1974 Ford XB Fairmont GS Coupe

Description

Ford’s XA Falcon was seen as a radical departure when introduced in 1972, with plenty of sheet metal reflecting the passion for big cars at the time.  The XA was the first Falcon to be entirely designed and built in Australia and was also the first to offer both a hardtop coupe and long-wheelbase station wagon derivatives.  The hardtop was launched at the 1972 London Motor Show and featured longer doors, low fastback roofline, retractable side glass and a tunnel rear window treatment.  Ford updated the Falcon range in November 1973 and the new XB series was chiefly notable for having front disc brakes as standard (power assist was standard on models from the Futura upwards).  The XB was easily identified by the new bonnet and honeycomb-type grille treatment, new front and rear bumpers and wraparound tail lights and was available in either six-cylinder (200/250cid) or V8 (302/351-cid) guise.  Sitting above the Falcon and Futura models in terms of equipment levels, the Fairmont was priced at $4044 in four-door guise (about 30% more expensive than the base Falcon).  Essentially the same engine powering the Falcon GT, the legendary Cleveland 351-cid V8 was Ford’s most powerful option for the XB model range, pumping out 260 bhp at 4600 rpm when equipped with the standard two-barrel carburettor.  Offered with either a four-speed manual or automatic transmission, 351-cid powered Fairmonts came with 3.00 or 2.75 back axle ratios respectively.  Another option was the GS Rally Pack, with side stripes, three-spoke steering wheel, twin bonnet scoops and bonnet-locking pins.  An XB Fairmont became the 2,000,000th Ford built in Australia when it rolled off the production line on the 11th of November, 1975 – the same day the Whitlam Government was sacked – while the XB GT Coupe competed with Holden’s Torana XU-1 for top honours in the Australian Touring Car Championship during the early 1970s.  These were good times for the Blue Oval, with the XB Falcon knocking Holden’s HQ off the top spot for passenger car sales in the first half of 1974.