1975 Ford XB Falcon GT Sedan

Description

Ford's GT story began with the XR in 1967 and was already a legend when the final XB rolled off the production line some nine years later. Each and every GT Falcon is now regarded as a true collector's piece, thanks to the combination of raw performance, limited build numbers and just as importantly, the link to motorsport. When the original XR-XY series was replaced with the all-new XA, the focus of the GT shifted more towards the mature, executive buyer, thanks in part to the infamous Supercar Scare. Launched in September 1973, the XB GT further refined this concept, with facelifted styling and several mechanical improvements. The XA's grille was replaced with a new split grille, one-piece taillights and the option of four-wheel disc brakes. The GT was powered the familiar Cleveland 351-cid V8 with a four-barrel carburettor, rated at 300bhp at 5400rpm, with a choice of either a Toploader four-speed manual (later cars used Borg Warner boxes) or FMX automatic transmission. Disc brakes on all four wheels and a limited-slip diff were fitted as standard, the former long overdue on a car with this performance potential. Like the outgoing XA, the XB GT was sold in either fastback coupe or sedan guises and both featured blacked-out bonnets (with twin so-called NASA scoops), grille and rear panels along with body-coloured bumpers and GT badges and 351 graphics. The XB GT was certainly a quick motorcar, capable of turning the quarter mile in 15.8 seconds and could reach 200 km/h under the right conditions. The press generally sang the praises of the new model - Sports Car World headlined their article with the words ?Ford refines the stormer? and it continued in the spotlight thanks to the Mad Max movies and more recently, Eric Bana's "Love the Beast". In total there were 1,950 sedans and 949 hardtop XB GTs built before production ceased in June 1976 and - like all Ford GTs - prices have shown rapid growth in recent years, making these cars an appreciating asset that's also great fun to drive.