Anyone who bought into the XA GT market during the dark days of COVID-19 will by now regard their car as a valued – certainly valuable – family member.
The money sought and sometimes paid for XA GTs in two- or four-door form peaked in 2022 when over $300,000 was paid for a rusty, dirty and neglected RPO83 Hardtop. One of the same specification in pristine condition, was advertised at $425,000, but whether it sold at near that price is unknown.
The shape of the XA Falcon was seen as radical when released early in 1972, accompanied by claims that this was the first uniquely Australian Falcon. Certainly, it looked the business as a performance car, with bulging wheel-arches crying out for oversized race rubber.
Questions regarding the XA’s uniqueness of style did arise when the local Hardtop was pictured alongside a USA-sourced Torino GT and the resemblance between the two was in no way coincidental.
What our cars didn’t get was the 429 cubic inch Super Cobra Jet engine that was available in the USA, but we did okay with the locally sourced 351 V8 and a four-barrel carb. Had Ford’s plan for an XA-based GT-HO Phase 4 not been scuppered by political interference, the upgraded Phase 4 engine would likely have produced around 60kW more than the standard cars’ 224kW.
Inside the XA GT was a new dash that craved driver involvement but was criticised for being less practical than the previous design.
Although visually similar to the later XB model, XA GTs are defined by chrome-plated bumpers and more intensive use of matt black paint. However, under the bonnet was where the big difference lay. XBs built from 1973 came with the same-size engine as the XA GT, but ineffective emission control measures did succeed in cutting power from 224kW to 194kW.
According to Australian Classic Car History Services there were 1868 four-door
XA GTs built and 891 two-doors. Of these, 130 sedans and 120 Hardtops
were tagged with the RPO83 option code and fitted with items that had been destined for use in the discontinued GT-HO Phase 4.
Finding an XA GT in good condition is still possible, and much less expensive than in the recent past. Several sedans are currently available at around $150,000 and an RPO83 Hardtop in good condition recently reached $163,500 at auction.
