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... Top 5 Aussie Collectables: Ford Fairlane ZA Ford Fairlane ZA 1967- 1968 Country: Engine: 200ci 6& 289ci V8 Capacity: 289 ci (V8) Power: 200 hp (V8) Transmission: 3 spd. man/ 3 spd. auto Top Speed: n/a Number Built: 9000+ Collectability: The ZA Fairlane closely followed the XR Falcon onto the market, and for the time was the largest and most luxuriously built Aussie made car- unashamedly based on a US design and using many imported US components, not the least of which was the V8 motor. In fact, to keep production costs low Ford used many of the smaller car's components, including the drivetrain, suspension and even the doors. For the first time Australian motorists could choose a ...

... driven by himself and Ray Allford during the course of the year. The second car was the ex-John' Goss Bathurst-winning car, which was purchased by young New South Welshman Gary Willmington, and has been campaigned by him ever since. Finally, a new Falcon sports sedan appeared early in the year- the hardtop model of John French, sponsored by Queensland's Bryan Byrt Ford. The first series of the year was again the South Pacific touring car series, by now a mere shadow of its former self. In a boring four-round series, a single Falcon appeared in three of the rounds, Murray Carter scoring a fifth at Oran Park and a third at Adelaide, while Allan Moffat, now running without Faberge/Brut signwriting, scored a third place ...

... Ford Mustang Prototype Part of the dilemma in developing a "sports car for the masses" was how to capitalize on the brand equity enjoyed by Ford's Thunderbird. Costs to develop were a consideration ... the company might have to invest upward of $100 million to create an entirely new car. Cost to the consumer was another consideration. The team established a target price of $2 ,500; an overall weight of 2,500 pounds; 180 inches maximum length; four seats; a floorshift, and a host of options that would allow buyers to custom-tailor the car to their individual personalities. With those general parameters, the engineering department set out to craft the prototype for a project referred to as T-5. Three men quarterbacked the effort- ...

... Falcons, 1977 was their best ever. Over the last few years the crowds at race meetings had become used to seeing no more than two or three Falcons competing- but by the time of the 1977 Hardie-Ferodo there were no less than 12 Falcon's on the circuits. The year opened with the shock announcement that Colin Bond was leaving the Holden Dealer Team to join the Moffat Ford Dealer Team. This announcement very much took everyone by surprise. However, it wasn't all that impossible either, as both these men had built up a solid respect and friendship for each other over their years as rivals on the racetrack. The third part of this very effective package was one Carroll Smith, a highly regarded American mechanical engineer, who had worked with the successful Ford ...

... . Dodge and Plymouth Max Wedge Cars Big engines in smaller bodies were still some time away- only Chrysler Corporation offered big-blocks in intermediate-size cars. And that was pretty much by accident, rather than as a marketing ploy. A major restyling the year prior resulted in scaled down Plymouths and Dodges, a not too successful bucking of the trend toward larger cars by the competition. Fords, Chevys, Pontiacs and other factory hot rods came only in full-size packages, though that would soon change with the success of the GTO. Perhaps the most notable thing about the car fan's street scene back in 1963 was the quick but temporary end to the cubic-inch race that started in the late 1950s. In 1963, two of the largest race sanctioning organisations ...