Lineage of the Legendary Falcon GT

MELBOURNE – Feb 18, 2013: The First FPV vehicle to drive out of Ford’s Broadmeadows Assembly Plant 1 is a Silhouette black GT with black Shadow leather interior.

The Broadmeadows Assembly Plant is no stranger to the GT, having built the first Falcon GT in 1967 and the last, in June 1976:

1967 XR GT

First Falcon GT

289 ci ‘Mustang Powered’ V8, 4-barrel carburettor and 4-speed floor-shift manual transmission producing 225 bhp (168 kW)

All XR GTs where finished in Gold with black rally stripes. 12 cars were finished in Silver for the Gallaher Cigarette Company

XR GTs took out first and second place at Bathurst in October 1967

XR GT Cost $3,890. A total of 596 were sold

1968 XT GT

Second-generation Falcon GT

302 ci V8 producing 230 bhp (172 kW) replaced the 289 ci unit

Available in GT Gold, GT Silver, GT White, Candy Apple Red and Zircon Green with full-length stripes available in white or red

Beaten by the 327 ci HK Monaro at Bathurst in 1968, an XR GT finished 7th and an XT GT finished 9th. The XW GT was to be bigger and better

XT GT cost $4,050. A total of 1415 were produced

1969 XW GT

Third-generation Falcon GT

302 ci replaced by a 351 ci, 290 bhp (216 kW) V8 fitted with hydraulic lifters

A new ‘HO’ (Handling Option) model was offered adding additional features to the GT:

Front spoiler

Rear roll bar

3” diameter tail shaft

New camshaft

Alloy inlet manifold

Holley 650CFM carburetor

With the XW Coming 2nd, 4th and 5th at Bathurst in 1969, the XY was to be the ultimate GT

2287 GTs and 260 Phase I GTHOs were produced

XW GT cost $4,200. GTHO cost $4,495

1970 XW GTHO Phase II

Windsor replaced with new Cleveland 351ci engine fitted with solid lifters, 780 cubic feet per minute Holley and revised gear ratios

Official power figures were quoted as ‘300 bhp’ (224 kW)

The Phase II GTHO came 1st and 2nd at Bathurst in 1970

402 Phase II GTHOs were produced.

1971 XY GT

Fourth-generation Falcon GT

351 ci engine continued to be quoted as ‘300 bhp’ (unofficial estimates have suggested it could have produced more than 380 bhp (283 kW)) and was fitted with a prominent cold-air Ram Induction ‘Shaker’ air cleaner

The GTHO (Phase III) now featured a rear deck lid spoiler, new harmonic balancer, engine bearings, valve gear, Mustang ‘Boss’ head gaskets and a full extractor system over the GT

The GTHO was one of the fastest production sedans in the world and placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 7th at Bathurst in 1971

1557 XY GTs and 300 Phase III GTHOs were produced

The XY GT cost $4,824. The GTHO cost $5,250

1972 XA GT

The GT and GTHO (Phase IV) program was fully integrated into XA’s development

XA GTs came with driving lights, lowered suspension and full instrumentation and a 300 bhp engine

GTHO featured a finned, large capacity sump, new combustion chambers and extractors and was quoted to produce ‘340’ bhp (254 kW)

Only one XA GTHO entered into competition as the program was cancelled as a result of the widely reported ‘super car scare’ of 1972

1868 XA GT sedans and 891 hardtops were produced. It is believed that only 4 Phase IV GTHOs were ever produced

1974 XB GT

With the GTHO no longer available, the XB GT was the only model on offer until 1976

The introduction of the XC Falcon range marked the end of production of the GT for the foreseeable future

1950 XB GT sedans and 949 GT hardtops were produced.

2013 FG GT

Fitted with a 335 kW, 5.0-litre supercharged ‘Miami’ V8 engine, the FG GT, in R-SPEC guise is the fastest Australian-made production car to date

The first ‘Ford produced’ FPV GT leaves the FPV assembly facility Monday, February 18 2013