1969 Ford Falcon XW GT Sedan

Description

The legendary Falcon GTs evolved from the original, relatively understated XR of 1967 into the thundering XW/XY GT-HOs that totally dominated touring car racing in the early 1970s and to this day surviving examples remain amongst the most coveted of all home-grown muscle cars. Launched in May 1969, some five months after the XW Falcon range was first announced, the third-generation GT was a fantastic looking car, featuring an offset bonnet scoop, matt black bonnet panels, a front spoiler, Super Roo decals and twin driving lights that were - and still are - able to warn drivers of more mundane cars that something special was rapidly filling their mirrors. Using the Windsor 351-cid engine for the first time, the big V8 boasted a four-barrel Holley carburettor, 10.7:1 compression ratio and hydraulic valve lifters to develop a very healthy 290 bhp. The GT was fitted with a four-speed manual as standard (the three-speed FMX auto was optional), along with a limited-slip differential and uprated power-assisted disc brakes up front. The wheels were 14-inch 12-slots while the interior had a full complement of gauges, including a speedo calibrated to 140 mph. The Falcon GT was a genuinely quick car, capable of reaching 200 km/h and - at with a price tag of $4200 - was priced at a substantial premium over lesser Falcon models. Despite faring badly at Bathurst on debut in 1969, the XW Falcons turned the table on Holden in 1970, with Allan Moffat scoring a memorable victory. Today any original Falcon XW GT is a desirable collectors item - hardly surprising given how few were built - in total, just 2287 were produced in two years of production between 1969 and 1970.