Archived · Classic Cars · 3 min read
Ford Falcon XB John Goss Special
This date is the archive capture date; the original publication date was unavailable.
Historical article recovered from a Wayback capture dated 2017-04-21.
Ford Falcon XB John Goss Special
1975 - 1976
Country:
Engine:
V8
Capacity:
302ci
Power:
240bhp / 180kw
Transmission:
4 spd. man / 3 spd. auto
Top Speed:
n/a
Number Built:
400 (260 302 V8’s)
Collectability:
Ford Falcon XB John Goss Special
Reviewed by Unique Cars and Parts
Our Rating: 5
Introduction
John Goss became famous racing with Kevin Bartlett around Mount Panorama at Bathurst in the 1970’s. Alongside “KB”, he won the James Hardie 1000 at Mount Panorama in 1974 in a very close race, and in August, 1975 Ford released a run of XB based John Goss Special limited edition hardtops.
The base John Goss special was in reality a low-line Falcon 500 two-door, but the handling/tyre/spoiler options gave the hardtop a stable feel on the road. The 250 engine was pretty damn good, being quiet and smooth and having sufficient urge for average requirements.
Naturally the car suffered from the accepted Falcon hardtop failings, such as poor visibility and an unnerving flexibility in the side panels when closing the doors, but on the road the John Goss Special handled okay, rode comfortably and offered good value for money.
What made the John Goss “Special” really special, and desirable, were the options and packaging. The specifications and paint job were practical and eye-catching for the time, being either white with blue/orange trim, or white with emerald/orange striping.
At release the price was listed at $5716 (manual) and $5537 (auto) and this constituted a saving of more than $200 – which was pretty good value if you were looking for a two-door Falcon with added performance.
The regular production options which were offered on the limited-run model (400 units) were 302 V8 engine, sports console, carpets, 185 SR14 steel belt radials, sports handling suspension and rally instrument pack. There were, as mentioned, only two paint options available plus a fair smattering of stripes and decals to jazz it up. The bumpers were painted, as per Falcon GT, and the wheels were rally pack-type.
The McLeod Ford Track Pack
Dealers even enhanced what was already a good package. One example was the McLeod Ford Track pack (the same dealership that gave Gossy the nod for the Hardie-Ferodo 1000 in 1974) included front and rear spoilers, wool seat inserts, chrome dress rims and special striping to match the factory paint trim on the bonnet and rear deck. The McLeod Ford option pack put another $600 onto the price tag, but for those that wanted their car to look the dogs bollocks, this was definitely on the money.
From an initial build of 400, some 260 were fitted as standard with the 302 V8. Obviously some of the lesser models may have been also optioned with the V8, so we cannot provide a more accurate figure on production numbers. Sports handling suspension was fitted, as was a rally instrument pack. These 260 were produced between 1975 and 1976.
