The jewel, the junk and the beast: Ford Australia

No one is perfect, and Ford Australia is testament to this.

Our local Ford arm has had its fair share of ups and downs, having created some of the best Aussie muscle cars the world has even seen but also creating some rather forgetful models.

The Jewel: Ford Falcon FG X XR8/XR6 Turbo Sprint

The last of the breed.

This was Ford Australia's last hurrah, sending the local manufacturing out with a bang and without a doubt the XR8 and XR6 Turbo Sprints were the best Falcons to ever grace the road.

These ultimate versions of Ford Australia's performance sedans received minor visual changes while most of the development budget went to upgrading what was underneath the shell.

Power was increased on both models, the Miami V8 was boosted to 345kW/575Nm (400kW/650Nm on over-boost) while the Barra straight-six was rated at 325kW/576Nm (370kW/650Nm on over-boost).

This allowed both cars to accelerate to the 100km/h mark in around 4.7sec.

The biggest improvement made was in the handling department as the Falcon was treated to a new suspension set up to complement Pirelli P Zero tires. 

Build numbers were limited to 850 XR8s and 550 XR6 Turbos, which combined with their perfomance and unique spec, makes these last performance Falcons almost certain future classics.

The Junk: Ford Capri 1989-1994

Exterior styling by Ghia.

Unlike the original Capri launched back in the late '60s, Australia’s remake was completely different. While it was still a 'sports car', it was now a front-wheel drive convertible aimed at Mazda's MX-5.

However, the car didn't possess much sporting ability due to sharing the same underpinnings as the Mazda 323/Ford Laser hatchbacks.

Power came from a 1.6-litre four cylinder which produced 61kW (later 75kW) while a turbocharged version joined the lined up and offered 100kW.

Mechanically the cars were sound, but the biggest problems came from the leaking roof and the torque steer of the turbo.

The beast: XY Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III

They don't build them like they used to, or at all. (image credit: Shannons)

The GTHO Phase III is regarded by many as the best Australian muscle car of all time.

Created at the height of the muscle car era, the GTHO was built for one purpose, to win at Bathurst which it did in 1971 at the hands of Allan Moffat.

Ford claimed the 351ci (5.8-litre) Cleveland V8 produced 225kW/515Nm however the real figure was more in the ballpark of 270kW-280kW.

This helped the Phase III score the title of the fastest four-door car in the world, reaching a top speed of 144mph (231km/h) as illustrated in Wheels' infamous HO down the Hume photo.

The image which would help kill off our supercars. (image credit: Wheels)

Nowadays Phase IIIs swap hands for ridiculous figures, the most expensive example going for $750,000 in 2007 before the GFC brought prices crashing down. However, things are back on the rise and could exceed that figure.

What's do you think is Ford Australia's best and worst car? Let us know in the comments.

Read our other the Jewel, the Junk and the Beast articles here:

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