Darren Xuereb

Car: XW Fairmont GS Hometown: Melbourne, Victoria

What is it?

“It’s a 1969 XW Fairmont GS with a matching numbers 302 Windsor. It’s Reef Green in colour with Saddle interior, T-bar auto, power-steering and air-con.”

When did you buy it?

“The Ford was bought as an un nished project back in 2011. It had the right options was rust and damage free, had huge potential but needed a full restoration.”

Why did you buy it?

“Prior to owning the XW I was very much into my 1980s and ’90s Holdens. A mate of mine recently bought a nice original ZC Fairlane, and I must admit the bug for a more classic vehicle bit. I was looking at a HQ Holden originally, but when seeing a few nicely optioned XWs and XYs, I had to say the lure was too strong. So the search began. Knowing I was quite particular and very hands-on, the intent was always to buy something needing to be restored, rather than already built. The key was to nd the right car with the right combination, and equally with a clean and solid foundation to work off.”

What do you know about its history?

“The car has a full history behind it with original paperwork, purchase receipts and numberplates. We tracked the original owner, Fay, down and she was so happy that the car was still around. Fay bought the car from Duhig Ford in Essendon, Victoria in July 1969. It was her personal car and her rst ever car in her name. She owned it for 30 years when she gave it to her son. Her son took the car to Ipswich, Queensland, drove it for a number of years and then started to restore it. The restoration never got complete and he decided to sell it. Fay’s son sold the car and it came back to Croydon, here in Melbourne. Darren bought the car in 2011 and it took ve years to restore to its original state.”

How does it go?

“It is a beautiful car to drive. Driving an old classic brings back a lot of childhood memories. It gets a lot of attention everywhere we go.”

Anything you’d like to add?

“Its rst outing was to MotorEx 2016 and was awarded second place in the Best Overall Factory Muscle division. Original owner Fay was present at the show and it was great to photograph her sitting in the car she purchased brand new 47 years earlier.”