1962 Ford Falcon XL Armstrong 500 Tribute - Reader Ride

By: Dwayne Overbury, Photography by: Cristian Brunelli

Date: 17.11.2016

Dwayne Overbury talks about his rare XL 500 Armstrong Tribute

Dwayne Overbury's 1962 Ford Falcon XL

Given Falcon's early reliability issues, getting a win in a major endurance race was hugely important for Ford.

So it entered two XLs in the 1962 Armstrong 500 at Phillip Island (the Bathurst 1000's predecessor). Privateer teams also entered Falcons. The car driven by Bob Jane and Harry Firth was first across the line, narrowly beating a Studebaker Lark, ahead of a second Falcon.

Dwayne Overbury, a long-time friend of Bob Jane, readily agreed when Melbourne builder Miles Johnson of Thunder Road suggested building a tribute car. "We did a little bit of homework," he explains, "I spent half a day with Harry going through some old photographs and looking at what needed to be done, plus time with Ian Tait, who was the mechanic back in the day and with Bob."

"It’s been a joy and a privilege. We had it at Eastern Creek for the 2012 Muscle Car Masters, in the parade, with Sir Jack Brabham in the car.

"I got to take Bob for a bit of a fang and he wanted me to keep the foot down and drive it lock-to-lock like they did in the day. It was a bit of a laugh watching him sliding around on the bench seat in the front, having a great time."

And what does he reckon about the closure of local manufacturing? "It’s disappointing. I’ve had a number of them (Falcons) and have an anniversary turbo that I love."

(Our thanks to the Shepparton Motor Museum for its assistance.)

Dwayne's XL was one of our cover cars from issue #393 (Sept '16)

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