If ever there was a forgotten Australian Ford, it is the 1968 XT Falcon.
Although the company’s advertising proclaimed it had “More, More Mustang” the attention it attracted was subdued compared to the all-new VE Valiant and HK Holden.
As Wheels explained in its May 1968 edition:
“Basically, the cars are little changed from the XR.
A bit more oomph, a few more safety features and a bit of a re-styling here and there, and that’s about it.”
Wheels was right about the styling.
Ford in Dearborn had ruled out sheet metal updates for the US Falcon to keep its price low.
That left Australia having to develop and fund its own styling direction.
Meanwhile, Jack Telnack, Ford’s new design director, had only arrived in Melbourne in mid-1966, giving him no time to implement anything more than minor alterations.
Most were borrowed from the US Falcon.
The styling he envisioned had to wait until the XW.
Ford’s brochure tried to make it exciting:
“Bold new grille, sweeping new chrome moulding which extends from the front fender-top to the rear fender-top, new tail-lights and new rear applique.”
Indeed, so few were the changes that it was hard to spot the difference between the XR and XT Fairmont models when seen side on.
It was under the bonnet where noticeable updates occurred. All engines were enlarged and delivered more power.
Cubic inch descriptors gave way to litres.
The GT became part of the range, no longer a gold painted limited edition. Said Wheels in its September 1968 edition:
“… a true grand tourer in line with the best British and Continental makers can dish up.”
Winning the team’s prize and finishing 3rd, 6th and 8th in the 1968 London to Sydney Marathon sort of made up for losing to the Monaros at Bathurst.
But the marathon result did not deliver a “win on Sunday and sell on Monday” outcome.
The average monthly sales of the XT were no advance on the XR.
Although a Polar White XT GT was one of the six Falcons showcased on stage at Ford’s 100-year celebrations, the XT’s place in our automotive history is to be the Falcon sandwiched between the “Mustang Bred” XR — a car that established the benchmark for the affordable and better performing Australian family car — and the beginning of Falcon’s transition to the great Australian road car — the XW.
David Burrell is the editor of retroautos
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