Mint 1968 Ford XT Falcon GT for auction tomorrow

This immaculate two-owner 1968 Ford XT Falcon GT will be among more than 330 other classic cars to go under the hammer at Lloyds Auctions from 10:00am tomorrow (August 26).

No, it’s not expected to top the $1.3 million record auction price set by ‘Australia’s best’ 1971 Ford XY Falcon GTHO in September 2021, nor the $1.75m reportedly paid for a 1972 Ford XA Falcon GTHO Phase IV race car a month earlier.

But online bidding has already topped $90,000 with less than 24 hours to go, and the mint Falcon GT certainly has an interesting backstory since it was built on November 8, 1968 and then sold brand-new in Bowral, NSW on February 12, 1969, with a retail price of $4050.

Owned by a Gold Coast family for the past 30 years, the car was purchased in 1993 by the current custodian’s late father after it was found in a shed not running, sitting untouched in its original condition for many years.

That was until 2010, when the current owner purchased the vehicle from his father and decided to restore it in honour of him after his passing.

“It is not often you come across stories such as these, especially with the vehicle being in near-new condition after the restoration and now expected to reach six figures at auction,” said Lloyds Auctions COO, Lee Hames.

“Everything in the vehicle has either been rebuilt or brought brand-new. The current custodian is now ready to pass the vehicle on to another family to love and enjoy just as he and his father did for the last 30 years.”

Finished in a Candy Apple Red hero paint colour with original black trim, the GT is fully verified with matching numbers and has 6340 miles on its clock since the restoration, which included a full 302ci Windsor V8 rebuild less than three years ago.

Its powertrain is far from standard, however.

“The matching number 302 Windsor engine was only built back in late 2020 by Competition Engines in Melbourne; it has been stroked to a 347,650 double pumper Quick fill carburettor, electronic distributor internals fitted in the original distributor casing and has only travelled 1,800 miles since built. The engine made 446 horsepower on their engine Dyno in which they have a video on it,” reads the owner’s description.

Modifications include a four-speed Toploader manual transmission, 9.0-inch diff with 3.25:1 ratio and True Trak LSD centre, Pacemaker exhaust headers with twin 3.0-inch system and 2.5-inch tail pipes, well-hidden electric power steering, new window glass throughout and an Alpine CD and Bluetooth head unit in the glovebox, with two 6x9-inch three-way Kickers rear speakers hidden below the original speaker covers.

You can find more details and images of the unique Falcon GT at the Lloyds Auctions website.