Interestingly, after abandoning Brambles Red as its corporate racing colour for the XY GT-HO’s, Ford returned to the colour for what was to be its killer race car, the logically named and numbered XA GT-HO Phase4. In May, 1972, three four door XA GT’s were walked down the production line and immediately sent to FSV for modification to Phase4 specs, and conversion to two factory racing cars, and one spare.
And then the ‘Supercar’ scandal broke, and the Phase4 was cancelled with only these three Brambles Red racing conversions and one, bonafide regular production car - painted Calypso Green - escaping. Two of the Brambles Red cars still exist, as does the Calypso Green car, but the third Brambles Red car was rallied, and subsequently written off.
However, Ford built four more Brambles Red four doors, two Brambles Red hardtop GT’s and one Brambles Red RPO83 hardtop; eleven cars in total.
