1984 Ford XE Fairmont Ghia – Today’s Tempter

By: Alex Affat, Unique Cars magazine

Date: 07.02.2020

ESP mock-up: 351, five-speed manual, original interior

The XE Falcon was produced from 1982 until 1984, and while many lamented it as the end of Ford’s classic V8 it was a winner for the Blue Oval in finally upending GMH off the top spot of the sales chart.

They were vastly improved over the outgoing XD too, with new four-link coil-sprung suspension for the sedans, much improved NVH and suspension tuning, and value-filled packaging throughout the range.

The option 54 ‘European Sports Pack’ sought to cash in on the growing interest of luxury-oriented models pioneered by the SL/E Commodores. The ESP pack was based on the top-spec Fairmont Ghia and added disc brakes all round, Bilstein dampers, as well as other niceties such as Scheel seats within the cabin. They’ve grown massively in desirability (and price) over the past few years.

This 1984 XE on sale here, isn’t a genuine ESP, but is a very well-done mock-up with almost all the right bits.

Under the bonnet sits a retrofitted 351 Cleveland (the V8s were dropped in 1982), coupled to a five-speed manual and looking correct with the two-tone paint, snowflake wheels, and its original Ghia interior.

It would make a fantastic cruiser as is, and wouldn’t take too much to get it 100% ESP-correct: you’d need to track down some Scheel seats, factory bonnet and correct air cleaner.

Of course that could be a fairly costly exercise – mostly down to the price of original Scheels – and by the end of it, you’d likely be approaching the money of a genuine six-cylinder ESP.

Genuine 351 cars can reach up to $50,000, so while it might not make sense to everyone – this neat warmed-up XE Falcon might be an attractive buy for someone looking for a useable classic Falcon which they can choose to make their own, or track down those last correct ESP bits.

The XE is based in New South Wales, and is listed for $27,500.

Check out the full listing here!

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