Ford XB Falcon GT 1976 Bathurst

For the 1976 Bathurst 1000 race, John Goss teamed up with New Zealander Jim Richards. Richards had previously raced for Goss in the Sandown 400, held 3 weeks prior. The lighting quick Falcon led the opening laps of Sandown, unfortunately the fragile car was forced to retire from the race.
The start list for the Bathurst race was dominated by Holden L34s, in total, 16 Toranas lined up for the start compared to only 3 Ford XB Falcons. Continuing the pace from Sandown, Goss was good enough to put the car into fifth position on the grid, with a time of 2m27.5s. After setting the qualifying time the car was withdrawn from further practice with engine problems. The drama for the team continued on race day when Goss came down with an illness, this would leave most of the driving to be done by Richards.
The start of the race 1976 race is most famous for the incident with Brabham stalling his car off the line, with a Dolomite Sprint rear ending the Torana. At the front of the grid, Goss had a great launch off the line, but the pace of the Falcon started to slow and he drifted down the field. Handing the driving duties over to Richards he raced the car back into fifth position before mechanical problems started on lap 66, and he was forced into the pits with a destroyed clutch. A lengthy pit stop was taken to replace it, unfortunately the second clutch also failed and the pair retired from the race on lap 129.

Features

Two-tone Aunger Hotwire wheel rims feature a sanded tread surface for realist appearance.

The side mounted air vents give the race car an aggressive look even though they were attached to the car for cosmetic purposes only.

Highly detailed steering wheel and dash featuring full instrumentation and components. The XB door trims feature chrome door handles and window winders.

The seats are replicated using soft rubber, including the drivers racing seat. Chrome buckles and fabric seat belts are a nice feature.

The engine bay has an outstanding level of detail including finely moulded hoses and tubing. The fine workmanship includes accurately reproduced decals.

The metal spring bonnet hinges replicate the original hinges and allow the bonnet to be smoothly positioned.

Exquisite chassis detail with working front suspension and steering. The springs, swaybar, wheel rims and brake discs feature nicely.

Item includes certificate and production number plate, mounted to the chassis.