1968 Ford Falcon XT GT Sedan

Description

Australia's home-grown muscle car history begins in 1967 with the arrival of Ford's first GT Falcon, a high performance model originally dreamt up by Ford's Assistant Managing Director, American Bill Bourke. Ford had two goals in mind - to win the legendary Bathurst 500 and thereby inject the rest of the local Ford range with some excitement, something missing since the demise of the Cortina GT500. Ford Australia were able to source the classic small-block 289-cid V8 - the same engine used to power high performance Mustangs and Cobras - and slot it into the new XR Falcon. Combined with a close-ratio four-speeder and uprated suspension, the new model was immediately successful, taking outright honours in the Hardie-Ferodo 500 at Bathurst and quickly establishing itself as a 'Hero Car' for the Blue Oval. When Ford revamped the Falcon in 1968, a GT version was part of the model line-up right from the outset, priced at $4,050. The big news for the XT GT was the 302-cid V8 engine with four-barrel carburettor, developing 230 bhp at 4800 rpm, with slightly more torque than the old 289 for much improved top end performance. Other changes to the XT GT included a 3.00:1 limited slip diff, revised suspension, driving lights and wider six-inch rims. Buyers could choose between the standard four-speed manual or a three-speed auto transmission for the first time, indicating a shift towards the executive market. Further broadening the appeal of the model, the XT GT was now available in a range of colours, unlike the standard gold of its predecessor. The XT GTs may have been outclassed by Holden's new Monaro 327 GTS at Bathurst in 1968 but there were some excellent results achieved by the model - notably Bill Gates and Jim Bertram's win in the 12-Hour race at Surfers Paradise in January 1969 and the coveted Team Prize in the gruelling London-Sydney Marathon under the leadership of Harry Firth. When production of the XT GT ceased in mid-1969, some 1,480 had been made of which 1,163 had the manual gearbox and 317 were automatics. These early XR/XT Falcon GTs are highly prized collector's items today, with a 1960s-era character absent from later models.