Ford Falcon GT and hardtops

In the late 1960s, Ford Australia transformed the humble American compact into the most brutal performance icons ever produced in the country. This gallery celebrates that evolution through original Falcon GT advertisements and vintage brochure scans. From the relatively restrained, Bathurst-winning 1967 XR GT to the mighty XY GTHO Phase III, the 'Blue Oval' conquered all.

In 1971, the GTHO was the fastest four-door car in the world, capable of 145mph at a 6150rpm ignition cut-out. While Ford famously downplayed the horsepower of the 351 Cleveland to avoid upsetting the 'cardigan wearers' of the era, the true output was mooted to be a staggering 380bhp. Throughout the 1970s, Ford fought for the title of 'King of the Mountain' at Mt Panorama, immortalizing the Falcon Hardtops as the coolest-looking Aussie touring cars ever made.

Our archive features the final GT lineage—the XB sedan and hardtop—as well as the legendary XC Cobra, a white-and-blue farewell inspired by the 1965 Shelby GT350 Mustangs. Because of their shared DNA, we have also included the non-GT XA, XB, and XC Hardtops here, including the luxurious Fairmont variants. Whether it wears a GT badge or not, the 1970s Falcon Hardtop remains the pinnacle of Australian muscle car design.

And don’t forget Mad Max Rockatansky’s black V8 Interceptor that features in our article on the Ten Best Movie Cars.