This 1978 Ford Falcon XC Cobra is a restored Australian classic that is also matching numbers example. Power is supplied from a 351 cubic inch (5.8-litre) V8 that sends outputs to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transmission. The odometer of this car shows 147,870km. The Ford Falcon XC Cobra is a one-of-a-kind creation by Ford Australia, dedicated as a tribute to the humble Falcon coupe and Ford’s involvement in the Bathurst 1000. After oversubscribing its Broadmeadows production line with too many XC Hardtops, product planners began thinking of ways to shift the excess cars instead of scrapping them. Edsel Ford II, then director of Ford Australia, and the local design team decided to capitalise on the motorsport success of Allan Moffatt and Colin Bond by creating a Shelby-inspired “homologation” special.

This street-legal version of Moffatt’s race car featured a limited-slip differential, dual exhaust, extra aerodynamics, four-wheel disc brakes, and a dual-outlet exhaust. Ford created 400 examples in total, with half of them fitted with the big 351 V8 and the other half fitted with a smaller 302 Cleveland engine. The Falcon XC Cobra remains an exceptionally rare car today and is considered a sound investment in car collecting. All XC Cobras were painted in Bold Blue with Snow White over the top on the exterior, with Olympic Blue accents separating these two colours. The distinctive look is mirrored inside with a black interior that’s offset by blue stripes over wool-blend seat inserts in this example. This XC Cobra is believed to be one of 40 fitted with power steering, air conditioning, and power windows as factory options.

Modifications include a CD player and a set of 15-inch ‘Hot Wire’ wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich radial tyres. The XC Cobra was delivered new to Queensland, manufactured by Ford Australia with the bigger 5.8-litre engine and is number 60 of 400. It’s now with its fourth owner who purchased the vehicle in 1989. The car was restored between 2002 and 2006, addressing the engine, gearbox, and differential in addition to a full bare-metal respray. It is a matching-numbers car that retains all original components and the factory tag specific to the vehicle.

Since owning the vehicle, the seller has tended to all maintenance himself. The car has appeared in several magazines which is a testament to its condition. Nearly 20 years on from a restoration and respray, this car continues to show in brilliant condition. The white-and-blue paintwork gleans beautifully in the sun and no signs of imperfection or dent damage is identified on panels. Some small stone chips appear on the front bumper and driver’s door, while the right rear wheel arch displays some paint that has rubbed off. The seller notes a small paint crack on the A-pillar.

All four wheels appear in perfect condition. Inside, this Cobra displays in excellent condition. The seats contain no stains, there is no obvious sagging or deformation, and no cracks are seen in the dashboard. The seller notes a 2cm tear in the passenger’s seat vinyl, plus scuff marks and a tear on the driver’s side vinyl. Some light rust is seen on the rear ashtray lid. No damage is noted on the instrumentation or door panels.

All accompanying documents and a full history of the vehicle will be supplied. As per Trading Garage Terms and Conditions, although Trading Garage has completed the following checks, bidders must satisfy themselves to the accuracy of the description and do any research they feel necessary before bidding. All listings are sold in Australian dollars. This car is registered in NSW until 7/12/25. There are no security interests registered on the PPSR against the serial number and it is not recorded as written off or stolen.