Some will be surprised to know that the ridiculously fast family car is not a creation of the German auto industry that has dominated the segment in the past few decades with models like the Audi RS4/RS6, BMW M3/M5 and Mercedes C63/E63 AMG.
Back in the late 1960s, while American carmakers were obsessed with pony and muscle cars in coupe and convertible forms, Ford’s Australian division gave birth to a vehicle that would change the industry: the 1967 Falcon XR GT sports saloon powered by a Mustang-sourced 225bhp 4.7-liter V8.
Holden tried to compete with the four-door Monaro GTS, but it was Ford that ended up creating the world’s fastest production saloon in 1971 with the XY Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III propelled by a tuned 351 (5.8-liter) Cleveland V8 with up to 390bhp and a top speed of 250km/h (155mph).
The Ford model would hold on to this title for nearly two decades until the presentation of another game changer, the Lotus Opel Omega (Vauxhall Lotus Carlton in the UK) in 1990.
One thing the Aussies did not create was the super-fast station wagon segment, which should probably be credited to BMW and its M5 Touring E34 in 1992.
However, Australians always had a knack for mixing and matching body styles and engines, which brings us to this hybrid we found for sale on the local eBay.
This car started out life as a 1969 XW series Ford Falcon estate, but three years ago, the current owner of the car decided to build a GT replica out of it with the process including stripping the vehicle to bare metal.
The interior and exterior of the Falcon Station Wagon with the exception of the somewhat tacky 18-inch gold finish spoke wheels are fashioned after the GT model of the time whilst power comes from a 351 Windsor (5.8-liter) V8 engine.
For those interested, the 1969 Ford Falcon XW GT Wagon replica is listed for sale on the Australian edition of eBay with a ‘Buy it Now’ price of AU$32,000 (US$33,300).
PHOTO GALLERY
