The "Last" V8s Part 3

Number crunching

I am not going to produce a chart for the numbers as that is available elsewhere on the internet. Instead, there seem to be some rules for the XE V8’s that are worth following.

Allowing for wagon variants, there were three distinct XE model lines offered with the V8; the Falcon GL, the Fairmont and the Fairmont Ghia. Wagons were offered in both Falcon GL and Fairmont models. The V8’s were split between 4.9’s and 5.8’s. And there was a specific model sold only to the police. Here are the varieties and total figures:-

Falcon GL 5.8 - sold to the public and the police - 423

Fairmont Ghia 5.8 - sold to the public as an ESP - 178

Falcon GL sedan 4.9 - police only - 43

Falcon GL wagon 4.9 - 139

Fairmont sedan 4.9 - 64

Fairmont wagon 4.9 - 345

Fairmont Ghia sedan 4.9 - 1197

Remembering that there were a total of 2389 XE V8’s we can see that almost half, 1197, were Fairmont Ghia sedans with the 4.9 engine. Included in this total are 360 ESP’s. We can also see that the police liked the big V8.

There are a couple of other conventions which we need to mention:-

All of the 5.8 powered Falcon GL’s sold to the public were four speed manuals, and all of the 5.8 powered Fairmont Ghia ESP’s were manula cars as well. The only automatic 5.8 powered cars sold were the Option 36 police package cars. By historical convention, the police preferred gving their officers automatic cars. However, there are examples of police spec manual cars. It would also appear that the automatic used behind the 5.8’s was the old FMX gearbox.

With regard to the 4.9 powered cars, while exact figures for the police Falcon GL are not known - there may be the odd manual trans car - every one had an automatic transmission, the C4, except for 100 Fairmont Ghia ESP’s which had a manual gearbox. Until someone produces GL figures, or a survivor car, these ESP’s were the only manual 4.9 XE’s produced.

South African XW Fairmont

XC

The GS Rally pack offered on the XC range was quite a comprehensive package, including GT style bonnet, blacked out grille and window trims, long range driving lamps if the car was based on the Falcon 500 with the round main headlamps, bumper over-riders, full instrumentation, sports steering wheel, and 12 slot wheels. If the GS was based on the Fairmont with the rectangular headlights, the long range lamps were not offered. Hardtops were also fitted with the rear wing scoops, similar to XB GT’s. It is interesting to note that these scoops were not offered on XB GS’s or on XC Cobra’s. Nor was there an availability of any stripes.

XB GS exterior treatments

This is an 302ci V8 powered XB Fairmont GS without the displacement badges.



Careful inspection of the GS stripes on the XB at the front reveals some variation in their placement. Some have the stripe right up against the ‘seam’ for the little end cap, like the wagon above, and some have them set back from that. In fact, some cars even have different placement from side to side as in this car, although, there is some evidence that the drivers wing was replaced at some stage. The decal may well not have been re-applied with the same ‘factory care’.

GS continued

It can be forgotten that the GS package did not necessarily always come with the driving lamps as shown with this lovely Bronze Wine XY with cream vinyl roof.



Or that it could be ordered with ‘plain’ Falcon 500s, and not just Fairmonts.

XY GS

Once again the GS Rally Pack was available on the XY model. In addition to being available on the Falcon 500, Futura and Fairmont sedans, it was also now an option on the Falcon 500 and Fairmont wagon also.

The actual GS options remained the same including the GT dash featuring speedometer, tachometer, odometer, oil pressure, water temperature and fuel gauges, but some other items crept onto the general option list, most notably a sunroof and a stereo radio/tape player. For performance enthusiasts, the most important option was now a 250hp two barrel carburettor equipped Cleveland version of the 351ci V8. It may not have rivalled the 290hp GT, but it really wasn’t too far off now.



This is a lovely XY GS in Onyx Black showing the GS stripe terminating in the GS badge and the chromed XR/XT GT lookalike wheel covers





Here are close ups of the stylised GS badge and of the wheel cover.

XW GS

Available on the Falcon 500, Futura and Fairmont sedan, the GS added the following features; GS Rally stripes that ran from the front indicators to the middle of the rear wing and ended with the GS insignia and full wheel covers that were the same as the stainless steel wheel covers used on the XR and XT GT models. Inside, a three spoke, deep dished wooden rimmed steering wheel with rim squeeze horn and full dash instrumentation were the same as on the GT model.

From there the buyer could then run riot through the normal options list adding; bucket seats and sports console with four speed or T-Bar automatic, a 302ci 220hp V8, power disk brakes, air conditioning, tinted windscreen, vinyl roof; anything, in fact, that was available in the catalogue. Ford advertised the GS as - ‘Make up your own Grand Sport’ - and, while the car did not have the appeal of the GT, it did offer the cost conscious a distinctive alternative.

Compliance plates 5

This 12-71 XY Fairmont has ‘SED’ on the plate.



As does this 12-71 Falcon 500.

Compliance plates 2

The information on the plate took the following form.



Note that description on the tag is ‘FAIRMONT SED(an)’ which implies a four door car, whereas, in fact, it decodes to be a Fairmont hardtop or coupe.

Similarily, an XA GT hardtop has the description ‘FALCON GT SED’.