Early in 1972 Ford released the XA Falcon with the GT in sedan and hardtop versions. The hardtop being preferred for racing as its bulging rear flanks accommodated wider tyres. Ford built 1,868 sedans from January 1972 to September 1973 and 891 hardtops between July 1972 and September 1973.
The XA GT was designed for wider appeal with its less aggressive look and creature comforts. The XA GTHO Phase IV is the best remembered model that never was. Three prototypes were built at Ford's "Lot 6" race workshop and one production model made it down the Broadmeadows assembly line before the "Supercar" furore stopped production.
The Phase IV was to have had 340bhp (255KW) and around 400 ft/lbs of torque and a reported top speed of around 150mph (240kmh). The 'normal' GT continued in production and while many race teams made do with their Phase III XY's.
The XA GT won at Bathurst in 1973 with Moffat and Ian Geoghegan in the hardtop version, and in 1974 John Goss and Kevin Bartlett in an XA GT Hardtop won the first really wet Bathurst 1000 enduro.
1972 had "caps" the same as an XY stainless caps. Later changed to GT centres (exposing a chrome wheelnut and having a red GT in the cap) at sometime in 1973.
The only option was the "sports road wheel", a 5 spoked alloy centre welded to a steel rim. These are the same wheels available on the XYGT and the XBGT.
Tyres E70HR14
Instrumentation:
Speedometer: 140mph
Cleveland Tachometer: 8000rpm - Later cars had 7000rpm tachometers
