Aussies abroad: 1976 Ford Falcon XB GT for auction in the USA
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One of the 949 XB GT coupes ever built has sold for AU$108,000 at auction in the USA
UPDATE October 13, 2020: Our well-travelled Australian expatriate has found a new home, passing across the block at Vicari Auction's Biloxi, Mississippi, sale over the weekend.
We watched with curious eyes as a couple of floor bidders battled a number of internet bidders, before the car ultimately reached reserve at US$78,000 and was sold under the hammer to an anonymous internet bidder.
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At the current exchange rate, the XB Falcon GT sold for a local equivalent of AU$109,000 which is perhaps a little ways below market value for a good XB GT Hardtop however, could still be deemed comparable with the local market for an example in such well-worn condition such as this.
In fact, given that our homegrown heroes are virtually unknown to the rest of the world, the final sale price is perhaps a pleasant surprise.
The sale did not start off confidently however, with the auctioneer initially calling for starting bids of US$100,000.
Met with deafening silence, the starting call quickly became $75,000, then $60,000; before a floor bid of $50,000 kicked off proceedings. Bids were made in conservative $2,500 increments.
As for the car's future? Will it return home or stay in the United States? Interestingly, the auctioneer mentions after striking the gavel that the winning-internet bidder is located in Alberta, Canada.
It seems the well-travelled Australian Falcon may soon add yet another stamp to its passport.
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Original story: The Ford Falcon nameplate bowed out of the US market in 1970, however our uniquely Australian counterparts would famously go one to become one our country’s most-loved models.
Amazingly, one such Aussie icon has made it stateside and is coming up for grabs at Vicari Auction’s Biloxi, Mississippi sale on October 9-10.
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This Red Pepper 1976 XB Falcon GT represents one of 949 coupes produced from 1973 to 1976, and one of just 125 produced in 1976.
It’s now known when or how our homegrown hero ended up stateside, although we do know it has covered some 76,000 miles and is described as largely unrestored except for a partial respray - due to a brush with a guardrail in Australia.
The car also wears some "bolt-on" modifications as it was reportedly extensively raced both in Australia and in the USA before being retired from competition in 2003.
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Its factory 351 Cleveland, toploader four-speed and 9" posi-track rear all in place and are believed to be numbers-correct, however the motor has been stroked to 393ci.
There isn’t much of a market outside of Australia for most of our unique vehicles, although the XB GT uniquely holds a bit more of an international appeal thanks to its starring role in the Mad Max films.
There is no pre-auction estimate published, however on local shores you’d expect to pay north of $120,000 for a hardtop coupe.
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The auction will be a curious litmus test on how well Australian hero cars perform on the world stage, and we’ll be sure to report back with a final selling price once the auction comes to a close.
In the meantime, if we have any USA-based Aussies out there looking for a little slice of home: you can view more information on the auction here, and view the car in full here.
Classic Australian Family Car Value Guide home page
Muscle Car Value Guide home page
Japanese Classic Car Value Guide home page
Unique Cars magazine Value Guides
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