2025 AFD highlight - 1978 XC Falcon Sundowner panel van

With more than 1,600 vehicles on display and thousands of attendees, this year’s All Ford Day in Geelong was the biggest in the event’s 34-year history. Part of the reason for this is that Ford Australia is celebrating its 100th Anniversary this year. Adding to the occasion was the fact that Ford Australia was founded in Geelong – just a short distance from where the All Ford Day was held.

Aussie-built Fords make up a big proportion of what’s seen and shown at the annual All Ford Day, so there’s always plenty of Falcons, Fairlanes and FPVs on show. This year, the 100 Year Anniversary meant that some of the oldest Fords released in Australia - Model Ts and As – shared space with the newest Mustangs, Rangers and Transits. While the display covered more than a century of Ford history, fans of a certain age inevitably found themselves drawn to the ‘Vanz’ Panel Van Showcase on the eastern side of the event area. 

This XC Sundowner, named ‘Sunny,’ was built in April, 1978, for John Jenkins, the Sales Manager at Ford’s Broadmeadows plant at the time. In addition to being Jenkins’s own vehicle, the van was to be used for promotional work and magazine features (Wheels, Van Action and Top Custom Cars), so it was loaded with factory options, like an AM/FM radio, cassette deck, left-hand sports mirror, air conditioning, power steering and four-wheel disc brakes. It was also factory-fitted with the top-spec 351 Cleveland V8 and four-speed manual.

The unusual Meadow Green factory paint is complemented with Jade vinyl interior trim with houndstooth cloth inserts. While not visible in these photos, the Jade/houndstooth combination extended to the load area and lined the inner tailgate, with pale green carpets keeping the colour theme going. Whether this rear trim was factory fitted or added during restoration by the current owner (who purchased the van in 2013) is unknown. The high-quality resto, which took more than a year, was completed in October, 2024.

Sunny made her debut at Showcars Melbourne in February, wearing the same Magnum jelly bean alloys she wears in these photos. Images of the van when new show that it was originally fitted with 12-slot wheels, which along with a GT vented bonnet and driving lights, were part of the Sundowner package.

To see JUST CARS’ report from the 2025 All Ford Day, click HERE.