This guy didn't just give birth the Falcon GT - he made a 427 CobraJet XW

​In just six short years, Bill Bourke changed the face of Australian-manufactured cars forever, giving them a standalone identity that was world class, and creating some of the most notorious and successful cars in Australia's history.

William (Bill) Bourke was the American-born marketing and sales manager of Ford Australia in 1965. Bill served in World War II as an officer for the US Army, and after graduating from DePaul University in Illinois in the US, he joined the motoring industry. Bill climbed the corporate ladder to general manager at Ford in Canada, he was sent to Australia in February 1965 to shake things up and build the brand portfolio. One of his first big ideas was a 70,000-mile durability test. Bill wanted to prove that the XP Falcon's endurance and strength could stand up to the harsh Australian environment.

With a fleet of XP Falcons and a host of drivers (including Harry Firth and Allan Moffat), it was a huge risk and a massive task at hand. A test like this had never been done before, and it got lots of attention. Henry Ford II even flew in to the You Yangs test facility via helicopter to check out the action. Bill wanted an average speed of 70 mph (112km/h) over 70,000 miles (112,654 kilometres), and after nearly nine straight days of driving (with stops for fuel and tyres) all of the cars completed the test. Breaking nearly 50 endurance records in the process, this milestone test was a huge success for Ford, with the market regaining confidence in the Falcon. In late 1965, it was no surprise that the XP Falcon took out the coveted Wheels Car of the Year' award.

In late 1966 the new 'Mustang-bred Falcon' was introduced, and for the first time the Falcon was available with a V8. Ford was developing a high-performance version for the police department, when Bill had an idea. Inspired by his own personal car (A Ford Mustang GT Fastback – gold in colour), the first Falcon GT was conceived – featuring the 289cid V8 from the American Mustang. The car was an instant success with buyers, and with a new price of $3890 they were relatively affordable for many buyers. Adding to the brand success was another Wheels Car of the Year' award, and a 1-2 finish at the Gallaher 500 motor race in Bathurst, New South Wales.

Bill loved nice cars, particularly those with big V8s. He personally imported a Mustang, a Torino, and a Lincoln Continental Mk3 from the USA to drive here in Australia. Bill was promoted to managing director at Ford Australia – a job that meant he could 'get things done' the way he wanted, sometimes building his own personal one-off cars to his taste. This included a Russett Bronze XR GT Falcon (the only one built in this colour and known to have survived), a Starlight Blue XT GT Falcon with a wind-back sunroof (also featuring the XW GT-HO style air scoop – well before it was released in 1969), and his custom black XW GT Falcon (fitted with a big-block 428cid CobraJet V8 and shaker hood – again before it was seen on the XY model released in late 1970).

As recently as three years ago, rumours and photos floated around social media about the discovery of a unique XY GT Falcon fitted with power windows (an option not available on the XY model), though the car is yet to be verified.

Much has been written about the 'Bill Bourke Special' XW GT, including stories from motoring writers from the early 1970s that recall Bill driving his black CobraJet beast at more than 140mph (225km/h) with four journalists in the car. This car was unlike any other XW GT built – it was shipped back to the US to have the magic wand waived over it. It was there the car received the high-backed bucket seats, flush-fit bonnet pins, a shaker air intake, front spoiler, and a set of 14-inch American Racer alloy wheels.

Bill returned to the US in late 1971, and retired from the Ford Motor Company in 1980 after being passed over as president. He then worked for just over a decade at Reynolds Metals as managing director, before eventually retiring in the mid-1990s. Bill passed away in June 2005 at his home in Charlottesville, Virginia USA at the age of 78. While he was only here in Australia for a relatively short time, history will show that he was the father of the Falcon GT. It was his passion and his vision that created some of the most incredible performance cars built in Australia.

Source: Survivor Car Australia

While there are plenty of significant Aussie Fords around these days, what do you think is the most significant? Tell us what you think in the comments below.