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CARS - LATE SIXTIES | |
| Falcon GT & Escort | |
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Japanese Invasion - Ford Australia's Response
In 1967, a high-performance GT version of the XR Falcon was released. It quickly established its credibility by coming first and second in the 1968 Bathurst production car race and was an immediate success with production struggling to keep up with demand. The first all-Australian Falcons were produced from 1972 in the XA. These were larger cars than the previous models and sleeker "coke bottle" styling. In 1967, Ford England introduced the Cortina Mark 111. It was a larger car than its predecessor with distinctive "coke bottle" styling and good equipment levels. It became Britain's top selling car. In Australia, sold as the Cortina TC, it had good initial success but sales faded, perhaps because it was too similar to the Falcon.
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| The Menzies Era | Falcon GT & Escort |
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Website by Peter Thorogood
In 1966, Ford
introduced the XR Falcon. These were still based on American Fords but had some
Australian content. They were larger than the previous models and included an
option V8 engine. 
In
both England and Germany, Ford began producing the Escort, as a replacement for
the Anglia, in 1968. The Escort continued to be produced in Europe until 1990
although it was replaced by the Laser in Asia and Australia in 1980. An Escort
model
was introduced into North America in 1981 and remained in production until 1990.