ANNIVERSARY
50 YEARS OF PHASE II
Sunday October 4, 1970, is a blue letter day for Ford fans. It was the day Allan Moffat proved unbeatable, taking his and the Ford Falcon GT-HO’s first Bathurst crown, both at their second attempt, cementing the Falcon’s legendary status. It was a triumph for Ford and the Phase II GT-HO after the previous year’s debacle when the much-lauded XW Phase 1 GT-HO arrived at Bathurst to tackle the Holden Monaro GTS 350, but suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the HDT Monaro pair of Colin Bond and Tony Roberts. Rubbing salt into the wounds, the newly-formed HDT was run by ex-Ford Racing boss Harry Firth. Ouch.
Understand the landscape was very different back then with the big three local makers, Holden, Ford and Chrysler spending plenty by entering factory teams at Bathurst with the goal of ‘Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday.’
By the time the main protagonists arrived at Mount Panorama
When the two door Monaro GTS was released to the Australian motoring public in July 1971 it proved incredibly popular and subsequently Holden released the four door GTS version in April 1973. The monocoque construction and all new four-wheel coil spring suspension provided superior ride and handling and delivered a smoother, safer, more elegant car than any previous Holden. The HQ range represented a more sophisticated design direction for Australian made cars. It was the largest selling model range to date for Holden and would ensure Holden’s title of Australia’s No.1 car manufacturer.