross identity John Ibraham, as "an awesome experience"."I am a bit of a car buff. I’ve always liked cars since I was a young boy. The first car I bought was a red Volkswagen Beetle when I was 19. Hasn’t everyone had one of those? It gave me more problems than anything but I was young and enjoyed tinkering and fixing things. Now I drive a silver BMW E30 – it’s an old car, a 1989 model. I’ve had it for 10 years. They’ll be a collector’s item, it’s a classic car. That particular model is one of the best BMWs – I believe. It’s one of those cars that just loves the road. I drive a lot between Sydney and Canberra and it absolutely loves it.""I’m pretty strict when it comes to people getting in my car. I don’t like people mucking around because the leather seats are the original seats. No one plays around in the back seat – and I won’t be playing around back there either.""I’ve got a lot of ‘breakdown’ stories to tell of late. In the last two years I’ve broken down at least five times. Recently, coming back from Canberra, I had forgotten to change the timing belt on the motor and I blew the head. So that cost me a lot of money and a two-night stay in Goulburn. One thing goes wrong and the whole car shuts down. I’ve got a list as long as my arm about breakdowns.""When I first bought my Volkswagen, I was working as a pizza delivery driver for Dominos. I was running late for work and the car just stopped. So I opened up the back of the Volkswagen to have a look at the engine and there was one wire from the coil to the engine which had burnt out. I was standing there trying to figure out what I could replace it with and I got an idea. I pulled a wire from one of the speakers, attached it and it worked. I didn’t even have a pair of pliers, I had to do it with my teeth. So I left it on there and drove around with one speaker working.""I once bought a new motorbike and the guy assured me it was all ready to go. It was beautiful. My friends and I decided to go for a cruise to the Central Coast. I got five minutes from home and it just stopped in the tunnel that goes onto the Anzac Bridge in Sydney. No matter what I did I couldn’t get it going. So I ring the bloke I bought it from and I took it back to the workshop. The fuse right up under the chassis had blown which tripped the fan, the fan overheated and blew the engine. All because of one silly, faulty fuse. Lucky it was still under warranty.""Sydney to Canberra is a great drive but I also love the drive from Sydney to Batemans Bay and Sydney to Yamba. That’s a very good drive.""If I make a few million dollars the first thing I’ll buy is a Ford Falcon XY GTHO Phase III. If I end up in some huge Hollywood blockbuster – I’ll buy two of them. I love Classics. I really, really love Classics."

Jodie Johnson owned a 1972 HQ SS Monaro when she met her future husband Paul Johnson at a friend's birthday party in September 2000.  They were both into muscle cars and hit it off immediately. They were engaged in February 2001 and married that December.But little did Holden-loving accountant Jodie know when she met truck-driving Paul that he was a Ford fan.  "I suppose opposites attract," she says.  Paul agrees: "Ford or Holden; it doesn't matter. I know what the superior make is here."The Johnsons now have a collection of muscle cars in their garage and have started an online muscle car club that has 190 members from as far as Perth.  Jodie still owns the HQ, while Paul has a replica 1970 Falcon XW GT replica, a 1971 six-cylinder Futura and a recently acquired 1971 XY panel van."The panel van is quite a rare one. It's a project for us to do next," says Paul.  "Jodie enjoys working on them. It makes my life a lot easier with her having an interest in cars. We've got a lot in common to talk about."The GT replica is a standard XW, but with factory made genuine GT parts fitted.  "It's got all the GT parts like the interior, motor, gearbox, dashboard and stripes; it just doesn't have the GT code on the compliance plate," he says.  He bought it in Sydney four years ago for $18,000. Back in 1970 a GT would cost about $3500.Genuine GTs now fetch around $100,000-$160,000 while replicas can go for as much as $70,000.  "I don't know what it's worth, but it's got all the right parts," Paul says.  "I bought it as is and I've just changed the tyres, carbies, clutch and diff housing."It has a 351 Cleveland GT engine producing about 400hp with a four-speed top-loader manual gearbox and nine-inch diff.  "I had GTs before and I'd been looking around for a few years for a good replica. I couldn't afford a real one because the prices went silly for a couple of years," he says."I'm not kicking myself that I didn't keep the '74 XB GT. I don't regret it at all.  "This is by far my favourite Ford because of the colour. It's a total selling point.  "I knew it was a replica straight away because of the compliance plate and it was advertised as a replica.  "The next best thing to a real GT is a replica."Paul has displayed his car at hot rod shows while Jodie gave up on the show circuit two years ago to go drag racing.  Her brother bought the car 20 years ago with plans to rebuild it.  "My father got sick of it sitting in the shed doing nothing so I bought it off him for $10,000 and finished it off," she says."When we rebuilt it, it only had a 253 in it and was basically a show car.  I got sick of the show thing and cleaning it all the time, so we decided we'd make it a `go car' and took it to the drags."It now features a 454 big block engine which propels it to "high 12s" on the quarter mile strip.  "The cost all up is about $40,000," she says.  "It only comes out on weekends these days. My daily drive is a 2005 Nissan Pulsar. Pretty sad, huh?"She also owned a VK Commodore which was `pretty awesome" but when their daughters Mercedes, 4, and Palana, 2, came along the Johnsons traded it in for something with airconditioning.  Jodie says that given their love of muscle cars, Palana's name is often mistaken for Torana.

JIM Richards and John Bowe will renew their Bathurst rivalry this weekend _ with a twist. Instead of strapping into V8 Supercars for the main event, the veterans will go head-to-head in the Biante Touring Car Masters races for historic touring cars. Both are aiming for victory, Bowe in a Chevrolet Camaro and Richards in a Ford Falcon Sprint, but admit they are happy just to be racing at Mount Panorama. "I just love the place," says Bowe. "It's exciting because it's genuine good fun. The result doesn't matter, but everyone wants to win," says Richards. They are part of a capacity field that starts with V8 American muscle cars and includes Falcons, Chargers, Monaros and Minis, although title leader Gavin Bullas in a Mustang - which looks a lot like Allan Moffat's famous Coca-Cola car - is the favourite ahead of Bowe and Brad Tilley in a GTHO Falcon. "I don't th ink anyone will beat Gavin in the Mustang. But that doesn't matter," says Bowe. "I honestly don't know what to expect this weekend with the Camaro. I've never driven a 40-year-old car at Bathust. "But being in the Biante series has been good to me. It's been a breath of fresh air. It's fun, it's about the cars, it's about great racing." Richards agrees. "I'm a great fan, because it's back to where I started. But these cars are so much better to drive than the ones I drove in 1970s," Richards say s. "The touring car masters series is brilliant. It's good fun, the cars are quick, and you've got to tinker with them a bit to get the best out of them. it's technology we've never known before with things like leaf springs. "It's exciting becuase it's genuine good fun. The result doesn't matter, but everyone wants to win. "I'm expecting to have a close battle and I hope to get a win. But if I don't win it won't bother me. "Sometimes the races you win are the dullest. This will be great racing. "MECHANICAL problems cost John Martin - who will lead the Team Australia effort in the A1GP race on the Gold Coast - back in the pack in the Superleague open-wheel races at Monza in Italy last weekend. Martin had limited track time in practice but managed to run as high as fourth before troubles dropped him to 11th and 12th in twin heats.DANIEL Erickson has taken fifth for Australia in this year's British Formula Ford championship, also finishing as the best rookie after fourth and seventh-placed finishes in the final round at the Castle Combe track. He is now hoping to start at the Formula Ford Festival, the biggest individual meeting of the season in the UK.GLENN Seton is going Mini racing on the Gold Coast. The retired V8 Supercar racer and team boss, who is missing Bathurst this year for the first time in his life, is the celebrity driver in the Mini Challenge races at the SuperGP meeting in Queensland.CODY Crocker has done it again, claiming a record fo urth Asia-Pacific Rally Championship thanks to victory with Ben Atkinson and Subaru in the Rally of Indonesia last weekend. The 2009 A-P cup will sit alongside his three Australian rally championship trophies.MICK Doohan is confirmed as Jamie Whincup's partner in Team Australia for the Race of Champions in China on November 3-4. The knockout motorsport championship draws some of the world's best drivers, including Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher, who compete on a custom-made indoo r track at the Birdsnest stadium built for the Beijing Olympics.MARCOS Ambrose was 14th for the second straight Nascar race at Kentucky Speedway last weekend, keeping him a solid 17th in the Sprint Cup standings. In a result that mirrored his run at Dover the previous week he also qualified 27th, a position he hopes to improve at California Speedway this weekend. 

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.  

The heat has well and truly come out of classic prices for hyper-expensive collectible cars with prices for the famous Ford Falcon GT-HO dropping in value up to 30 per cent over the past few months. The values are a far cry from 2006 and 2007 when speculators and collectors were paying stratospheric prices of up to $800,000 for Phase III versions of the Falcon GT-HO.Prices for other proven Bathurst pedigree cars like the Holden Torana XU1 and A9X, as well as the Valiant Charger E38 and E49, grew in value because of the Phase III phenomenon. But prices for some of Australia's most collectible muscle cars are cooling as investors keep their hands in their pockets because of the global financial crisis. The decline is not just restricted to the top-end cars either.Classic retailers say that some collector cars that several years ago would have fetched $200,000 are now worth $100,000 and the impact has been felt further down the price scale.But Mike Selby, owner-operator of the Sydney-based on-line company Australian Muscle Car Sales, says even though prices have softened, a mint condition Phase III Falcon GT-HO will still fetch between $500,000 and $600,000.He says even rarer versions may command more but it's a buyers' market. "We've just sold one very good Phase III for $550,000 and we've got one we're selling for $600,000," he says. "But lesser cars without logbooks and that are not perfect will struggle."Selby says a low mileage Falcon GT-HO Phase III in exceptional condition will still command big money, particularly because very few survive. "They only build about 300," he says."There are about 180 left and of those there are probably between 12 to 20 cars with less than 50,000km on the clock. Those cars will command really big dollars."Selby says there is a distinct reason why people opt for the famous Bathurst cars like the Torana XU1, A9X, various Falcon GTs and Valiant Chargers. "They are really buying what you can't buy ever again," he says. "They were cars you could buy at your local dealer, drive to Bathurst, and win a race. That is the mystic of that era. They were factory built race cars and that has not been done since."Selby does not believe that some of the newer cars like the Group A Holdens and Fairmont Ghia ESP models will command the same respect, or prices, among collectors. "They are certainly rare cars and interesting but the reason people were buying the GTs and XU1s is because they were something very special," he says. "I think that is an era that's gone."He says as with all cycles he believes the time is right for smart buyers to re-enter the market. "The market has come down a fair way, in line with what happened in the financial world," he says. "But I think it's flattened out now and holding steady," he says "I don't see anything going up yet but there's definitely more interest now than there was before even if cars are taking longer to sell." Specialist classic seller Paul Sabine of the Brooklands Classic Car dealership in suburban Melbourne echoes Selby's view of the classic slide. Brooklands specialises in rare European vehicles and Sabine says he avoids Australian muscle cars because of the over-inflated prices."Some of the later-model Europeans like Porsches, Ferraris and Mercedes-Benz have dropped off a bit," he says. However, he says demand is still strong for low-mileage early model Europeans and finding early examples is getting harder. Demand is outstripping supply but prices for these cars haven't dropped much," he says.Sabine says one segment that has experienced substantial price plunges of up to 30 per cent are the "middle American cars". "The garden-variety Mustangs, Thunderbirds, Camaros... there are just too many out there now," he says.He says the market is awash with imported left-hand drive daily drivers with people hoping to restore them and sell them for profit. "The bottom line is that the restoration costs still keep climbing," he says. "While parts are available for Mustangs the labour costs still haven't dropped. Why would you spend $60,000 doing up a Mustang that's going to be worth $40,000 and you've also paid $15,000 or $20,000 for it?"Apart from road-registered classics, original race cars are also still commanding top prices. "There are very few around," Sabine says. The national auctions manager for classic auction house Shannons in Melbourne, Christophe Boribon, says although the Bathurst cars have dropped in value, prices for some of the European cars being auctioned have remained buoyant.But Boribon admits that even values of some of the Shannons collectibles have dropped about 10 per cent since the global financial crisis. "But unlike the muscle cars, the European cars are in a less speculative area," he says. "We sell passion and hobbie cars, we don't sell the A to B cars."Selby says the market still has some way to go before it is fully recovered. "What you'll find is that once confidence returns to real estate and sharemarket, things will pick up," he says. "The stock that is there isn't moving really quickly but it is moving." He says the only people who have survived the shakeout unscathed are seriously rich collectors who have been able to hang on to their cars. "There have not been any firesales," he says. Tomorrow's highly collectible car could be sitting in your garage. If one of the original Australian muscle cars from the 1960s or 1970s are out of reach some later model cars have collector potential. And you might already be driving around in them.Early examples of the humble Ford Fairlane, Valiant Pacer and Safari wagons and various Falcons from the early 1960s like the XK and XL are becoming more desirable. Prices can start from as low as $10,000, rising up to $30,000 low-mileage mint condition locally built Aussie cars.Even the humble Holden Torana sedan and hatch are now considered collectible with growing interest in original Torana SL and SS hatchback with its "hatchback hutch" portable tent from 1976 to 1978. Very few were made and carsguide has heard of one country NSW collector who found one in mint condition, including the tent, for $15,000.Some of the older Subarus, Mazdas and Hondas are even worth a look. Early Honda Civics are relatively cheap but if you're after the S600 or S800 sportscars - if you can find them - expect to pay top dollar. The same goes for some of the older rotary-engined Mazdas. Some of the first MX5 sportscars are now considered collectible too. Early examples of Subaru's Liberty GT, if they aren't bastardised with big wheels, garish interior gauges and oversized exhausts, plus the quirky looking SVX also have collector potential.European cars like the Saab's 900 series hatch, particularly the Aero models from the early 1990s, have strong reputations and the Pininfarina-designed Peugeot 406 coupe is something of a sleeper. Cars like the Morris Minor Traveller, Ford Capri RS3100, Datsun 240Z and 260Z and Volvo 1800ES are out there but are becoming harder to find. Various older Mercedes-Benzes, like the 1970s 280SE and the 280SL Pagoda are popular but the Pagoda is rare today and commands big prices.If all else fails early versions of the Citroen DS, Mini Cooper, Alfa Romeo GTV, MG and Triumph, some Jaguars, the BMW 2002ti and 6 Series and early E39 3 Series iS models. Shannons' Christophe Boribon reckons later model limited-edition cars like the Mitsubishi Evo, the original R32 GTR Skylines, Toyota MR2, original two-door Subaru STis and the Mazda RX7 Series 8 have potential as tomorrow's classics.Further up the scale Boribon says the Audi RS4 wagon, BMW M3 CSL and even the Mercedes-Benz AMG65 SL Black Series are likely to become more desirable as the years pass. "It really comes down to whether they're limited edition models though," he says. "It's the same for Ferraris and Lamborghinis; they have to be limited edition models."Boribon, Selby and Sabine agree that a car's rarity and its condition are paramount for true collectors. "An original condition car, whatever it is, will fetch a good price," Sabine says. There are few specifics about what will, or won't, become a collectible, he says. If very few examples of a particular model exist and its in original condition, it can be more desirable, he says."But if you absolutely like the car you're looking at then I'd say buy it," he says. "Life is an experience. "The one tip is to buy the best car you can afford, whatever it is." However, he has a word of warning for those expecting their classics to drive like a 2009 model. "They often don't have power steering, handle particularly well or have the creature comforts you get today," he says.