1975 XB GT FORD

NEARLY 15 YEARS ON, IT’S STILL A THRILL TO PLAY WITH IT

What appealed to me was the combination and history of the car. It’s never been messed with. It’s had an external paint job only and I still keep in contact with the original owner. There have been four owners. It’s all matching numbers, manual and factory-fitted with the Globe wheels, white with black cloth inserts, plus dealer-fitted large tank and stereo.

The first owner worked at (dealership) Courtney Patterson. His old man ordered a Phase III brand new and he got this brand new and drove it every day. The condition belies the mileage – it’s done 280,000km. So it was really well looked after.

We’re only custodians of these cars and this proves that it’s not necessarily the mileage that kills them, but how they’re looked after. It’s a credit to Paul, the original owner.

I picked it up in 2004. Out of all the cars I’ve had, this is the one I’ve hung on to longest. I like this one. Even when it has been sold in the past, it has never been publicly advertised – it’s always changed hands through word-of-mouth, through club networks and so-on.

It’s great to drive. I did a little to the motor in it, basically original – just a little bit of a cam in it. It’s still tight, drives well and, being manual, it’s a bit more fun. The air-con works well and it’s really good on the highway.

XBs probably don’t get the attention they deserve – they seem to be on the tail-end of popularity and value. Every car costs the same to restore, so finding a good one can be hard. A lot of them rusted out.

That’s why, when this became available, I jumped on it. It’s got all the paperwork and books from new. The original owner came around just before Christmas and almost shed a tear, but he’s happy that it’s in good hands.