While it is true that many Australian muscle cars evolved from sedans, there are a few notable exceptions. The Ford XA Falcon GT Hardtop is one and is also a relatively rare beast. A short production period for the XA Falcon ensured that fact, while the Hardtop didn’t gain as much acceptance in the market as its four-door sibling. This 1973 GT Hardtop recently emerged from hiding after spending fifteen years squirreled away in a barn. The documentary evidence confirming that it is a genuine 1-of-1 classic adds to its desirability. If a slice of Aussie muscle appeals to you, the GT is listed for sale here on Australian Muscle Car Sales in Perth, Western Australia.
There’s a bit to unpack with this Falcon, but there are a couple of points worth considering first. I recently wrote about this 1970 Ford Torino GT, commenting on the family resemblance between it and the XA Falcon Hardtop. Our feature car had not appeared on our desks when I wrote that article, but you now have the opportunity to examine the photos across both stories to compare the styling and draw your own conclusion. The second point is that some readers will instantly draw a parallel between this car and the black Interceptor featured in the Mad Max films. The comparison is understandable and shows excellent powers of observation. Ford Australia’s Third Generation Falcon remained in production between 1972 and 1979. Its first facelift occurred with the release of the XB Falcon in late 1973, with the final update (the XC) landing in showrooms in July 1976. The Mad Max Interceptor, or, to give it the correct name, the Pursuit Special, was developed by the film studio from an XB Falcon Hardtop. Therefore, 10/10 for any readers who picked the family likeness! This GT rolled off the Broadmeadows, Victoria, production line in May 1973. It was a Special Order for a Ford executive, which helps explain its list of options. They ordered the car in Onyx Black with a Black vinyl top. Once it had completed duties as a company car, it moved into private hands. The ownership history suggests it saw some pretty harsh regions, although the dry climate in those areas probably helped it survive. The blazing Aussie sun has baked the paint and destroyed the vinyl, but the body is surprisingly sound. There is rust near the back window, which is typical. The seller notes more in the taillight panel, trunk floor, and rockers. Fortunately, reproduction pieces are available to whip the body into shape. Underside shots reveal the floors to be rock-solid. The distinctive grille with integrated driving lights is intact, as is the hood with the factory scoops. The rear spoiler is present, although the one for the front is gone. The chrome looks restorable, and the glass is excellent. That is an important consideration because tinted glass in an XA Falcon is rare in itself, so locating replacements would be challenging. The car rolls on aftermarket wheels, which brings us to an important point. One of the photos shows some extra wheels in the trunk. They are definitely 15″ alloy wheels produced by Globe. I’ve studied the photos to determine whether they are genuine Phase IV wheels or reproductions. So far, I’m unwilling to stick out my neck and make a call one way or the other. Hopefully, one of our Australian readers can provide a definitive answer.
You were restricted to a single engine if you ordered a new GT in 1973. Mind you, it wasn’t a bad lump of iron to find under the hood. Buyers received the mighty 351ci “Cleveland” V8. The country remained a few years away from being impacted by emission regulations, so the 351 pumped out a genuine 300hp. The Ford executive selected a four-speed Top Loader manual transmission to feed the power to the 9″ rear end. Given its first custodian, I’m surprised they didn’t equip the car with power steering. The GT in this guise was a pretty rapid piece of kit. It could storm through the ¼ mile in 14.9 seconds before winding its way to 132mph. The seller indicates this car is no longer numbers-matching as it currently stands. The news may not be bad because it is a genuine GT engine. They have revived it, and the car runs and drives. They say it needs mechanical freshening up, but there are some further options for potential buyers to consider that may change their plans slightly. While the car isn’t numbers-matching, the seller includes another engine block and some ancillary components. These are original to this car, allowing the potential to return it to its factory specifications and numbers-matching status. That’s an option that would be too tempting to resist.
The Falcon GT package brought some excellent standard appointments to the interior. These included high-back bucket seats, a gauge cluster with a tachometer, voltmeter, temperature gauge, and oil pressure gauge, and a lidded console with the shifter poking through. Most GT interiors featured vinyl upholstery, but this car steps up a notch by including cloth seat facings. It adds to that with more optional extras that help to cement its unique status. The executive selected air conditioning, power windows, dual exterior mirrors, and a radio/8-track player. Any of those options by itself is rare in a 1973 Falcon, but combining the lot in a GT is what makes this a 1-of-1 vehicle. The interior is complete, but the blazing Australian sun has done its worst to the upholstery. This could pose some challenges because cloth trim for older Australian Fords can be difficult to find. It may require patience on the buyer’s behalf if they intend to perform a faithful restoration. However, the finished product should justify the effort and expense.
The Falcon was Ford Australia’s weapon of choice from 1960 until 2016. Initially based upon the American model, the company developed it as a unique model from its XA series. This GT is a genuinely unique vehicle that requires plenty of TLC. The seller doesn’t indicate a sale price, but its history and specifications suggest that the number should be somewhere within the six-figure territory. Readers outside Australia may struggle to understand why a car like this could command that price, but the explanation is surprisingly simple. Ford Australia ended local manufacturing in October 2016, retiring the Falcon badge simultaneously. There is virtually no chance that they will ever resume production Down Under. Those individuals with blue blood coursing through their veins are willing to pay a premium for the company’s high-performance offerings. They know that history will never repeat and that they will be preserving a vital slice of the country’s motoring heritage. I will be glad to see this Falcon GT returned to active service because a rare beast like this should not be locked away in a barn.
No price and right-hand drive? Definitely a limited market.
“Offers invited from $150,000” according to the website listing.
Not that limited seeing it’s in Australia.
You think wrong there.
I thought these were really cool when I first saw one.
At Ford’s 100th Anniversary event in Dearborn,MI,there were
at least ten of them.It was less appealing (to me,anyway) to
see that many,all together.
LOVE IT. I WANT IT. Anyone care to treat me to an early Birthday gift? September will be here before you know it!
Certainly defines “aggressive”. Slick car.
Great write up Adam.
One million dollars with Austin Powers comes to mind 😉
A very cool car no matter what side the steering wheel is on 👍
Perfect for the left lane a drag race baby !!
It probably would cost as much as the thing is worth to ship it to the States.
When restored, this is probably a $150K – $175K car. It would cost about $12K – $17K to ship it to the US.
Shipping to LA would be under 15 grand US, and I don’t get all of the pussies here who are s..t scared of right hand drive cars, hell, in Oz we don’t have a problem with left hand drive cars on our roads, on any weekend you’ll see hundreds out and about for a sunny day cruise with the family in their restored ‘Yank tanks’. Converting to RHD is a sin, it’s no longer original and spoils the history of the car, they were never built RHD so why butcher them, end of story!
Make a Mad Max interceptor out of it !!
That is what they used in the movie, Mad Max!!!
for those that didn’t read even the first paragraph , thanks TK 🙄
first thought i had was, i want it !,
then i saw the right hand drive..
now i dont.
i guess ill settle for a 70 Torino, but these a such good looking cars,, i wonder if its just a dash or the whole fire wall ..
“Offers invited from $150,000”
Hopefully, that includes the Aussie dirt.
Obviuosly some of these commentors are not up with the current Aussie Muscle Car market…..this is potentially a quarter million dollar car….that’s a LOT of freight Big C. Re Chris’s comment about making ‘another’ Mad Max P.O.S…..so many have fallen to that very fate..!!
they do have a price of 150,000=100,000USA about. so add 20,000 shipping and 60,000 to fix it up right and for 180,000 you have a one of a kind.
I don’t know where you guys get these high prices for shipping, I bought a 1962 Chrysler Imperial from LA for $3,500us shipping cost, and Imperials are 19 feet long and 6 1/2 feet wide, that included a 3 hour flat top trip across LA to Long Beach for loading and shipping to Australia.
Do your homework, shipping isn’t a big problem if you want the car bad enough!
love for Adam to do more on Oz muscle from the ’60s and ’70s. Also like the story of the i6 as it evolved thru XR, XT, XW, XY and change from merica’s to the Oz’s own X- A, B’n C… changed to the crossflow, the XD as the alu head came out…onto the Barrara. We beefed up the bent8, they focused (to my delight) on the six (during the ‘muscle’ era’n beyond).
May B as a lill seperate piece, this company has different productions, lines, whatever the publishing termonology. It could be a ‘short run’ one?
A mate of mine went to the All Ford Day at Willowbank on the weekend and there was a 1 of 9 XC there, black/Black with black vinyl roof, sun roof, electric windows which made it 1 of 1 even though the board said 1 of 9. He is a Ford man and said it was immaculate and never restored, also the XT I think it was that did the London (England) to Sydney (Australia) rally back in was it 1967 that has never been restored, a shame I have the Flu or would have gone to.
I was sitting watching a game of cricket recently, and was joined on the park bench by a holidaying Australian. Cue conversation about cricket and sport in general, and then he asked, “If I said GT-HO, what would it meant to you?”. I replied that it was a performance-model Falcon, and he was surprised that someone on the other side of the world knew about what was basically an Australia-only car. There were (presumably) some exports, but NZ, UK and Japan are the only realistic takers as they’re all RHD.
I’ve also seen RHD Aussie Ford GTs for sale in South Africa.
At $150AUD it is worth every penny of that. I saw an equivalent Holden Monaro GTS sell at auction in our local town Bundaberg for $150k. These are $400k+ cars in Australia now in restored condition.
Cool it has survived……
What’s the issue with RHD? Is there a problem with registration in the US that I don’t know about? I own a 1964 Thunderbird LHD (US import) and apart from a minor inconvenience with rear/side vision, no problem driving in Australia at all.
Public perception and mild fear. I drove a U.S. Postal Service Jeep Cherokee with RHD. Very easy to get used to the difference.
Except at the toll booth & drive thrus.
Stugdum, I was under the impression that Australia did not allow LHD vehicles on public roads at all, but your comment certainly dispells that. I recall reading about a company (back in the day) which converted early Mustangs to RHD for sale in Oz. I assumed that was a necessity due to regulations.
The rule used to be provided a car was over 30 years old in the State I live but the dropped that to 25 years, you can register your vehicle L.H.D I have a 95 Silverado 1500 L.H.D. But as joenywf64 said drive throughs and parking booths, but the reality is you hardly ever use those anyway and when you do you usually have a passenger so they can do the card thing.
As long as the vehicle is under 4.5 ton in all states and territories LHD is not a problem and are treated like any other vehicle and fully registerable in Oz. Converting a LHD to RHD should be a hanging offence, once converted it becomes a ‘nothing’ car, never built or sold here and no longer American ’cause the steering wheel is on the wrong side and no longer ‘original’.
these are way cool.I will take one. Before I k for the info new what they were,I would have passed,Thanks barnfinds for writing this.I have some that makes me find. A friend that said only i could have found and bought some rare stuff I was told by a frieds that tell ne-write a book book about the stuff i have had.
I live out in the countryside, my mail carrier could use it to deliver the mail.😂 She certainly would be able to get around faster compared to the Jeep she drives!
This is, without a doubt, going to bring well over $150,000 USD. Some of you guys have no idea what these are worth now, obviously. This is the baddest car ever from “down under” and I’d give my left you-know-what to own one but, it would take deeper pockets than I have. These used to be pretty cheap, and if anyone bought one back in the early-2000’s they are now sitting on a goldmine.
Just to educate you Americans.
Aussie fords engine and vin numbers were the same. Easy way to tell if the engine is original.
Vin and engine number starting with GJ33, is a 4 door GT
GJ66 is a 2 door GT