FORD XW-XY FAIRMONT V8
A FAMILY FRIENDLY SEDAN WITH A RACING PEDIGREE. WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT?
1 969 brought Ford Australia’s first serious muscle cars and, while our XW Falcons still relied heavily on US design influences, local engineering and styling input was enough to give local cars their unique character. It also helped foster growing conflict with market-leading Holden.
In the beginning only the GT had access to Ford’s biggest engine but that changed in 1970 when XY buyers could add the excitement of a 351 cubic inch (5.8-litre) V8 to any model in the range.
Fairmonts were the model to benefit most from this act of marketing savvy. Buyers who wanted performance without the distraction of stripes and that controversial ‘shaker’ air intake could use Ford’s extensive options list to create a car that was a GT in almost every respect - except the insurance premium.
The XW Fairmont which appeared in 1969 was limited in performance by its 165kW, 302 cubic inch V8. That was the official position anyway, because XWs with 351 engines did certainly find their way into the community via ‘special orders’.
To enhance their individuality, V8 Fairmonts could be specified with a four-speed manual gearbox and GS pack which added driving lights, a centre console, GT-type steering wheel, chromed wheel covers in the style of the original XR GT and extra instruments.
Noise reduction was a big Fairmont selling point and the well-insulated luxury model was definitely quieter for occupants than the standard 500 version. Front disc brakes were mandatory when a V8 was specified, with the very useful limited-slip differential adding a mere $42 to the purchase cost.
The XY when it arrived in November 1970 was far more than a revamped XW. External changes were limited to a new grille and front indicators, modified tail-lamps and body embellishments but mechanically and in terms of presentation the XY showed its makers’ commitment to keeping the brand in touch with Holden’s forthcoming HQ.
In XY guise the Fairmont interior received a complete makeover, beginning with seats that were better sprung and more thickly padded than in the XW. Standard seating was a split bench with pull-down armrest and column-shift automatic.
If you wanted a T-Bar shift for your auto or a four-speed manual, the package also included individual buckets and a centre console. Fairmont door trims and the dashboard incorporated ‘teak grained’ plasti-wood and the courtesy lights operated when any door was opened.
The basic V8 still displaced 302 cubic inches (4.9 litres) but above it now sat a 2V, 186kW version of the 351 cubic inch engine, mated to three-speed ‘Cruisomatic’ transmission or the ‘top-loader’ four-speed.
Fairmonts came as a sedan or station wagon with an array of new body colours, including the attention-seeking Wild Violet.
In a world where values for exceptional Fairmonts have become extreme, some XW V8s purchased 3-5 years ago at less than $40,000 are now back in the market at prices $20-30,000 higher.
Find a genuine ‘K’ code 351 with ‘L’ code four-speed transmission (these numbers appear on the car’s ID plate) that hasn’t been turned into a fake GT and the price can now exceed $100,000. Automatic cars are $20,000 less.