The Ford Falcon (XT) is a

full-size car Full-size car—also known as large car—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than mid-size cars, it is the largest size class for cars. In Europe, it is known as E-segment or F-segment. Af ...

that was produced by

Ford Australia Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited (known by its trading name Ford Australia) is the Australian subsidiary of United States-based automaker Ford Motor Company. It was founded in Geelong, Victoria, in 1925 as an outpost of Ford Motor Comp ...

from 1968 to 1969. It was the second iteration of the second generation of the

Falcon Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene. Adult falcons ...

and also included the Ford Fairmont (XT)—the luxury-oriented version.

Introduction

The XT Falcon range was introduced in March 1968Glass’s Dealers Guide, South Australian and Northern Territory Edition, June 1973, page 50 as a facelifted version of the XR Falcon, which it replaced. The XT featured a revised grille and taillights and improved safety features including split-system brakes, larger tyres and electrically operated windscreen washers.Ford Falcon XT
Retrieved from www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au on 15 April 2010 Standard equipment in the luxury Fairmont models included bucket seats, front disc brakes, a heater/demister, a wood-grain dash, carpet and courtesy lamps in all four doors. The Fairmont Wagon featured an electrically operated tailgate.

Model range

The XT was offered in 4-door Sedan, 5-door

Station Wagon A station wagon ( US, also wagon) or estate car ( UK, also estate), is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door ( ...

, 2-door

Utility As a topic of economics, utility is used to model worth or value. Its usage has evolved significantly over time. The term was introduced initially as a measure of pleasure or happiness as part of the theory of utilitarianism by moral philosopher ...

and 2-door

Van A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across th ...

variants as follows. * Falcon Sedan * Falcon 500 Sedan * Fairmont Sedan * Falcon GT Sedan * Falcon Wagon * Falcon 500 Wagon * Fairmont Wagon * Falcon Utility * Falcon 500 Utility * Falcon Van The luxury Fairmont models were not badged or marketed as Falcons. The XT Falcon GT, which was introduced two months after the other models in May 1968, was the performance model in the range.Ford Falcon XT GT
Retrieved from www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au on 15 April 2010 File:Ford Falcon XT Sedan.jpg, Ford XT Falcon sedan File:1968 Ford XT Falcon 500 (6048568551).jpg, Ford XT Falcon 500 sedan File:1968 Ford XT Falcon 500 (6048563507).jpg, Ford XT Falcon 500 sedan File:1969 Ford XT Falcon 500 station wagon (23115550426).jpg, Ford XT Falcon 500 wagon File:1969 Ford XT Falcon 500 station wagon (22773668119).jpg, Ford XT Falcon 500 wagon File:Ford Fairmont Sedan (XT).jpg, Ford XT Fairmont sedan File:1968 Ford XT Fairmont (6048548827).jpg, Ford XT Fairmont (non standard wheels) File:11 XT GT Candyapple Red (G) 97

.JPG, Ford XT Falcon GT sedan File:1968 Ford XT Falcon GT (6048583617).jpg, Ford XT Falcon GT sedan File:1969 Ford XT Falcon utility (24160209091).jpg, Ford XT Falcon utility (non standard wheels) File:1968 Ford XT Falcon utility (6049154932).jpg, Ford XT Falcon utility File:Ford Falcon 500 Utility (XT).JPG, Ford XT Falcon 500 utility File:1968 Ford XT Falcon 500 utility (35843280794).jpg, Ford XT Falcon 500 utility

Engines

Four engines were offered in the XT range, all with increased capacity. * 3.1 L (188 CID) 114 bhp six-cylinder was standard on Falcon and Falcon 500 models * 3.6 L (221 CID) 135 bhp six-cylinder was standard on Fairmont models and optional on Falcon and Falcon 500 * 5.0 L (302 CID) 210 bhp V8 was optional on Falcon, Falcon 500 and Fairmont * 5.0 L (302 CID) 230 bhp V8 was standard on Falcon GT Engine capacity was now officially quoted in litres rather than cubic inches.

Production & replacement

After a production run of 79,290 vehicles
Retrieved from www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au on 15 April 2010 the XT Falcon was replaced by the

XW Falcon The Ford Falcon (XW) is a full-size car that was produced by Ford Australia from 1969 to 1970. It was the third iteration of the second generation of the Falcon and also included the Ford Futura (XW) and the Ford Fairmont (XW)—the luxury-orien ...

in June 1969. The XT name would be reused in 2002 on the entry-level model of the BA Falcon.

Motorsport

Ford XT Falcon GT London-Sydney Marathon 1968

An XT Falcon GT driven by Bill Gates and Jim Bertram scored an outright victory in the

1969 Rothmans 12 Hour Classic The 1969 Rothmans 12 Hour Classic was an endurance motor race for production cars45 In Road Race, The Courier Mail, Thursday, Jan 2, 1969 page 9 held at the Surfers Paradise International Raceway in Queensland, Australia on 5 January 1969.Sweet S ...

race for production cars at

Surfers Paradise International Raceway Surfers Paradise International Raceway was a motor racing complex at Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The long circuit was designed and built by Keith Williams, a motor racing enthusiast who also designed and built the Adelaide Internationa ...

on 5 January 1969.Sweet Smell of Success, Racing Car News, February 1969, pages 30-33 A team of three XT Falcon GTs won the Teams prize in the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon, finishing 3rd, 6th and 8th outright.

References

External links

{{Ford Falcon XT Cars of Australia Cars introduced in 1968 XT Falcon Sedans Station wagons Coupé utilities Vans Rear-wheel-drive vehicles 1960s cars