FPV (Ford Performance Vehicles)

This was the car that started the Australian Falcon GT legend! Developed from the special Police Interceptor Pack Falcon, the GT was the brainchild of dynamic Ford Australia Managing Director, Bill Bourke. The experts told Ford that a GT came only with 2 doors but Ford went ahead anyway with the definitive Aussie 4-door GT based on the XR series, resplendent in its own exclusive colour GT Gold. Its unique charcoal interior featured the sportier ZA Fairlane bucket seats, wood-grained steering wheel, dash and matching gear knob and special Stewart-Warner full instrumentation. Appointments were a cut above the XR Fairmont.

The new GT was also the first full-size Australian family car variation to offer a Total Performance and appearance package with extra safety including the Mustang 289 V8 with Australia's first four barrel carburettor, 4-speed manual gearbox, sports suspension with radial tyres on 5.5 inch rims and steering wheel impact pad, all standard.

Its GT stripes down the sides and across the boot, distinctive GT medallions and grille blackouts caused a sensation when the first GT was released in May 1967 as a limited edition model late in the XR series. In October, the real reason for its creation became apparent as the new GT Falcon took the "King of the Mountain" title at Bathurst thereby establishing the foundations for V8 Supercars into the 21st Century.

The success of the XR GT saw rapid development of the XT version released in April 1968 as an ongoing model. It gained the more powerful 302 V8, a beefy new three speed auto transmission option, wider 6 inch rims, lower suspension and heavier shockers. It was the first Aussie performance car to offer headlights to match its extra performance with new grille-mounted driving

lights, a four-eyes performance tradition that would be revived in later Tickford models.

The XT's greatest claim to fame was the Teams Prize in the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon where the Ford team finished 3rd, 5th and 8th well ahead of many more fancied rally cars. It was extremely popular and sales doubled that of the XR. Compared to the XR GT's exclusive exterior combination of GT Gold with black stripes, the XT was available in several colours with black-outs and colour-keyed side stripes.

The XW GT ushered in the era of the real muscle car GTs, the first with the big 351 engines combined with powerful, aggressive styling and large bonnet scoop. Again, it was the first Australian car to feature standard bonnet locking pins, racing exterior mirror, anti-glare bonnet rally panels, styled fuel cap, separate dual exhausts exiting at each corner, styled 12-slot sports wheels, baggy 70-series radial tyres, long distance fuel tank and large ventilated front disc brakes. The XW also saw the introduction of the Phase I and II GT-HO homologation models which were the first local performance cars to feature a full-width front spoiler.

The earlier 351 Windsor V8 was replaced by the famed 351 Cleveland engine during the XW model life. The standard XW GT, launched in June 1969, was joined by the Windsor-engined Phase I GT-HO in August and, one year later by the Cleveland-powered Phase II GT-HO.

The XW GT also introduced the Super Roo as performance was what the four barrel 351 was all about while the 'HOs' were out-and-out race homologation specials developed for the Touring Car Championship. Engine power jumped dramatically, braking and handling were also greatly improved and racing fans soon had heroes like Moffat and the Geoghegans to cheer for.

One of the most sought-after GT models is the XY "shaker" and one of the most collectible of all Australian performance cars is the Phase III GT-HO version. The XY GT extended the tradition of the true Aussie muscle car by being the first and only model to feature an exposed centre bonnet air-scoop that was attached to the air cleaner of its Cleveland 351 engine, hence the "shaker" name. The Phase III was to be the ultimate expression of the art with a fully functional "shaker" air intake and front and rear spoilers.

The 1971 Bathurst 1000 saw a field that seemed to be dominated by Falcon GT-HOs. The first several rows were entirely Falcons and, at the finish, so were the first three places. Even though the XY GT had long been replaced by the XA, the GT-HO Phase III had to soldier on for another season in 1972 after the supercar controversy killed off its XA replacement.

The XA Falcon saw the return of a two-door hardtop which allowed the new XA GT to appear in two-and four-door body styles for the first time.

The XA GT continued the race-winning tradition set by the earlier models culminating in the Moffat/Geoghegan Bathurst victory in 1973 followed by the 1974 Goss/Bartlett win in pouring rain making the XA GT the single most successful GT at Bathurst. Almost one third of the XA GT models were hardtops out of a total of 2,759 units sold.

Three prototypes (all supplied to race and rally teams) and one actual production model of the Phase IV were built. Legends, lies and rumours of these four cars persist to this day but they are the most collectible of all GTs. The XA GT was also available with Regular Production Option 83 - essentially a Phase IV in most respects except for the name!

The XB GT was to be the last of this famous line for almost 20 years until the 25th Anniversary EBII GT was launched in limited numbers in October 1992. The XB's aggressive new forward sloping nose and divided recessed grille, the twin nostril bonnet scoops, contrasting bonnet panels with matching highlights around the wheel arches and door sills and a new variation of the classic 12-slot wheel with exposed chrome wheel nuts and centre caps, all stamped this GT as something special.

The XB was the most popular GT model built by Ford with a total of 2,899 (1950 sedans and 949 hardtops) sold. In August 1975, Ford introduced the John Goss Special , a limited edition hardtop with a unique colour scheme and several GT appearance and interior features, to celebrate the fact that Goss was the only driver to win both the Australian Grand Prix and the Bathurst 1000.

During the final year of the XA-XB-XC body series, Ford was faced with a dilemma as the all-new XD shape was almost due for release. It had 400 hardtop bodies left but Ford performance buyers now favoured the sharply-styled XC Fairmont GXL fully-optioned with the 5.8 engine after the GT badge was retired at the end of the XB series.

There was a choice of 4.9 or 5.8-litre V8 engines with manual or auto transmissions. The 400 cars were built and dealers were rushed with buyers.

These striking models with their 15 inch Globe Bathurst alloy wheels, sports seats, special blue and black trim, ducktail rear spoiler that extended down the sides, front airdam, colour-coded bumpers, quartz halogen headlights and driving lights, black grille and 4-wheel disc brakes were GTs in everything but name.

Today, they command a premium amongst enthusiast collectors.

The XC Hardtop had already achieved notoriety at the 1977 Bathurst 1000, the year that Allan Moffat and Colin Bond staged the now famous 1-2 victory formation at the finish line.

To commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the first XR GT in 1967, Ford revived the GT with the help of performance partner Tickford Vehicle Engineering. The 265 cars (15 were sent to New Zealand) were snapped up within days of the announcement. They are now recognized as an important chapter in the GT story and played a key role in keeping the legend alive.

Like all GTs, it had a jaw-dropping presence with its factory-styled integrated body additions, trend-setting grey body highlights and choice of only three colours, Black Pearl, Cobalt Blue and Cardinal Red. Tickford may have helped with engineering and assembly but it still wore the Ford blue oval and in all respects was a true GT.

Probably the most aggressive-looking GT ever launched by Ford Australia, the EL 30th Anniversary model's in-your-face styling polarised enthusiasts but in true GT tradition, it proved to be ahead of its time and still looks fresher than most 1997 releases. The motoring press dubbed it "Darth Vader On Wheels", which neatly summed-up Ford's 1997 interpretation of how a GT should look.