Ford Works Team - what models would it include???

[basman]

As a Ford fan, I wish to collect a series of Australian Ford Works touring cars. Modern day stuff is ieasy - anything FPR. But as I wasn't around in the late 60's / early 70's, I'm not too sure which cars were official works entries and which were not in the '67 to '73 era. Bathurst Series Production entries are quite clear but other entries (such as Super Falcons) are not to myself. Were the Super Falcons works cars or were they run by other teams (eg Geogeghan). Also, what other models could be considered to be 'works' from this era?

[CowboyMatt]

Not sure about '67-'73 but you need the Moffat cars for '77-'78. As far as I know they were the official factory Ford cars.

After that I'm not sure if there were any until FPR.

[1370]

Ford pulled out of of motorsport in Australia in 1973. They came back in 1999 as FTR before pulling out again in 2002, only to return in 2003 as FPR.

So I guess the main cars of interest to you will be (in 1:18):

1967 Bathurst winner
1967 Jane Bathurst car
1967 Geoghegan brothers Bathurst car
1968 Geoghegan brothers Bathurst car
1969 Bathurst car of Moffat
1970 64E Bathurst winner
1971 65E Bathurst winner
1971 64E Bathurst French car
1972 Bathurst Moffat
1972 Bathurst Gibson
1973 Moffat ATCC
1973 Bathurst winner
2000 Seton
2000 Crompton
2001 Seton
2003 Lowndes/Seton
2004 Seton
2004 Lowndes
2004 Lowndes/Seton
2005 Bright
2005 Ritter
2006 Bright
2006 Winterbottom

Geoghegan Super Falcon should be due next year as well.

[fomoco04]

I think you'll find the 77 1-2 XC's were Ford works cars.

[gab73]

I think you'll find the 77 1-2 XC's were Ford works cars.

As stated in an earlier post Ford withdrew from from official racing in 73 although they continued to offer assistance to teams .
I'm almost certain the 77 cars were Moffat's cars with factory support.

[Richard Poole]

That is correct. Moffat owned and operated the team with factory (dealer) support.

[1370]

What about the Cortinas and Mustangs and the like that were raced before the Falcons. How many of these were "works" cars?

[brchi17]

I think it depends upon your definition of 'works' otherwise they're be a big gap in your collection from the late 70's to the late 90's

[1370]

I think it depends upon your definition of 'works' otherwise they're be a big gap in your collection from the late 70's to the late 90's

I don't think that the definition has changed. The term "works" has always referred to the team backed by the factory. If you look at the current V8SC series, although a lot of the Ford teams have some money coming from Ford Australia, only FPR via their owners Prodrive, and Prodrive's joint ownership of FPV with Ford, have a direct link back to the factory.

[Graeme]

The earliest Australian Ford 'works' touring cars that come to my mind are the two Ford XL Falcon sedans that were entered for the 1962 Armstrong 500 at Phillip Island - Harry Firth and Bob Jane won the race in the #21 'works' Falcon, with the sister #20 car finishing third outright.

The next year saw the race shift to Bathurst where the 1963 Armstrong 500 witnessed the first serious face-off between Holden and Ford - the Holden EH Special S4 versus the Ford Cortina GT. Holden manufactured the S4 for the event, but didn't race it as a 'works' entry. Ford ensured that as many GTs as were required got registered in order to qualify for Bathurst, and backed up their 'works' Class C Cortina GTs with a large car entry in Class D, in the form of a Ford Zephyr MkIII. The result was another Ford 'works' win to Harry Firth and Bob Jane in the #20 Cortina GT.

A similar scenario existed in 1964 with Ford developing the Cortina GT500 for Bathurst, and Bob Jane taking out another win that year in his 'works' #15 car, partnered on this occasion by George Reynolds.

[rex555]

Would you class the 1968 XT Falcons on the London to Sydney Marathon as works touring cars or works rally cars? Esp. since they were road cars with minor modifications for this event. Brush guards, lights, push bars but other than that, little different to the touring cars of the day.

[brchi17]

I don't think that the definition has changed. The term "works" has always referred to the team backed by the factory. If you look at the current V8SC series, although a lot of the Ford teams have some money coming from Ford Australia, only FPR via their owners Prodrive, and Prodrive's joint ownership of FPV with Ford, have a direct link back to the factory.

I was thinking the Shell Sierra's and DJ's blue and yellow Falcons that followed, as both has heavy factory support & were some of the seldom few Fords ;)

[Nick Short]

I have an even bigger task, as I'm after 1:18s of works Fords from Britain, Europe and Australia! So as well as many of the Aussie cars listed I "need" the Gulf GT40, RS200, Escort RS Turbo Series 1, Escort RS1700T, RS500 road car, Escort RS1600i, and a few others, mostly Group A tourers with Group B rally cars and sports racers thrown in.....It'll be a long wait for all of 'em.

[gab73]

I was thinking the Shell Sierra's and DJ's blue and yellow Falcons that followed, as both has heavy factory support & were some of the seldom few Fords ;)

Factory support does not constitute a factory team.
A factory team is a team that is soley owned and operated by the factory and all its employees including the drivers are on the factory pay roll.
Classic example is Brock's HDT days 80-87.
Even though it was widely viewed as the factory Holden team it wasn't.
The team, cars workshop, were soley owned and operated by Brock.

[Leigh]

Factory support does not constitute a factory team.
A factory team is a team that is soley owned and operated by the factory and all its employees including the drivers are on the factory pay roll.
Classic example is Brock's HDT days 80-87.
Even though it was widely viewed as the factory Holden team it wasn't.
The team, cars workshop, were soley owned and operated by Brock.
Then this certainly means that there are no works Ford teams since 1973...

...and before Brock, Firth owned everything, so no Holden works teams after 1968-1970...

Is Basman after the "official" factory teams, in which case you would include many of those "on-the-edge" relationships...