Ford Falcon (XA)

Sold between March 1972 and September 1973, the XA series was the first Falcon to be designed (with assistance from Ford's US headquarters) and manufactured in Australia. Designed by Jack Telnack, it featured an entirely new body which was larger and more roomy than that of its XY series predecessor, giving it the "coke-bottle" look. Wagons, utilities and panel vans now featured a longer wheelbase than the sedan. Fairmont wagons had a dual-action tailgate that could be opened either downwards or sideways, optional on base model Falcon and Falcon 500 Wagons. The addition of a two-door hardtop to the range marked the first time that this body style had been offered on an Australian Falcon since the XP series of 1965–1966. The XA hardtop bore a notable resemblance to the U.S 1971-1973 Ford Mustang hardtop. The XA hardtop's longer doors with frameless windows were shared with the utility and van, with a different shape glass to suit the commercial vehicles' body apertures. The shorter doors of the sedan and wagon with their framed windows were also available with optional quarter vent windows, though these were very rare, mainly fitted to cars in the hotter parts of Australia. This option was available in the subsequent XB and XC models, though very scarce. The XA Falcon range were the first Falcons fitted with in-dash vents for face level flow-thru ventilation, although they only worked while the car was in motion. A total of 129,473 XAs were built. While successful, the XA Falcon range proved to be short-lived as it gained a significant frontal appearance update to become the XB series in September 1973. Assembly of the XA and subsequent ranges in New Zealand was transferred from Ford NZ's Seaview plant to the brand new purpose built plant at Wiri in 1973 and would continue there for another twenty years. ==Powertrains and model range==

The XA carried over the same six-cylinder engines previously offered on the XY Falcon range. In response to the growing popularity of its V8 engine options and the expense of importing V8s from North America, Ford Australia began local manufacture of the Cleveland V8 at its Geelong plant. As well as building the 351 cu in () variant, it developed a de-stroked variant of this engine to replace the imported Windsor 302 engine. The high-performance variant of the 351 with four-barrel carburettor continued to be imported, eventually being replaced with a locally-produced variant during the XB model run. File:1972 Ford XA Falcon 500 (6052590802).jpg|Ford XA Falcon 500 Sedan File:1972 Ford Falcon 500 Wagon (8310106450).jpg|Ford XA Falcon 500 Wagon File:1972-73 XA Hardtop 500 Lime Glaze==.JPG|Ford XA Falcon 500 Hardtop (with non-standard wheels) File:Ford XA Fairmont Sedan - White.JPG|Ford XA Fairmont Sedan File:1972 Ford XA Fairmont station wagon (6052017345).jpg|Ford XA Fairmont Wagon File:1972 Ford Fairmont Hardtop (XA) (10007992234).jpg|Ford XA Fairmont Hardtop File:Ford XA Falcon GT Sedan.JPG|Ford XA Falcon GT Sedan File:Ford XA Falcon GT Hardtop.JPG|Ford XA Falcon GT Hardtop File:1972 Ford Falcon XA GS Utility.jpg|Ford XA Falcon 500 Utility with Grand Sport Rally Pack and additional driving lights File:1972-73 XA Van==.JPG|Ford XA Falcon Panel Van Grand Sport Rally Pack A Grand Sport (GS) Rally Pack was offered on Falcon, Falcon 500 and Fairmont models. The XA GS had rally stripes that ran from the front indicators to the end of the rear doors. It also shared many options as used on the GT Falcon, such as the 12 slot steel wheels with plain brushed centre caps, the three spoke wooden rimmed steering wheel with rim squeeze horn and full GT dash instrumentation featuring tachometer, odometer, oil pressure, water temperature and voltmeter as standard. For the first time the GS model range was also available as a two-door hardtop. The GS package was also offered as an option on utes and panel vans as per XY. The two barrel version of the Cleveland V8 was the largest engine option available. The GS option did not come standard with the Option 56 ‘driving lights’ grille which was standard on the GT, however it was a common addition. The GT bonnet with NACA style ducts was not available as an option on the XA GS. Falcon GTHO Phase IV As the previous XW and XY series Falcon GT sedans, an extra-high-performance limited-production version of the XA Falcon GT sedan, the GT-HO Phase IV, was developed by Ford Australia for homologation in Group E Series Production Touring Car racing, targeting in particular the 1972 Hardie-Ferodo 500 at Bathurst. Production of the required 200 examples was abandoned in July 1972 following intense media and political pressure, and only one production example was completed. This significant road car was manufactured in Calypso Green metallic with a white vinyl interior, and has recently been completely restored. Additionally, three regular production Falcon GT sedans - especially painted in Brambles Red - had been in the process of being developed for racing to GT-HO specification by Ford Special Vehicles Division and were to be raced at Bathurst in 1972 by factory drivers Allan Moffat and Fred Gibson. With the abandonment of the XA Falcon GT-HO as a production car, development was immediately halted on the three race cars and they were sold off. However, one of these cars did go on to serve a life in motorsport, specifically as a rally car campaigned by Bruce Hodgson. It was later destroyed in a road accident. Although the three cars featured standard Falcon GT compliance plates, they are considered by most Ford fans to be race-prepared versions of the XA Falcon GT-HO Phase IV. Howard Marsden, head of Lot 6, designated the race cars as follows XA-1 Allan Moffat (Carthew); XA-2 Gibson (Bowden); XA-3 (Hodgson). Falcon GT - RPO 83 Between April 1973 and August 1973, Ford Australia built 250 XA Falcon GTs fitted with the RPO 83 package, 130 of these being sedans and 120 being hardtops. RPO 83 comprised three variations from the standard XA Falcon GT, these being of a Holley 780 carburettor, 2.25 inch exhaust headers and a clutch slave cylinder hydraulic pipe heat shield. The production Superbird was an XA Falcon 500 Hardtop fitted with an option package designated as RPO 77. Large "Superbird" decals adorned the rear quarter panels and the rear-mounted "Falcon 500" badging was retained. however, the actual production total is thought to have been lower. The entire production run was completed in the months of March through May 1973. . ==Motorsport==

Allan Moffat and Ian Geoghegan won the 1973 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 at Bathurst in a factory entered XA Falcon GT Hardtop and John Goss and Kevin Bartlett won the 1974 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 in a privately entered example. File:Ford XA Falcon GT Hardtop No 9.jpg|A race replica of the Ford XA Falcon GT Hardtop in which Allan Moffat and Ian Geoghegan won the 1973 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 at Bathurst File:Falcongoss.jpg|A race replica of the Ford XA Falcon GT Hardtop in which John Goss and Kevin Bartlett won the 1974 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 at Bathurst ==References==