Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III sets auction record

A meticulously restored electric blue Ford Falcon XY GTHO Phase III has set a new record price for an Australian production car sold at auction.

The 1971 Ford Falcon, described as being in better condition than when it left the factory 50 years ago, went under the hammer for $1.15 million in an online Slattery auction at 6:00pm last night.

The figure beats the previous auction record for an Aussie road car, set last month by a one-of-four 2017 HSV Maloo GTSR W1 ute at $1.05m, and the previous record for a production Falcon set in June 2018 – $1.03m for a Phase III once owned by cricketer Jeff Thomson.

But while COVID-related demand and stock shortages continue to drive record used-car prices – especially for homegrown V8 Holdens and Fords – the gob-smacking price still falls short of the $2 million paid for a Ford Falcon XA GTHO Phase IV race car in October 2018, and the $2.1m paid for a two-time Bathurst 1000-winning, ex-Peter Brock VH Holden Commodore SS the same month.

The pristine GTHO – one of just 300 built between May and November 1971 – had just 17,340km on the clock and is reportedly one of the finest remaining examples of a model that was regarded as the world’s fastest production four-door in its day.

Said to be one of only seven examples produced in Electric Blue with black trim, the XY Phase III was restored by previous owner Mark Lamb in 1998, won the GT Nationals in 1999 and 2003, and was reportedly last sold after being passed in at a Shannons auction in 2016 for $480,000.

But the record-breaking example of Ford’s most legendary Falcon GT wasn’t the only Aussie muscle car to attract attention at the Western Australia auction of vehicles formerly owned by failed Perth businessman Chris Marco, netting a total of more than $3 million.

In fact, unprecedented interest in the muscle car collection crashed the Slattery Auctions website on Monday night, when more than 100,000 people were watching up to 1000 bidders duke it out, forcing the auctioneers to re-open proceedings for the final 80 bidders in private yesterday.

The next highest price paid was $365,000 for a 2017 HSV GTSR W1 sedan (build number 206, priced at $160K when new) with just 50km under its belt, while an even newer black 2017 HSV Maloo GTSR ute sold for more than double its new price at $230,500.

Other classic Holdens sold included a 1977 Holden Torana A9X ($435,500), an unrestored 1971 HQ Monaro GTS for $171,500 and an LJ Torana GTR XU-1 for $210,500, while a Bathurst Edition E49 Valiant Charger nabbed $253,000 and a mint Nissan 260Z coupe fetched $116,000.