Book Review: Ford Falcon Commemorative Edition
Reviewed by: Mike Ryan
It seems hard to believe, but the last Australian-made Falcon rolled off Ford’s Broadmeadows assembly line seven years ago. Since then, the Falcon has been celebrated in print on a number of occasions, but this book takes it up a notch.
Ford Falcon: Commemorative Edition provides the overview of the Falcon’s 57-year production history in Australia that you’d expect, but it also offers new and detailed insights, as well as personal recollections from those who were there when the Ford vs Holden war was at its hottest and ‘Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday’ was a fact and not just a slogan.
Published by Gelding Street Press, Ford Falcon: Commemorative Edition is a similar “compilation” book as other titles from this publisher (Bathurst: 50 Years of the Great Race, Ford: The Muscle Car Classics and Aussie Classic Car Finds, amongst others) and is made up of multiple short chapters, most of which are only a couple of pages long and amply illustrated.
While every generation of the locally manufactured Falcon is covered – from XK to FG X – the subtitle of this book, The Great Years, The Great Cars, points to the focus being on GT Falcons from the 1960s and ’70s, with even more detail on the GT-HO Phase I, Phase II and III variants. The XC Cobra and Falcon GS get attention, too.
In most instances, the production history and racetrack impact of each Falcon model is treated separately, which makes the information easier to digest. However, for models within the book’s focus period – 1969 to 1978 – there is more detailed information on mechanical specs, paint, trim, factory options and more. For example, 24 pages are devoted to the XW Falcon GT-HO Phase II, covering how it was developed, its impact on both the 1970 ATCC season and that year’s Bathurst 500, as well as Al Turner’s recollections of the factory racing campaign back then.
For those who think they know the full Falcon story from this era, they’re sure to gain new information. For example, this reviewer knew of the McLeod Ford ‘Horn Cars’ from the early 1970s and the Sydney dealership’s connection to John Goss, but was unaware how the racing programme evolved and Max McLeod’s sometimes fractious relationship with Goss. Details on this are provided through personal recollections from McLeod himself.
Also, did you know McLeod Ford sold more Falcon coupes from the XA-XC period than any other Ford dealer in Australia? That information is in this book, along with a lot more.
Other nuggets from the Falcon’s Australian production and competition history that will surely be new to many enthusiasts include the works team’s memories of the aborted GT-HO Phase IV, Allan Moffat’s ‘Project B52’ XB GT hardtop and the ‘Bill Bourke Special’ two-door Falcon sedan. There are also recollections from Moffat on racing the XC Cobras and Fred Gibson on the GT-HO Phase I.
The short nature of most chapters in this 256-page book makes it easy to consume in small bites, while the abundance of photographs, including many period images, are a bonus. Most are large – full-page width in several instances – with the period racing images being a highlight. These are mixed with modern photos of classic Falcons, press images and period brochures, magazine covers and clippings from articles.
First published in 2015 as Ford: The Muscle Car Classics 1969-78, this re-issue under the new title was released in 2022 and contains additional information on the final Falcon models, neatly closing the circle on this icon of Australian automotive history.
If you thought you knew all there was to know about the Australian Ford Falcon, this book should provide you with plenty of new knowledge. It’d make a great Christmas gift for the Falcon fan.
Ford Falcon: Commemorative Edition is published by Gelding Street Press and available from specialty automotive booksellers and selected general book retailers.
