XY GS V8 MARKET REVIEW

IF YOU ARE old enough to have ventured into an early-1970s Ford showroom – even on the end of a firm parental hand – you can’t escape the memory of being up close to a GS Pack Falcon. Most dealers didn’t get a chance to display GTs, so a GS 351 in Vermillion Fire or Wild Violet was near enough. Many have been turned into XY GT ‘replicas’ but that just makes intact survivors more valuable. It also ensures that authentic and untouched XYs with the GS Pack will offer more secure investment opportunities for buyers than any ‘replica’.

In XY guise, the GS V8 was available in any body style and the temptation to ignore obvious issues with wet-weather traction was too much for some owners who just had to specify their utes with a ‘351’ motor and manual transmission. GS V8 wagons and panel vans are exceptionally rare and documented cars sell for more than sedans in similar condition. Bright colours are a bonus, as are originalequipment accessories such as power windows and the nifty wind-back sunroof. Standard steel wheels were often replaced from new with alloys by ROH or Aunger. A basic Falcon with the 302 motor and GS Pack is also a rarity, so be prepared to pay the better part of $60,000. Falcons of this age with 351 engines are rarer again and spectacular examples might manage six figures. Originality is vital, as is verified history and these factors contribute significantly to the exceptional values generated by some cars. Good-quality restorations are OK too and should still appreciate fast enough to outrun inflation.