Have you ever wanted to cruise down your local main drag, imagining that it’s 1992 and you’re leading a pack of angry IndyCars restlessly weaving left and right in your rear view mirror, all within the caged confines of the Gold Coast street circuit?
Well now, here’s your chance.
The official pace car for the 1992 and 1993 Gold Coast IndyCar races is up for sale – a “time capsule” 1991 Ford EB Falcon S XR8 with a factory-tuned 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated V8.
Hidden away for more than three decades, this fully road-registered vehicle remains exactly as it was in its pace car heyday, complete with retro 90s livery and even the amber light bar on the roof.
This was no EB XR8 dressed in some stickers, either. Effectively a concept car intended to showcase Ford Australia’s performance vehicle smarts, the EB pace car appeared at motor shows and was featured in leading motoring magazines of the time.
According to the seller, there’s a full leather interior installed by the Ford Australia Design Centre, suspension retuned by Ford Australia engineer John Mole, while the one-off bodykit was designed by Ford stylist Wayne Draper. The car is a five-speed manual, while there’s also an original Momo steering wheel.
The car has the original roof-mounted light bar and “extremely rare” Compomotive three-piece wheels, while it’s painted in a one-off Pearl White, “paint code FQ”, said the seller.
The seller claims the car was built at the request of then Ford global boss Jac Nasser, while development of the engine – built with hot Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) bits – was spearheaded by Ford’s own engine guru, Bob McWilliam.
In the early ’90s, the car appeared centre-stage at the Sydney Motor Show to highlight the return of the V8 to Ford Australia’s Falcon range, said the seller.
Located on the NSW Central Coast and with 35,000km on the odo, the seller is asking an ambitious $115,000 and describes it, perhaps loftily, as “the most famous and historically significant Ford Falcon of the modern era”.
We just think it’s pretty cool – and for sure a survivor, when most cars like this would have been scrapped, or left to rot in the back of a warehouse somewhere.
And yes, you absolutely should buy it.