Shannons flying the Falcon flag

Collectible XW GTHO Phase II owned by mystery rally driver is highlight of next Melbourne auction

It's been a big week of news for Ford's Falcon, with the new FG X model officially driven by Aussie journalists for the first time. 

But with the locally-built large car much closer to its demise than its conception, perhaps a nice way to end the week is with a look back at the Falcon's halcyon days. By coincidence, Shannons has announced it will auction a car that recalls those heady times. 

The 1970 XW GT-HO Phase II model going to auction in Melbourne on December 8 is not an especially important car in itself, but according to Shannons it has been owned by a motor sport celebrity since 1985. While Shannons is giving away little about the owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, he is described by the auction house as a 'living treasure' who was a member of the winning Ford Australia team that completed the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon driving three works XT Falcon GTs. 

The XW up for auction was one of 42 GTs built in September 1970, and one of just 15 finished in 'Silver Fox' – a colour named in honour of the late Harry Firth, who led the 1968 Marathon team and subsequently went on to even greater glory managing the race-winning Holden Dealer Team. For the last 16 years the XW has been in dry storage, and Shannons describes its condition as 'mostly sound'. 

In the years since the GFC, classic Falcon GTs have dropped in price, but Shannons estimates the winning bid for this car will fall somewhere within the range of $100,000 to $120,000. 

Should the Falcon be too expensive, Shannons has a number of other classic cars available at the auction, including a 1975 Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000, with L34 cylinder heads and a balanced 308 bored out. Shannons expects the Torana to go for between $28,000 and $34,000. 

Another Holden available at the auction is a 1972 HQ Monaro LS with a 253 V8. This particular car has been in the hands of just two owners and Shannons anticipates the Monaro will fetch somewhere between $52,000 and $58,000. 

The auction will comprise at least 42 cars and motorbikes, with around half of those to be sold without reserve. Among those are a 1971 302 Fairlane, a 1968 Shelby Mustang GT350, a 2002 DRB GT40 Replica, a 1960 Chevy Impala (LHD), a 1942 Chevy convertible and a 1986 Porsche 928S.