An Ausy vehicle I've never seen before.

[Stanglover]

Yesterday, July 14th, I was at a good size car show and came across this vehicle. It's an Australian Ford Falcon Mk II BA XR8. It is right hand drive too, so why is here in Canada?
Anyway here are a couple of pics for you.

 

[PoFoMoCo]

Very cool!

 

[Sheriff41]

I'd drive that.

 

[Steve McMahan]

Very cool, lucky Australia

 

[rio1856]

Found a pic of the same model as a sedan on the web. Seems my brothers down under use them as they perform their duty.

 

[Stanglover]

Glad many of you like this vehicle. The owner's phone number is on the show card, but I clipped the photo to a) not show it and b) so the information could be read. I'll try to call the guy and find out a bit more about it.......... if he'll talk to me.

EDIT: I called the guy, but only got his voice mail. He has not called back...........yet.

 

[MikeGriese]

Australia has had El Camino and Ranchero type vehicles all along.

 

[Sheriff41]

Australia has had El Camino and Ranchero type vehicles all along.

"Utes" date back to the '40s or '50s in Oz, I believe.

 

[Stanglover]

I had thought by now, some of our Aussy buddies might have chimed in to add some info.
Talking of, I didn't see the year of this vehicle, it's not on his show card.

 

[detritusmaximus]

A bit of info on Wiki...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Falcon_(BA)

Its competition was this (based on the same platform as the Holden Commodore/Monaro...the Pontiac GTO....so, yeah, one could get a Holden ute and put the right parts on it to have Pontiac GTO ute. Hmm..a 'Hell-Camino'?)

 

[Aus73Mach1]

Yesterday, July 14th, I was at a good size car show and came across this vehicle. It's an Australian Ford Falcon Mk II BA XR8. It is right hand drive too, so why is here in Canada?
Anyway here are a couple of pics for you.

Just saw this. I guess it is in Canada because someone liked it enough to import it. Same as LHD vehicles are imported to RHD countries. Sadly no vehicles are manufactured in Aus any more. Utes have always been popular here with the XA, XB's a bit like 71-73 Mustangs turned into utes. Various engine/drive train combinations were available making them great performance vehicles. An article here from "drive.com.au" https://www.drive.com.au/caradvice/how-the-humble-falcon-ute-became-a-ford-ranchero/ also of interest.

 

[rodgeydodge]

Hello all, or should I say "g'day" from Australia.
My first car was a "ute", a utility vehicle. You call them pickups. Australia has produced them since the fifties and while they tended to have a lesser carrying capacity than the USA versions, they do us just fine.
We even went the way of a performance ute based on a Ford Falcon 4-door sedan called a GT and badged as a "Super Roo".


They even brought out a pickup based performance vehicle called a "Surfer Roo'. . . . yeah, I know. Only about 3 made and not a production vehicle. The wing on the back is for mounting surfboards.
Its logo was a kangaroo riding a surf wave reading "surfer roo". Kitsch!

If you want to see a 71-73 Falcon version of our Mustang, look no further than an XC Falcon GT. This one is called a "Cobra".

Yes, we had them in a ute or pickup version too.

All gone now, not a single sedan based ute available now. All replaced typically with "crew cab" utes like the Ford Ranger below.

There you go.
Roger

 

[detritusmaximus]

If cost were no object...an XYGT HO would suit me just fine.
But I can't afford two or three times the cost of a NICE Boss 351 Mustang.
I might have to settle for a Leyland Force 7....

 

[rodgeydodge]

Yes,
the Ford Falcon GTHO is a nice car, but stupidly expensive to buy today, some selling for over a million (that's about $600,000US).
And after all, it was just a hotted up standard Falcon!
The big money is now with the Holden Toranas, a smallish two or four door performance model, an SLR 5000 A9X. So, a GMH product.

I don't know about your Leyland Force 7. Not many around and it had been hit big time with the ugly stick.

The 1972 Chrysler E49 VH Charger was a great performance car, a straight six eclipsing the V8's much bigger than it. New price was AU$3,975 and only 149 produced.


If you wanted real performance though, a Bolwell Nagari was the go. It started as a kit car but then went a complete car. A fiberglass body on a box chassis, weighing less that a ton. Engine was the Ford 351 Cleveland, so it went OK. Still a nice looking car.


Therte you go again,.
Roger

 

[Austin Vert]

Hi from down under,

This local vid just came across my bows.

It's a report on the all Ford day out at a local event held once every year at the Willowbank raceway just out from the capital city of Brisbane where i happen to live. Worth a look in for some great Aussie and American eye candy classics. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Greg

 

[Stanglover]

Hi from down under,

This local vid just came across my bows.

It's a report on the all Ford day out at a local event held once every year at the Willowbank raceway just out from the capital city of Brisbane where i happen to live. Worth a look in for some great Aussie and American eye candy classics. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Greg

Very good Greg, thanks for posting.

 

[detritusmaximus]

Love the Bolwell. I understand they are/were still making updated models recently.

 

[rodgeydodge]

Since the original Bolwell kit cars in the 1970's, Bolwell has marketed scooters, caravans and so on as well as the new cars the Nagari 300 and 500. The 500 still weighs less than a ton and has 500HP (hence the name) from a Chevy V8.
It looks very modern and I am not sure if any are being made for sale at present.
Bolwell has the usual problem of having to use engines/transmissions and parts from other manufacturers and that makes homologation and compliance and warranties a problem. The cost of the new car is also up there.
Cheers, Roger