One of Australia's toughest muscle cars is set to go under the hammer this week with an estimated price tag worth more than many regional homes.
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The original and genuine 1970 XW Ford GTHO Phase II - a car similar to the one Alan Moffat won Bathurst in in 1970 - will be offered in the online sale on Friday and could fetch more than $500,000.
"It's worth more than half a million dollars and the owner has been offered that in the past, but I don't know what it will make," AuctionsPlus auctioneer Michael Downie said.
The highly collectible car - the first lot of the sale - has just 56,000 miles on the clock and was purchased by its Melbourne-based owner in the 1980s.
It is powered with a 351 Cleveland V8 and is one of 12 manual Falcons manufactured with the electric blue paint job.
The vehicle is one of 40 lots which include vintage, classic and muscle cars, as well as old trucks and tractors, which will be offered during the AuctionsPlus machinery option on Friday.
"The lots range from project cars which will probably be worth $1500 bucks right through to the Ford Falcon GTHO Phase II," Mr Downie said.
The Falcon also displays its original registration plate which has been continuously registered since 1970.
"Back in the late 1960s and 70s, they were only allowed to race production cars and to be able to race at Bathurst, there had to be at least 200 of that car produced on the assembly line and sold in Australia to qualify," Mr Downie said.
"There were only 286 of these cars built and we believe only a handful remain.
"Most of them have either rusted out or wrapped around trees now because they were extremely powerful cars that were just put out on the street."
IN OTHER NEWS:
In September 2021, a 1971 Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III sold for $1.3 million.
"Its second owner knew that he had a very special vehicle and arranged for Mark Lamb to conduct a full nuts and bolts restoration in the mid 1980's," Mr Downie said.
"After completing this restoration, Mark Lamb then commenced and completed a full nuts and bolts restoration on an Electric Blue XY GT-HO Phase III, which recently sold for $1.15 million."
The sale also features Chevrolets, Buicks and Mustangs right down to a humble Morris Minor and an iconic and original XF Australian-built Ford Falcon ute.
Bryce Eishold
Bryce is a senior journalist with Australian Community Media's Stock & Land where he reports on all aspects of agriculture. Bryce is also the president of the Rural Press Club of Victoria. Email Bryce at bryce.eishold@stockandland.com.au.
Bryce is a senior journalist with Australian Community Media's Stock & Land where he reports on all aspects of agriculture. Bryce is also the president of the Rural Press Club of Victoria. Email Bryce at bryce.eishold@stockandland.com.au.
