Ford XR Falcon
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| Ford XR Falcon GT |
Ford XR
Falcon
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Overview
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Manufacturer
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Ford Australia
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Also
called
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Ford XR Fairmont
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Production
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September 1966 – March 1968
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Body and chassis
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Body
style
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4 door sedan
5 door station wagon
2 door coupe utility
2 door panel van
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Related
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ZA Fairlane
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Powertrain
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Engine
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170ci (2.8L) Inline 6
200ci (3.3L) Inline 6
289ci (4.7L) "Windsor" V8
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Transmission
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3-speed manual
3-speed auto
3-speed Cruisomatic
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Dimensions
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Length
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4,689 mm (184.6 in)
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Width
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1,875 mm (73.8 in)
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Height
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1,389 mm (54.7 in)
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Curb
weight
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1,333 kg (2,939 lb)
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Chronology
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Predecessor
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Ford XP Falcon
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Successor
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Ford XT Falcon
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The Ford XR Falcon is a car which was produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between 1966 and 1968. The XR series was introduced in September 1966. Styling was based on the third generation 1966 US Ford Falcon and it was promoted as the "Mustang bred Falcon". It was the first Australian Falcon to be offered with a V8 engine, the 200 bhp (150 kW), 289 cubic inch (4.7 litres) Windsor unit. The XR marked the first time a V8 engine could be optioned in all trim levels of an Australian car, V8s having previously been reserved for the more up-market variants. The 144 cubic inch (2.4 litre) six cylinder engine was deleted for the XR series leaving the 170 cubic inch (2.8 litre) six as the base Falcon engine. A 200 cubic inch (3.3 litre) six was also available.
The XR series was initially offered in nine different models: Falcon, Falcon 500 and Fairmont Sedans, Falcon, Falcon 500 and Fairmont Wagons, Falcon and Falcon 500 Utilities and the Falcon Van. The new wagons shared the 111-inch (2,800 mm) wheelbase with the XR sedans, unlike the 1966 US Falcon wagons which featured a 115-inch (2,900 mm) wheelbase. The Falcon 500 replaced the Falcon Deluxe of the XP series and the two door hardtop body style available in the XP series was not offered in the XR range.
The Falcon XR won the Wheels Car of the Year award in 1966, giving Ford Falcon two straight wins.
The marketing focus on the Falcon's relationship with the Mustang's sporty appeal led to Ford introducing a Falcon GT variant of the XR in 1967, featuring a 225 bhp (168 kW) version of the 289 cubic inch (4.7 litre) Windsor V8 engine, sourced from the Ford Mustang. The GT heralded the dawn of the Aussie muscle car. All of the original XR GTs were painted in the colour 'GT Gold', except for eight that were "Gallaher Silver" and another five that were "Russet Bronze, Sultan Maroon, Polar White, Avis White and Ivy Green". The non-gold GTs, while having the same specifications, are the rarest of the early Australian muscle cars.
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.jpg "Ford XR Falcon Utility (with non-standard wheels)")
Motorsport
Ford Works Team manager/driver Harry Firth, and a young Fred Gibson won the 1967 Gallaher 500 at the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst driving an XR Falcon GT. Firth and Gibson won the race by 11 seconds from their Sydney based team mates Pete and Leo Geoghegan. The Geoghegan Falcon was initially flagged in first, but a protest from Firth who knew he and Gibson had won, saw a re-count of laps which saw the win going to the #52 Falcon, though Leo Geoghegan still believes that he and his late brother Pete (real name Ian) won the race.
With the Falcon powered by a 289-cubic-inch Ford V8 engine, it was the first ever Bathurst 500/1000 won by a V8 powered car. Prior to 1967, the Mount Panorama Circuit had been regarded as too tough on the larger V8 cars (primarily the Studebaker Lark), and had been the domain of smaller cars such as the Morris Cooper S and Ford's own Cortina GT500.
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| A "race replica" of the XR Falcon GT which won the 1967 Gallaher 500 |
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Last updated on 28 August 2014 at 04:51.
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