Ford Australia: Ford Falcon XR GT meets XR8 Sprint

This is the beginning and the end.

In front of me are the alpha and omega of the V8-powered Ford Falcon. The alpha, the first XR GT built in 1967 and the omega, the latest XR8 Sprint that brings down the curtain on the blue oval's iconic machine.

And make no mistake, even the most die-hard Holden fans must concede, that the XR GT is an iconic car in the history of the Australian automotive industry - the first locally-made V8-powered sports sedan.

The XR GT began the Aussie muscle car concept that not only thrived for the next five decades but defined our local car culture. We are a nation of V8 lovers because of cars like the XR GT.

So it deserves a proper send-off, which is why we've met this beautifully maintained '67 model XR and its owner Phil Grant with the XR8 Sprint.

We've assembled in Geelong, at Ford's engine plant, to drive back to Broadmeadows, where the Falcon was bolted together. One final V8-powered road trip.

The impact of these cars is immediately noticeable. Stopped at the first set of lights in Geelong I notice a young tradie leaning out the passenger side window of his mate's ute to get a better look at the XR8 Sprint. They may not selling the numbers they used to in the glory days but for those who love them a V8 Falcon is still something worth admiring.

XR GT

The Falcon legend hit its strides  in 1967 when the company added the range-topping GT to the then-new XR range. And it didn't use just any V8.

The engine, a 4.7-litre (289-cubic inches in the old money) V8, was from the Mustang, which was only three years old and still riding high on a wave of popularity. That connection allowed Ford to pitch the new XR GT as the 'Mustang-bred Falcon' and it worked, with the new model becoming an immediate sales hit.

Although by modern terms the 150-168kW (200-220hp) of power seems modest, even driving Phil's GT now it feels strong. It is a flexible engine that is capable of being revved hard and responds with a linear delivery of power. Coupled with the four-speed manual - which was unique to the GT - the XR GT is a genuinely enjoyable car to drive in 2016, despite its age.

It is certainly easy to see why they became such a hit. Only 596 examples of the XR GT were produced but Ford continued the V8 Falcon until today; with the exception of a nine-year period between 1982-1991.

The legend of the XR GT began almost immediately too with Harry Firth and Fred Gibson using it to win the Bathurst 500 in 1967. Up until then the race around Mount Panorama was dominated by smaller, lighter cars like the Ford Cortina and Mini Cooper S. The success of the XR GT paved the way for V8s to dominate Australian touring car racing, which continues today with the modern 'V8 Supercars' series.

The Bathurst-winning XR GT was also a rare non-gold model, with almost all of the initial run painted in 'GT Gold' with a handful of silver models painted specifically for a cigarette company and a few more painted in various hues for racing teams - including Firth's 'Ivy Green' model.

But if anything underlines the success of the XR GT its Holden's response.

In 1968 Holden launched the HK range and introduced the option of a 5.0-litre engine - officially beginning the arms race between the red and blue sides that has continued to this day.

XR8 Sprint

Ford's final shot in that ongoing conflict is the XR8 Sprint.

While many of the Ford faithful were hoping the company would pull out all the stops and create a final Falcon to rival the legendary GT-HO models (see below), the Sprint is a very different proposition.

It's more about style than substance, with some cosmetic changes to the regular (and discontinued) XR8 including our test car's retro shade of GT Gold paint. But there are a few small but significant mechanical changes to the Sprint.

The 5.0-litre supercharged V8 gets an addition 10kW and 5Nm over the XR8 to take power to 345kW and torque to 575Nm. However, Ford has developed an overboost function that allows briefly, and in the right conditions, for the XR8 Sprint to pump out 400kW and 650Nm, which makes for impressive bursts of performance that underline how far the Falcon V8 has come in five decades.

The Sprint also gets re-tuned suspension and replaces the adequate Dunlop tyres for quality Pirelli P Zero rubber.

But fundamentally it remains the same V8 Falcon we've known since the introduction of this supercharged V8 with Ford Performance Vehicles in 2010.

While it may not be a match for its European sports sedan rivals and even its arch-enemies at Holden and HSV, with only 750 examples of the XR8 Sprint built for Australia it has become an instant collectable.

Our drive in these two iconic Falcons ends at Broadmeadows, which already feels quieter than it has in previous visits with little sign of activity; you can't help but feel a sense of sadness that cars like these will become memories.

Sure, there will be more sports sedans that we can buy in the future, and some may even wear a Ford or Holden badge. But they won't be Aussie-made muscle cars. Cars built by Australians, for Australians.

In the middle: The best V8 Ford Falcons that came between the XR GT and XR8 Sprint

GT-HO Phase III

The most iconic of all Falcon V8s, the third evolution of the GT 'Handling Option'. It was at the time, and some time after, the fastest four-door production car in the world. Allan Moffat used one to win the 1971 Bathurst 500, when production cars were upgraded to help the race teams but ultimately any customer with enough money could buy one.

GT-HO Phase IV

Meant to be the replacement for the Phase III at Bathurst only one officially made it down the production line. Three more were also built for the racing teams but none ever fulfilled their true purpose.

The Phase IV was based on the new XA Falcon but when the newspapers got wind of the car's 250km/h top speed the so-called 'supercar scare' put enough pressure on Ford the axe the program.

XC Cobra

Perhaps the most successful run-out model in the history of the local car industry.

Using the last 400 XC hardtop coupe bodies the company celebrated its 1977 Bathurst 1-2 with the now iconic blue-on-white body stripes and 15-inch Globe alloy wheels (reportedly inspired by Ferrari). Under the bonnet was either a 4.9-litre V8 or, if you were luckier, a 5.8-litre unit.

The Cobra is still highly desirable with collectors today.

EL GT

Ford teamed up with Tickford Vehicle Engineering to resurrected the Falcon GT in 1992, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the XR GT. But in 1997 the two companies really created something special, the EL-based GT.

It had a 200kW 5.0-litre V8 sourced from the blue oval's Special Vehicle Operations in the US and the suspension was completely re-worked. Only 250 were built for Australia but it helped kick start Ford and Tickford's relationship.

FTE TE50

The partnership between Ford and Tickford turned into the Ford Tickford Experience, the blue oval's direct rival to HSV.

Although based on the widely unpopular AU Falcon, FTE's performance upgrades - which included hand-built 'Windsor' V8s, high performance brakes and an extensive bodykit - gave Ford fans something to cheer about.

FPV GT-F

FTE was rebranded as Ford Performance Vehicles to coincide with the full-time return of the GT badge with the BA Falcon. 

The most memorable is the GT-F, which will go down in history as the most powerful production Falcon with 351kW from its supercharged 5.0-litre V8.

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