Ford XY Falcon GT

Last updated

Ford XY Falcon GT
GT-HO-Phase3-b.jpg
Overview
Manufacturer Ford Australia
Production1970–1972
Assembly Broadmeadows, Australia
Body and chassis
Class Sports sedan
Body style 4-door sedan
Layout FR layout
Chronology
Predecessor Ford XW Falcon GT

The Ford Motor Company Falcon XY GT is a sports sedan based on the Ford Falcon XY. Released in 1970 by Ford Australia, [1] with the GTHO Phase III released in 1971. [1] Some 1,557 units were produced from September 1970 to December 1971 with 300 GTHO Phase IIIs produced from May 1971 to November 1971. [1] It was the fourth in the initial series of the Ford Falcon GT. A limited number were exported to South Africa, wearing Fairmont GT badging. The Fairmont GT model is starting to increase in value as Falcon GTs become harder to find and buyers beginning to see the Fairmont as a genuine GT.

Contents

With the rev limiter disabled it is theoretically capable of 252 kilometres per hour (157 mph) and can exceed 7,000rpm in fourth gear. The rev limiter is set to 6,150rpm. The engine type was a 351 Cleveland (carried over from the XW GT/GT-HO Phase II). While Ford stated an output of 300 horsepower, the engine was reputed to produce over 350 horsepower.

Technical details

Type: 9-inch LSD traction lock is standard with 28 spline axles or 31 spline optional

Front: independent ball joint, coil springs, shock absorbers, wishbones and anti-roll bar Upper control arm to accept the three-pin ball joint used, as opposed to the four-point ball joint used in the normal GTs and earlier GTHOs

Front: 286 mm (11.3 in) servo assisted discs Rear: 254 mm (10.0 in) servo assisted drums

Type: re-circulating ball power assistance (optional)

7.0 x 15 alloy - "five-spoke' Bathurst Globe (optional) from 1972

Standing 1/4 miles (6,400 m) - 14.4 seconds (manual ) [1]

GTHO Phase III

The Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III was built for homologation, looked almost identical to the GT and was a modified version of the Falcon GT built in 1971 with a heavily upgraded engine, a four-speed top-loader gearbox and Detroit locker nine inch differential. It was also equipped with special brakes and handling package, plus a 36 imperial gallons (164 litres) fuel tank.

Winner of the 1971 Bathurst 500, driven by Allan Moffat, the Phase III has been described as "...simply one of the best cars in the world, a true GT that could take on Ferraris and Astons on their own terms..." by Sports Car World. [2]

The GTHO's 351 Cleveland engine output was understated as 300 bhp (220 kW) to satisfy insurers. It is generally accepted to produce in the region of 350–380 bhp (260–280 kW). Initial cars were equipped with an electrical rev limiter which came into effect at 6,150 rpm. With the rev limiter disabled, the engine was reputed to pull in excess of 7,000 rpm, even in fourth gear. At that time the Phase III GTHO was touted as being the world's fastest four-door production car. [3] However, the Phase III GTHO, in full street trim, was only ever clocked at 142mph by Wheels magazine in October 1971, and this yellow example was running the 3.25:1 rear axle with the QC motor. The 1969 Dodge Polara Pursuit four-door, in full street trim, running the optional 440ci/375hp V8 automatic was officially clocked at 147mph by Michigan State Police at Chrysler's Chelsea Proving Grounds. [4] Although this latter vehicle was specified by the California Highway Patrol and supplied by Chrysler, the general public could option the very same car (sans the lights and sirens) from their local dealer. Equivalent four-door Polaras were available in 1970 and 1971, albeit with minor power reductions, but were not tested, so it will never be truly known if the Phase III GTHO was the "world's fastest four-door production car" in 1971.

Performance:

Top speed: 228 km/h (142 mph) @ 6150rpm 0 – 60 mph: 6.4 seconds 0 – 100 km - 6.9 seconds Standing 1⁄4 mile (400 m): 14.4 seconds using the standard 3.25:1 Detroit Locker diff ratio. An optional 3.9:1 ratio differential was available and reputedly enabled such cars to cover the 1/4 mile in 13.9 seconds.

Bathurst (6,172 km: 1938-1986) (6,213 km: 1987–present) fastest lap time: 2:36.5 by Allan Moffat (1972 Hardie-Ferodo 500 - Ford Falcon XY GTHO Phase III)

Value

The Phase III GTHO is in incredibly high demand with collectors and investors. Good examples have been sold for prices in excess of A$1,000,000, including a car once owned by Australian cricketer Jeff Thomson. [5] Lloyds Auctions sold the pristine and provenanced car for $1,030,000 at its weekend auction in Bathurst, NSW. [6] This demand is, in part, due to a small production run, and 'fewer than 100 remaining' examples of the GTHO. [7]

A Falcon XY GTHO Phase III was sold at by Bonhams & Goodmans at auction for A$683,650 in March 2007. The car had only 40,000 km on the clock. The buyer of the car said it will be garaged, and that it will not be driven, but that he will be "keeping it as an investment". [8] The sale price set a new auction record for Australian sport sedans. [9] Whilst in June 2007 another Phase III sold for A$750,000. [10]

Race record

The Falcon GTHO Phase III succeeded in an outright win at Bathurst in the 1971 Hardie-Ferodo 500 and also secured the 1973 Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC) title; in both instances the cars were driven by Allan Moffat.

Ian "Pete" Geoghegan and Moffat had great success with the Phase III in Australian production touring car racing where it scored many race wins from the latter half of 1971 through to 1973. One of the Phase IIIs driven by Moffat is now owned by Bowden's Own, an Australian car care products company. [11] This particular example was a replacement vehicle fettled in September 1972, the original 1971 Bathurst winning car having been badly damaged at Adelaide International Raceway in the opening round of the 1972 Australian Manufacturers Championship; this particular GTHO was subsequently driven to a number of victories by Moffat and enabled him to secure the overall 1973 ATCC honours.

In 1970, the Ford Works Team under the direction of team manager Al Turner, built two "Super Falcons" using the XW GTHO Phase II as the basis for the cars. Ford looked to translate the work that had gone into the Ford Mustang Boss 302 into the local Falcon model with the car using a fuel injected and much higher developed 5.8 L (351 cu in) Cleveland V8 engine. According to those who drove the cars (Alan Moffat, Ian Geoghegan and John French), the Super Falcon's biggest problem was that the 600 bhp (447 kW; 608 PS) the engine produced was simply too much for the light weight chassis to handle and power oversteer was the order of the day. Turner initially did not believe Moffat when he told him this, believing that the car was simply being driven wrong. At the Mallala Circuit in South Australia, Moffat took Turner for a lap of the circuit in his Falcon in a successful bid to show the team boss what the car was really like to drive.

Moffat virtually abandoned the Super Falcon in the 1971 and 1972 ATCCs (which by this time had been upgraded with XY bodywork) in favour of his better handling Boss 302 Mustang. In 1972, Geoghegan went the opposite way and abandoned his own well developed Ford Mustang GTA to drive his Falcon. After fixing the problem with the chassis, Geoghegan was able to get the best out of the car and won a memorable third round of the 1972 ATCC at the Mount Panorama Circuit after a long race with the Mustang of Moffat. The race is often seen as the best in the ATCC's history.

Successor to the GTHO Phase III

In 1972, the XY series Falcon was replaced by the XA Falcon range. Production of approximately 200 XA-based Falcon GT-HO Phase IV cars was originally scheduled to take place in June and July 1972, but this was terminated at 'the eleventh hour' due to what became known as "the supercar scare". The Sun-Herald newspaper had run this as a front-page lead article (with banner headline in large capital letters) on Sunday 25 June 1972: "160mph 'super cars' soon". A copy of that front page is shown at the start of a Phase IV documentary. [12]

Only one road vehicle had been completed when production was cancelled. Three standard GTs were being converted into GT-HOs by the Ford factory race team for the Sandown 500 in September and Bathurst 500 in October 1972. Only one of these racers was ever completed and the other two were finished after being sold or given to specific individuals or dealers by Ford Australia. The Phase IV was never officially released. [13]

Recently one of three Phase 4 protypes manufactured by Ford Special vehicles to compete at Bathurst 1972 was sold for $1,750,000 a world record price after spending over 20 years with its previous collector owner Paul Carthew

Related Research Articles

The Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC) is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the Repco Supercars Championship awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holden Dealer Team</span>

The Holden Dealer Team (HDT) was Holden's semi-official racing team from 1969 until 1986, primarily contesting Australian Touring Car events but also rallying, rallycross and Sports Sedan races during the 1970s. From 1980 the Holden Dealer Team, by then under the ownership of Peter Brock, diversified into producing modified road-going Commodores and other Holden cars for selected dealers via HDT Special Vehicles.

Allan George MoffatOBE is a Canadian-born Australian racing driver known for his four championships in the Australian Touring Car Championship, six wins in the Sandown 500 and his four wins in the Bathurst 500/1000. Moffat was inducted into the V8 Supercars Hall of Fame in 1999.

John GossOAM is an Australian retired motor racing driver who competed in his home country during the 1960s, 1970's and 1980's. He is the only driver to have won Australia's two most prestigious races, the Bathurst 1000, and the Australian Grand Prix (1976).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Falcon (XY)</span> Car produced by Ford Australia

The Ford Falcon (XY) is a full-size car produced by Ford Australia from 1970 to 1972. It was the fourth and last iteration of the second generation of the Falcon and included the Ford Fairmont (XY)—the luxury-oriented version.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Falcon (XA)</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford Falcon (XA) is a full-size car that was produced by Ford Australia from 1972 to 1973. It was the first iteration of the third generation of the Falcon and also included the Ford Fairmont (XA)—the luxury-oriented version. The XA platform was also used for the Australian Ford Landau.

The 1970 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS-sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Group C Improved Production Touring Cars and Group E Series Production Touring Cars. The title, which was the 11th Australian Touring Car Championship, began at Calder Park Raceway on 22 March 1970 and ended at Symmons Plains Raceway on 15 November after seven heats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Group C (Australia)</span>

In relation to Australian motorsport, Group C refers to either of two sets of regulations devised by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) for use in Australian Touring Car Racing from 1965 to 1984. These are not to be confused with the FIA's Group C sports car regulations, used from 1982 to 1992 for the World Endurance Championship / World Sports-Prototype Championship / World Sportscar Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Ford works team was the unofficial name for an Australian motor racing team which was supported by the Ford Motor Company of Australia. The team was formed in 1962 and was disbanded when Ford Australia withdrew from motor racing at the end of 1973. Drivers for the works team included Allan Moffat, Fred Gibson, Harry Firth, Bob Jane, Barry Seton, Bruce McPhee, John French, Ian Geoghegan and his brother Leo Geoghegan. Ford Australia also supported a factory rally team in Australia from 1977 to 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1973 Hardie-Ferodo 1000</span> Touring car race

The 1973 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 was the 14th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. This was the first race to be held under the new metricised distance of 1000 kilometres, rather than the 500 miles previously contested. It was held on 30 September 1973 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia. The race was open to Group C Touring Cars competing in four engine capacity based classes. It was the third round of the 1973 Australian Manufacturers' Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1972 Hardie-Ferodo 500</span> Endurance motor race

The 1972 Hardie-Ferodo 500 was an endurance motor race open to Group E Series Production Touring Cars. The race was held on 1 October 1972 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia. Cars competed in four classes defined by Capacity Price Units, where the engine capacity, expressed in litres, was multiplied by the purchase price in Australian dollars to arrive at a CP value for each vehicle. It was the 13th running of the Bathurst 500 race and the last to be held over the original distance of 500 miles. It was also the last to allow drivers to compete for the full distance without a relief driver. The race was the third round of the 1972 Australian Manufacturers' Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1971 Hardie-Ferodo 500</span> Motor race

The 1971 Hardie-Ferodo 500 was a motor race held on 3 October 1971 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia. It was open to production vehicles competing in showroom condition, with the field divided into five classes based on the purchase price of the vehicle in Australian dollars. Although an outright winner was officially recognised, all other official awards were for class results only. The race was the 12th in a sequence of annual "Bathurst 500" production car races dating back to the 1960 Armstrong 500. The outright winner was Allan Moffat driving a Ford XY Falcon GT-HO Phase III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1969 Hardie-Ferodo 500</span> Motor race

The 1969 Hardie-Ferodo 500 was the tenth running of the Bathurst 500 production car race. It was held on 5 October 1969 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia. Cars competed in five classes based on purchase price of the vehicle.

The 1984 Australian Touring Car Championship was a motor racing competition for Group C Touring Cars. The Championship was authorised by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport as an Australian National Title. It was the 25th Australian Touring Car Championship, and the last to be contested by Group C cars as new regulations, based on international Group A, were introduced for 1985.

The 1972 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title open to Group C Improved Production Touring Cars and Group E Series Production Touring Cars. The championship, which was the 13th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship, began at Symmons Plains and ended at Oran Park after eight rounds.

John French is an Australian retired racing driver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leo Geoghegan</span> Australian racing driver

Leo Geoghegan was an Australian former racing driver. He was the elder of two sons of former New South Wales car dealer Tom Geoghegan, both of whom become dominant names in Australian motor racing in the 1960s. While his younger brother Ian "Pete" Geoghegan had much of his success in touring car racing, winning five Australian Touring Car Championships, Leo spent most of his racing career in open wheel racing cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Falcon GT</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford Falcon GT is an automobile produced by Ford Australia from 1967 until 1976 as the performance version of its Falcon model range. Its production was resumed by a joint venture in 1992 and 1997 with Tickford, and then again between 2003 and 2014 with Prodrive, the latter being marketed as the FPV GT & GT-P. The Falcon GT is inextricably linked with the history of Australian sports sedan car production and with the evolution of Australian motor racing.The Falcon GT lineage includes many Bathurst wins and motorsport accolades over its entire production run.

Allan Moffat Racing was an Australian motor racing team owned by multiple-championship winning Canadian-Australian racing driver Allan Moffat. The team was highly successful, winning races on three continents including three Australian Touring Car Championships in 1976, 1977 and 1983, four Bathurst 500/1000s including a memorable 1–2 victory in 1977, and the 1987 Monza 500, which was the inaugural race of the World Touring Car Championship.

The Supercar scare was a national controversy that arose in Australia in 1972 in regard to the sale to the public of high performance "homologation special" versions of Australian-built passenger cars.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Ford XY GT Technical Specifications at Unique Cars and Parts". Uniquecarsandparts.com.au. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
  2. ↑ Quote mentioned at eBay's Australia's Muscle & Performance Cars Buying Guide
  3. ↑ Streiber, Andrew. "Return of a Legend: FPV head wants a new Ford Falcon GTHO". Motor Trend. Fairfax Ltd - Stuff New Zealand. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  4. ↑ Sanow, Edwin J. (1994). Dodge, Plymouth & Chrysler police cars, 1956-1978. John L. Bellah. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International. ISBN   0-87938-958-3. OCLC   31044957.
  5. ↑ "Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III sets auction record". Carsales . 5 March 2019.
  6. ↑ "Ford GTHO sells for $1 million". Finder.com. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  7. ↑ Joshua Dowling, The Sun-Herald, 3 June 2007, p. 13
  8. ↑ Pleffer, Ashlee (27 March 2007). "Ashlee Pleffer, (27 March 2007), The $680,000 Ford Falcon". Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 19 December 2010.
  9. ↑ Ford GTHO sets new auction record for a 'muscle car' at Bonhams & Goodman's first collectors' cars auction for 2007 - Melbourne, Sydney and Perth - 25 March 2007, (1 February 2007), Bonhams & Goodman announcements at the Wayback Machine (archive index)
  10. ↑ "Joshua Dowling, (3 June 2007), $750,000 for 36-year-old Ford Falcon". Brisbane Times . 3 June 2007. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
  11. ↑ "Allan Moffat's 1971 XY GTHO, Bowden's Own". Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  12. ↑ "The XA GT-HO Phase 4". Gtho4.com. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  13. ↑ ""The Final Finest Phase" article in Super Ford magazine" (PDF). Gtho4.com. 1987. pp. 20–27.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.