1975 Ford XB GT Hardtop Heads to Auction
If you’ve been waiting for a Falcon GT that makes even seasoned collectors go a bit weak at the knees, Burns & Co.’s December Muscle, Classic & Collectable Car Auction has just dropped your holy grail. The headline act? A 1975 Ford XB GT Hardtop, manual, T-code 351 V8, finished in Red Pepper with a white vinyl interior—and with a backstory that reads like a concours tragic’s bedtime story.
Below is your full-fat, journalist-grade overview: the car’s heritage, why this model matters, and what makes this particular XB GT a once-in-a-decade offering.
Why the XB GT Still Rules the Australian Muscle Pantheon
When Ford rolled out the XB Falcon range in 1973, Australia was midway through its V8-obsessed golden era when petrol was cheap, Bathurst was king, and every second bloke fancied himself Brock or Moffat. The XB GT Hardtop, produced until 1976, was the last Falcon GT available with the legendary Cleveland 351 V8 before Ford shifted gears and wound down the GT badge (until its rebirth decades later).
Think of the XB Hardtop as the muscle car equivalent of a surfboard made for big waves; broad-shouldered, long-bonneted, and unmistakably Aussie. Ford built just 949 XB GT Hardtops, and far fewer remain in factory-correct condition today. According to the Falcon GT Club of Australia, original-spec cars have risen sharply in collectability over the past decade, with concours-correct examples commanding premiums of 30–40% above standard restored cars—a reminder that originality is the new horsepower.
Takeaway: Rarity is one thing, originality is another, and the XB GT offers both in increasingly scarce supply.
What Makes This One Special? (Short answer: everything.)
Burns & Co. are calling it the finest example they’ve ever handled, and honestly, that’s not marketing fluff.
Here’s the checklist:
- Unrestored (bar a closed-door respray in the ’90s)
- Matching numbers engine, transmission, and chassis
- Factory manual 4-speed
- Factory slide-in sunroof. and crucially, the only XB GT ever built in this exact spec
- Concourse D’elegance class winner at the GT Nationals
- Complete documentation including books, ACCHS report, original spare and globe
- 124,033 km showing, and used enough to stay healthy
- Sold new at Adrian Brien Ford, SA, with long-term meticulous ownership
You rarely get “turn-key and drive” in the same sentence as “unrestored concours winner,” yet that’s precisely what the vendor claims here. The car reportedly arrived at the Bayswater showroom under its own steam and sits on display like a museum piece that accidentally remembered it’s still a functioning automobile.
Takeaway: In the Falcon GT world, provenance is currency, and this car is the Fort Knox of XB Hardtops.
Cultural Significance: The GT That Became a Screen Icon
Beyond the showroom floor, the XB Hardtop carved its place in pop-culture immortality as the basis for Max Rockatansky’s “Pursuit Special” in Mad Max. While this particular car is far too pristine for post-apocalyptic desert hooning, its lineage adds another halo to the XB’s already glowing reputation.
For Australians of a certain age, the XB GT isn’t just a car; it’s the automotive shorthand for power, attitude, and a slab of 1970s bravado.
Takeaway: If you want a car that connects nostalgia with national mythology, you’re looking at it.
Auction Details
This standout GT forms part of Burns & Co.’s December Muscle, Classic & Collectable Car & Motorcycle Auction.
Event: Burns & Co. – December Muscle, Classic & Collectable Auction
View Online: burnsandcoauctions.com.au
Dates: Monday 8, Tuesday 9 & Wednesday 10 December 2025
Location: 4 Market Drive, Bayswater, VIC 3153
Vehicle Status: Located in Melbourne facility, unregistered, sold as-is
Why It Matters for Collectors
The muscle-car market rewards scarcity, originality, pedigree, and preferably a trophy cabinet to match. This XB GT ticks all three boxes with a paint-shaker’s enthusiasm.
If you’ve been waiting for a Falcon GT that transcends the usual “nice survivor” chatter and enters “museum-grade artefact” territory, this is one to watch.
