Ford XY Falcon GT
Encyclopedia
The Ford XY Falcon GT is an Australia
n built muscle car
based on the Ford XY Falcon
. Released in 1970 with the GTHO Phase III released in 1971. 1,557 units were produced from September 1970 to December 1971 with 300 GTHO Phase III's produced from May 1971 to November 1971. It was the third in the initial series of Ford Falcon GT
muscle cars.
The GTHO Phase III was Australia's fastest 4 door production car for almost a decade. With the rev limiter
disabled it was capable of 250 kilometre per hour and would pull 7,000+ rpm in 4th gear. The rev limiter was set to 6,150 rpm.
4V engine produced:
.
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.
The GTHO's 351 Cleveland engine produced over 380 hp which, back in 1971, was grossly underrated to 300 hp. 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 4th gear. The "HO" portion of the name stood for "Handling Option", these options included bigger brakes, stiffer suspension, a front spoiler, a choice of 3 differentials and an optional close-ratio gearbox making the production GTHO very similar to the race version.
The Phase III was Australia's fastest four door production car for many years and in 1971 it won the Bathurst 500 motor race in the hands of Allan Moffat
, however at the time the Chrysler Valiant E49 Charger held the Australian 1/4 mile record. In 1972 the 3.3 L (202) 6-cylinder LJ Torana GTR-XU1, driven by Peter Brock
, defeated the GTHO to win Bathurst after brake problems and wet weather put paid to the GTHO challenge.
700,000. Due to this demand, a small production run, and 'fewer than 100 remaining' there been a flow on effect into values of the lesser XW
and other XY Falcons, particularly genuine GS and 'standard' GT models. Other models that have also benefited from the appreciation of the GTHO include the XA
and XB
GT hardtops, the earlier XW GTHO Phase 1 and 2 and the XC Cobra
.
A Falcon XY GTHO Phase III was sold at by Bonhams & Goodmans
at auction for A$
683,650 in March 2007. The car had just 40,000 km on the clock. The buyer of the car said it will be garaged, and that it won't be driven, but that he will be "keeping it as an investment". The sale price set a new auction record for Australian muscle cars. Whilst in June 2007 another Phase III sold for A$750,000.
The Phase III GT is one of the few cars ever made that appreciated in value from the moment it left the dealership - even in 1975, four year old Phase IIIs were fetching prices equivalent to or higher than the on-road price of brand new XB GTs from Ford dealers.
that protruded out of the bonnet and shook.
(ATCC) title; in both instances the cars were piloted by Allan Moffat.
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.
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 GT-HO was subsequently driven to a number of victories by Moffat and enabled him to secure the overall 1973 ATCC honours:
range. Production of approximately 200 XA-based Falcon GT-HO Phase IV cars was originally scheduled to take place in June/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.
Only one vehicle had been completed when production was cancelled. Three standard GTs were also at various stages of conversion into GT-HO race cars for the Bathurst 500 in October 1972. These four vehicles were later sold to specific individuals and/or dealers under the code name RP083, which was the engine and parts name by Ford Australia. The Phase IV was never officially released.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n built muscle car
Muscle car
Muscle car is a term used to refer to a variety of high-performance automobiles. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines muscle cars as "any of a group of American-made 2-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." Usually, a large V8 engine is fitted in a...
based on the Ford XY Falcon
Ford XY Falcon
-Introduction:The XY Falcon was released in October 1970 replacing the XW Falcon. The XY was a facelift of the XW, featuring a new divided grille and redesigned tail lights...
. Released in 1970 with the GTHO Phase III released in 1971. 1,557 units were produced from September 1970 to December 1971 with 300 GTHO Phase III's produced from May 1971 to November 1971. It was the third in the initial series of Ford Falcon GT
Ford Falcon GT
The Ford Falcon GT is an automobile which was produced by Ford Australia from 1967 to 1976 and 2003 to the present day with intermittent limited edition anniversary models offered in between. Since 2003 the car has been marketed as the FPV GT but FPV continue to release anniversary editions based...
muscle cars.
The GTHO Phase III was Australia's fastest 4 door production car for almost a decade. With the rev limiter
Rev limiter
A rev limiter is a device fitted to an internal combustion engine to restrict its maximum rotational speed. This is usually carried out to prevent damage to the engine, however sometimes these devices are fitted to prevent an engine reaching the point at which it develops maximum power...
disabled it was capable of 250 kilometre per hour and would pull 7,000+ rpm in 4th gear. The rev limiter was set to 6,150 rpm.
Technical details
The 351 ClevelandFord 335 engine
The Ford 335 engine family were a group of small-block V8 engines built by the Ford Motor Company between 1970 and 1985. The significance of the Numerals '335' designated to this series of Small block Ford V8 engines is relatively unknown...
4V engine produced:
-
- torque 380 lbft at 3400 rpm
- brake horsepower
- XY GT 300 bhp at 5400 rpm
- XY GTHO Phase III 370 - 390 bhp (276 -291 kW) at 5400 rpm
- Four-speed all-synchromesh manual with three-speed FMX automatic available
- The XY GTHO Phase III was four-speed all-synchromesh manual only
GTHO Phase III
The Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III was a modified version the Falcon GT built in 1971 with a heavily modified engine, a 4 speed top-loader gearbox and Detroit locker 9" differential. It was also equipped with special brakes and handling package, plus a 36 US gal (136 l; 30 imp gal) fuel tankFuel tank
A fuel tank is safe container for flammable fluids. Though any storage tank for fuel may be so called, the term is typically applied to part of an engine system in which the fuel is stored and propelled or released into an engine...
.
Winner of the 1971 Bathurst 500, driven by Allan Moffat
Allan Moffat
Allan George Moffat, OBE is an Australian racing driver known for his four wins in the Australian Touring Car Championship, six wins in the Sandown 500 and his four wins in the Bathurst 1000...
, 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.
The GTHO's 351 Cleveland engine produced over 380 hp which, back in 1971, was grossly underrated to 300 hp. Initial cars were equipped with an electrical rev limiter
Rev limiter
A rev limiter is a device fitted to an internal combustion engine to restrict its maximum rotational speed. This is usually carried out to prevent damage to the engine, however sometimes these devices are fitted to prevent an engine reaching the point at which it develops maximum power...
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 4th gear. The "HO" portion of the name stood for "Handling Option", these options included bigger brakes, stiffer suspension, a front spoiler, a choice of 3 differentials and an optional close-ratio gearbox making the production GTHO very similar to the race version.
The Phase III was Australia's fastest four door production car for many years and in 1971 it won the Bathurst 500 motor race in the hands of Allan Moffat
Allan Moffat
Allan George Moffat, OBE is an Australian racing driver known for his four wins in the Australian Touring Car Championship, six wins in the Sandown 500 and his four wins in the Bathurst 1000...
, however at the time the Chrysler Valiant E49 Charger held the Australian 1/4 mile record. In 1972 the 3.3 L (202) 6-cylinder LJ Torana GTR-XU1, driven by Peter Brock
Peter Brock
Peter Geoffrey Brock, AM otherwise known as "Peter Perfect", "The King of the Mountain" or simply as "Brocky" was one of Australia's best-known and most successful motor racing drivers. Brock was most often associated with Holden for almost 40 years, although he raced vehicles of other...
, defeated the GTHO to win Bathurst after brake problems and wet weather put paid to the GTHO challenge.
Value
The Phase III GTHO is in incredibly high demand with collectors and investors worldwide. Good examples have been sold for prices in excess of A$Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
700,000. Due to this demand, a small production run, and 'fewer than 100 remaining' there been a flow on effect into values of the lesser XW
Ford XW Falcon
-Introduction:The XW Falcon was released in June 1969 replacing the XT Falcon. The XW was an extensive facelift of the XT, featuring a new grille and tail lights...
and other XY Falcons, particularly genuine GS and 'standard' GT models. Other models that have also benefited from the appreciation of the GTHO include the XA
Ford XA Falcon
The Ford XA Falcon is an automobile which was produced by Ford Australia from March 1972 to September 1973. It replaced the XY series Falcon and was the first Falcon to be completely designed and manufactured in Australia, although it is generally accepted that the two-door Hardtop version's...
and XB
Ford XB Falcon
The Ford XB Falcon is a car which was produced by Ford Australia between 1973 and 1976 and was built exclusively in Australia. It bore minor cosmetic differences to the preceding model, the XA, aimed at giving the car a more muscular stance...
GT hardtops, the earlier XW GTHO Phase 1 and 2 and the XC Cobra
Ford Falcon Cobra
The Cobra was a limited edition of the Ford Falcon released by Ford Australia in 1978. It was based on the XC Hardtop .-History:In 1978, Ford Australia unveiled plans for an all-new Falcon, dubbed the XD, that would be released in 1979...
.
A Falcon XY GTHO Phase III was sold at by Bonhams & Goodmans
Bonhams
Bonhams is a privately owned British auction house founded in 1793. It is the third largest auctioneer after Sotheby's and Christie's, and conducts around 700 auctions per year. It has 700 employees....
at auction for A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
683,650 in March 2007. The car had just 40,000 km on the clock. The buyer of the car said it will be garaged, and that it won't be driven, but that he will be "keeping it as an investment". The sale price set a new auction record for Australian muscle cars. Whilst in June 2007 another Phase III sold for A$750,000.
The Phase III GT is one of the few cars ever made that appreciated in value from the moment it left the dealership - even in 1975, four year old Phase IIIs were fetching prices equivalent to or higher than the on-road price of brand new XB GTs from Ford dealers.
Alternative names
The name of the car is often abbreviated to GTHO Phase III or even just Phase 3. Sometimes it is even referred to as a Hoey. It was also known as the Shaker because of the shaker scoopShaker scoop
A shaker scoop is an automobile term for an air intake for combustion air that is mounted directly on top of the engine's air cleaner and protrudes through a hole in the hood...
that protruded out of the bonnet and shook.
Race record
Of greatest significance, the Falcon GT-HO Phase III succeeded in an outright win at Bathurst in the 1971 Hardie-Ferodo 500 and also secured the 1973 Australian Touring Car ChampionshipAustralian Touring Car Championship
The Australian Touring Car Championship 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 V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The...
(ATCC) title; in both instances the cars were piloted by Allan Moffat.
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.
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 GT-HO was subsequently driven to a number of victories by Moffat and enabled him to secure the overall 1973 ATCC honours:
- 1st 1972 Australian Manufacturers' Championship1972 Australian Manufacturers' ChampionshipThe 1972 Australian Manufacturers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for car manufacturers. It was contested over a five round series.*Round 1, Chesterfield 250, Adelaide International Raceway, South Australia, 27 August...
, Round 4, Phillip IslandPhillip Island Grand Prix CircuitThe Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is a motor racing racing circuit on Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. The circuit was opened in 1956.-Road circuit:... - 1st 1972 Australian Manufacturers' Championship, Round 5, Surfers ParadiseSurfers Paradise International RacewaySurfers Paradise International Raceway was a motor racing complex at Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The circuit was designed and built by Keith Williams, a motor racing enthusiast. It was located opposite the Surfers Paradise Ski Gardens at Carrara...
- 1st 1973 Australian Touring Car Championship1973 Australian Touring Car ChampionshipThe 1973 Australian Touring Car Championship was the 14th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship. It began at Symmons Plains on 5 March 1973 and ended at Warwick Farm after eight rounds. The series was won by Allan Moffat in a Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III.-Teams and drivers:The following...
, Round 1, Symmons PlainsSymmons Plains RacewaySymmons Plains Raceway is a motor racing circuit in Australia, located about 30 kilometres south of Launceston, Tasmania. Since the closure of the Longford circuit in the 1960s it has been Tasmania's premier motor racing facility... - 1st 1973 Australian Touring Car Championship, Round 2, Calder Park
- 1st 1973 Australian Touring Car Championship, Round 3, Sandown Park
- 1st 1973 Australian Touring Car Championship, Round 4, Wanneroo ParkBarbagallo RacewayBarbagallo Raceway is a motorsport circuit located in Wanneroo, approximately north of Perth in Western Australia.The circuit was originally known as Wanneroo Park and the first race meet took place in March 1969. Initially the major race per year was a 6 hour Le Mans style race for sedans and...
- 1st 1973 Australian Touring Car Championship, Round 7, Oran ParkOran Park RacewayOran Park Raceway was a motor racing circuit at Narellan in southwestern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia which was operational from 1962 to 2010....
Successor to the GTHO Phase III
In 1972, the XY series Falcon was replaced by the XA FalconFord XA Falcon
The Ford XA Falcon is an automobile which was produced by Ford Australia from March 1972 to September 1973. It replaced the XY series Falcon and was the first Falcon to be completely designed and manufactured in Australia, although it is generally accepted that the two-door Hardtop version's...
range. Production of approximately 200 XA-based Falcon GT-HO Phase IV cars was originally scheduled to take place in June/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.
Only one vehicle had been completed when production was cancelled. Three standard GTs were also at various stages of conversion into GT-HO race cars for the Bathurst 500 in October 1972. These four vehicles were later sold to specific individuals and/or dealers under the code name RP083, which was the engine and parts name by Ford Australia. The Phase IV was never officially released.