10 facts you may not have known about the XM
The XM Falcon was the third upgrade of the original Ford Falcon in Australia. Introduced in February 1964, It claimed to have over 1500 changes to the previous model. Most of them to address the failing mechanical components which were becoming all too common with the first two Falcon models.
Ford was fast gaining a reputation as an unreliable motor vehicle manufacturer in Australia. The first two Falcon models had sold quite well. They had an advanced design and were a breath of fresh air for the Australian motoring public. Up until recently they only had one main car option (Holden).
The Ford Falcon, quickly gaining a reputation for its poor build quality coupled with its inability to handle suburban and rural Australian driving conditions. Ford engineers in America were under the fatal assumption that if it worked on their roads it would work on ours too.
The main focus of the XM was to make it the most reliable car in the country. After numerous testing, a publicity stunt that required factory stock XM Falcons to be tested on rough terrain continuously for 24 hours was undertaken. Ford Australia were able to build a car that was able to withstand Australian driving conditions. With the stunt, they were able to prove it too.
Engines had more power. Some considered the 144 engine to be underpowered for a family car despite being a 6 cylinder engine.
The XM, easily the superior of the 3 Falcon models sold in Australia at the time. The XM sold well but some buyers withheld from purchasing due to the reputation of unreliability that had been established by the previous 2 models. Many Ford enthusiasts believe that if Ford Australia had started with the XM Falcon it would have sold much quicker and taken much more of Holden’s market share in the 1960’s and early 1970’s.
The XM introduced the 2 door coupe body style which would become a cult classic with the later Falcon models.
Although it featured the same two transmission options as the previous 2 models. It introduced a new engine option, a 200 cubic inch in line 6 cylinder engine which produced 90kW to go along with the same 2 engines offered previously, but with more power (72kW and 83kW).
XM Production totaled 47 321 units. Production spanned 12 months. Prices of the XM were even lower than the XL, starting at 1 051 Pounds ( $2 102).
10 facts you may not have known about the XM