Unsung and undersung Falcon heroes

[Jason[98.EL]]

http://ninemsn.carpoint.com.au/advic...n-heroes-19829

Originally Posted by carsales

words - John Wright

Ford Falcon 50th Anniversary: the HO gets the limelight but there were other Falcon heroes
It is a huge generalisation but there is plenty of evidence to support it: most of the time from the launch of the XK Falcon right through until now, Ford Australia has tended to work harder than Holden to get the best out of products (which often started out a long way short of perfect). The transformation of the XK into the XP is one example and the evolution of AU into BA is another.

All GTs are highly collectible but for some purists the XT GT offers a superior driving experience to the later and more famous 351-engined cars. It has a lovely balance and is understated by comparison. Arguably, the XW and XY were overpowered for that pretty basic chassis.

The XY Falcon 500 is regarded as a classic now but remains, if not unsung, then undersung. When new, it was most impressive. To drive one of these as a Silver Top taxi in comparison with an HG Kingswood was little short of a revelation. The 250 six-pack teamed beautifully with the automatic transmission and the sense of refinement was about three times what you got in the Holden.

Even when the revolutionary HQ joined the fleet, you still got the sense that the Falcon offered more car and this had plenty to do with the extra torque and smoothness of the 250 versus the 202, in conjunction with a more accomplished automatic gearbox. (Trau-Matic indeed: was it ever going to make it into second gear with that flaring in first?)

When I drove the purple XA a couple of years later, my appreciation of these qualities deepened. Here was no shrinking violet, its bright livery contrasting with white vinyl upholstery. The combination of the twin-venturi carburettor with the 250 engine, known on the XA as the 250 Special, with a sweet-shifting four-speed manual made this easily the best Australian car I had driven.

It was 1972, era of Ford's 'The Great Australian Road Car' advertising campaign. Perhaps you couldn't quite compare the XA Falcon with a Peugeot 504, but the gap was narrowing; nobody would have compared an XK with a 403!

In 1982 I conducted a comparison between a VH 4.2 Commodore (SL/X spec, from memory) and an XE Ghia ESP 4.1. From a spec point of view this was unfair on the Commodore, but we were interested principally in comparing the dynamics. Both were manuals and the Holden was significantly quicker.

By the end of our several hundred kilometres of testing, everyone involved went for the Ford. As the conditions deteriorated -- rain-slicked tarmac, lumpy rally roads in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains -- the merits of the Ford shone though.

Indeed, the Falcon steered better and quicker, the Watts Link rear end showed little inclination to step out and there was no hint of roll oversteer which benighted the first generation Commodore. It always felt more composed and rode better. At times the Commodore felt quite crude, albeit lusty. The lowered suspension and Bilsteins of the 'special' Falcon were at the heart of the European Sports Pak (ESP) and made a big difference.

The ESP was a really well conceived car and one that has been overlooked, unlike its 4.9 and 5.8-litre V8 counterparts. With extractors and cylinder-head work, that 4.1, breathing through its Weber carburettor, could be turned into quite a rapid car.

One more great driving Falcon that has kind of disappeared into history was the AU XR8. It was far superior to its EL predecessor.

Refined yet grunty, the AU was more than a match for the Holden-engined VT SS.

History has lumped all AUs in together, but the XRs had plenty of merit and their distinctive frontal treatment, smart wheels and hunkered down attitude set them apart.

Even the base model XR6 which was lighter, thanks to the Watts Link rear end in lieu of IRS, was a willing and responsive machine.

A collector car in the making? We think so...

looks like ford are starting get some great media

well done ford on another great artical going your way

Jason