1978 XC Falcon Bathurst Cobra #31

[@adampastega2540]

I had a 77 bathurst special. The exact car to the last detail except for the stripes. Still the best car I've ever driven.

[@johahnz]

A very beautiful and rare piece of automotive history.

[@RlsIII-uz1kl]

That's wild. I'm from the US and seeing never before seen muscle cars is wild.

[@Steveaustin007]

Ford : proud to be still in business in 2021.

[@askannav2094]

Never knew that the XC Bathurst Cobra had Scheel seats, very nice !

[@australianmusclecarsales9401]

Only the 30 built Option 97 Bathurst cars No 2 to 31. Cheers.

[@ithamarl4570]

This is the MAD MAX car!

[@ShaneKilpatrick-i4t]

I’m a Holden man, but that’s a beautiful Aussie vehicle 👍🏻

[@iansandersVortech500]

1979/80 I was a car detailer in Adelaide and got to pick up and deliver one Number 29/30 from memory and yes had the reverse cowl etc and something they did on these 30 Bathurst jobs was mini tubs under the rear arches which a lot of folks didnt know So much potential for a top high performance muscle car Back then 5 grand would get you 500-550 hp 351 But the looks were what really stick to my mind If you owned one you were a rock star as soon as you sat in her Long Range tank and an actual real airpath to engine from the cowl not fake Awesome guys love it 💪💪💪

[@petezappa8748]

Gorgeous car!! I remember as a kid in the 80s, hearing the Cobra sound around my neighbourhood. Sooo good!

[@roslynweidemann9487]

Music to my ear's and very good on my eye's too

[@tonys8243]

Still working at a Ford dealership in the 70's but never saw one of these but was privileged to see most of the rest of the Australian muscle cars from the XW GTHO forward to the XD Falcon

[@nhraandnascarfanatic5907]

Seeing the HOeys coming off the factory line… THAT would have been special

[@carmellomodaffari2025]

Lovely car for those days,but today is beautiful and a Amazing !

[@greensocks4507]

I had an XC Panel van with a 302 and auto. Original and about 70ks on the clock only. Back in 1990 I swapped it for an XR600 dirt bike in good nick. Try and work that out . Hindsight is a tool in your brain that sometimes is better left alone. I'm sure we've all been there.

[@anthonybarnett6828]

As an American I can appreciate this car. A 351 Cleveland pre smog over there still had performance. I see some Early 70's Torino in the sheet metal. Also some 71-73 mustang. But unique. Paint also has some Mach 2 influence. Definitely Ford. The interior defiantly Australian. Beautiful car. In 78 cars in the US sucked. The only thing Ford had was a Thunderbird with T-tops for crusing and a pitiful imatation of a Mustang.

[@nothere57]

You have a good eye..

[@billmago7991]

Very nice old Henry

[@Southernsled68]

Beautiful car an such sweet body lines.

[@dalebrook5460]

Yes they are a great looking car. Back in 1981 I purchased a 1978 Ford Falcon Hardtop GS and year or so later I saw a Cobra in a car yard Logan Rd, in Brisbane which I wanted to buy however the dealer informed that he was doing a private sale for someone and would not take my car as a trade in and it needed to be cash deal. He wanted $15K, I had $7K but needed the trade in to do the deal. The car ( No 80 something)was a 351 manual, had air conditioning power steering, fast glass and the seats had seat covers over them not a mark on the seats underneath. The thing was with those cars was the insurance back in the early eighties was approx $1K for a Cobra and for a XBGT was around $700 a year, not a lot now but back then to insure a car on a bank officers pay it was a stretch. I decided to keep my coupe as I would have had to sell it to come up with the extra cash - 20 years later I sold it. But I still remember that Cobra.

[@geneticallysuperior6738]

Absolutely beautiful 😍😍

[@nhraandnascarfanatic5907]

Weren’t the quickest things on the road by any stretch but they sure looked cool!

[@pcorf]

Amazing Cobra. Even has a bit or rust as well. Now that is original. No 31 is the last of the Option 97. Whoever buys this will certainly look after it for years to come. If it was mine It would live in the garage most of the time but of course it will be driven from time to time.

[@howardkerr8174]

I currently own an 06 Mustang with about the same number of miles on the clock as this car. I live in a rural area and the car gets driven 3 to 4 times a month...to the grocery store and back. I would imagine the owner of this car takes much better care to keep the car in this condition with its own lockup, complete with VERY enhanced security measures.

[@derhampaul2182]

It's a nice car I like it

[@markgrovenor389]

Always loved the Cobra since they first came out, but why would Ford put a reverse cowl on and cut a hole in the bonnet without setting up the air filter to suit? I assume part of the homologation requirements?

[@仮-i2v]

かっこよすぎる！

[@b9tf12143a]

i'm pretty sure that was owned by bib stillwell, i remember he used to park it out the back of the parts dept in cotham rd kew back in the day

[@strangemanmtd8350]

i had an xb coupe sprayed that blue colour that the stripes are. true blue i think it was. this car is insane.

[@darrylnicholson1640]

I know of the number 29 cobra it's only got 3oooo ks on it. But it's got headlight protectors on it and the bumper overiders and power steering 120 liter gas tank. With a black and blue interior and AC. And is confirmed by ford to be a factory Bathurst car. They are just a gorgeous car.

[@howardkerr8174]

I thought, from the pictures, that this car might not have power steering, was that an optional extra? I have driven older Mustangs without power steering, once underway they weren't all that bad, but I have never driven any Ford this big (heavy?) without power steering, did " regular " Falcons have optional power steering even when the 5.0 or 5.8 were specified?

[@djackman4229]

No machine gun defending the entrance to the garage?

[@robertgarland9342]

Very beautiful car. Would be worth a pretty penny today. One thing I have never known is how do the old V8's handle today's unleaded fuel. I've always heard about valves and valve seats being burnt out without the lead in the fuel on old V8's using unleaded fuel. How do they overcome that without rebuilding he heads.

[@AGRADEMECHANIC]

SUPPER.OUTBOARD.OIL.ADDED.IN.EVERY.TANK.ON.MY.XC.COBRA.SINCE.1978......NO.ISSUES!

[@paulorchard7960]

Yep, a little 2 stroke oil in every tank!

[@KM-xp1pn]

Its needs a bitvof work in the engine bay and maybe a few other spots Im sure but its still a beast and would love to own it.

[@lostinspace699]

It dose not need anything it is not your car and never will be . What makes you so special

[@lancered4234]

@K M I agree with you, they've spent time detailing everything else except the engine bay, really needs to be done when they expect top dollar.

[@lostinspace699]

@@lancered4234 Some people like it because it is original they will get top dollar regardless Theas are from the golden years .. not like now everything is a pain in the Ass so much regulation...Cheers ,,

[@lostinspace699]

@@IsthatHaru I will never compromise on the truth ,Don.t care.. i have two fords 1970 and 1976 tripled in value .. thanks ..

[@nesiansides7133]

50k on the clock + old school ride bout 50 years old = guzzler 🍺.. got any in black 😎

[@genogeno6643]

This model was a last ditch effort to bail Ford out from the competition they were loosing with Holden. Ford decided to take the remaining 400 Falcons and tried to cash in on the 1977 Race model "Paint Scheme" A sinking ship that sank in 1979.

[@justinwinwood8197]

Were do I go too sell a old original monaro, around a million

[@Ticonderous1]

Always wanted one of these , ever since i first saw one at the age of 10 ....Unfortunately now i could never afford one .....

[@bus5683]

They are something special

[@gutz1981]

The interior seems to be off. Unless I am mistaken, the seat trim, though still fabric was a black and blue trim. It was one of the hardest thing to replicate and one of the tale tell signs of a genuine Cobra.

[@bryceewing926]

That’s the only thing off. Everything else is screamingly genuine

[@australianmusclecarsales9401]

The 30 built Option 97 cars No 2 to 31 had a plain black Scheel interior. Cheers.

[@ianmoone2359]

Missing the 2 twist bonnet lock downs! 🙄 These were built to run on leaded petrol! Where do you buy fuel for it? What’s the reserve / asking price?

[@Schultzy1992]

They never come with twist bonnet locks only on the XB, XA, XY Falcons

[@Leosarebetter]

Anyone else notice that the rear bumper bar is def not sitting right on both sides?

[@kelvinh8327]

Probably came from the factory like that ;-)

[@slamrahovart9024]

Anyone know which blue they used for these? I find a ton of mixed information

[@suddenlymiami]

blaze blue and bold blue i believe

[@gixgix457]

runs on the fire wall. Was that factory or is it hiding more rust.

[@gavinwj7923]

Rust ......lol have a look it idiot

[@trubluau]

@@gavinwj7923 that paint on the plenum area is how they were,runs and all

[@gixgix457]

@@gavinwj7923 Good England. 😂😂

[@hoey3510]

@@trubluau sure was thats how it was back then

[@Deanozdirect]

Is shield seat's original?

[@australianmusclecarsales9401]

Yes only the 30 built Option 97 cars No 2 to No 31 received the Scheel interior. Cheers.

[@dalebrook5460]

100% correct

[@Geezbnme]

That car to me being in The US. looks so much like the Mustang 2 king COBRA in 1978. ONLY BIGGER AND WAY BETTER WITH THE CLEVELAND MOTOR. 👍👍

[@dandman8281]

This King-Cobra is without doubt the greatest car ever produced in Australia. The second best would be the Torana A9X Hatchback, third would be the Flacon XY GTHO Phase III, 4th would be the Monaro HT GTS 350 and 5th place would go to the prepubescent toy known as the giant killer (in the rain only) mTorana LJ GTR-XU1 If anyone out there wins $80 million in the powerball and doesn't know how to spend the money, I would appreciate it very much if you buy me these 5 cars. And if you feel extra generous, perhaps you could throw in a Valiant RT Charger and a Falcon XA GTHO Phase 4

[@chopperking1122]

theres nothing to make it the greatest car produced in australia . they never won bathurst , they didnt go very fast , the other cars you mention are a lot better .

[@dandman8281]

@@chopperking1122 I'm not sure why the Cobra didn't win anything. I can only assume it had something to do with the regulations which prevented the Cobra from achieving it's potential. It had the big 5.8 V8 compared to the Holden 5.0 V8 so on paper it should have beat the Toranas. I know the XU1 only won because of the wet weather. Anyway I love all the 1970's Aussie Muscle Cars, but the Cobra looks the best in my opinion

[@gordonpkm7560]

The Greatest Auz Car ...EVER🎉... IS THAT ...... .. ✨BLACK COON✨ IN MAD MAX ...

[@susquatch_wtf]

Errrmagherrrd! 🥰🙏

[@johnchurch4705]

I surprised it doesn’t have ram air induction? Lovely car 😎

[@SLE253]

🔥

[@Steveaustin007]

Ford needed to give the option 97 a lot more performance upgrades , giving it more power and torque so they didn’t have to rev the motors head off.

[@coalfacechris1336]

Needed a roller valvetrain in the Clevo. Didn't Holden already have that in the L34? Wasn't a fair fight.

[@Steveaustin007]

@@coalfacechris1336 they had roller rockers the the 1978 endurance series including Bathurst . They were too heavy and needed bigger rims (17”) and therefore bigger brakes all round

[@jeffschwartz5199]

Would like to have moved to Australia in the seventies .

[@rankoutsider1977]

That's tough as fuck.

[@genogeno6643]

217 hp Yawn

[@howardkerr8174]

About the same time frame as this car was produced Ford in the U.S. produced a " similar " car: the Mustang II Cobra. How sad that America built a " joke " Cobra while Ford Australia builds a car worthy of being called a Cobra.

[@genogeno6643]

Joke Cobra? This thing is a Joke. It doesn't even have a 7.0-litre Cobra Jet engine! Its a 5.8-litre with a measly 217 hp. And that was only if you were lucky. The cars with serial production number 1 and then 200 to 400 (except for number 351) all got the 4.9-litre engine which was rated at 204 hp It has a non functioning cowl induction hood! All show and no go. This model was a last ditch effort to bail Ford out from the competition they were loosing with Holden. Ford decided to take the remaining 400 Falcons and tried to cash in on the 1977 Race model "Paint Scheme" A sinking ship that sank in 1979. Yes the 1978 Cobra 2 was a dog, however, American Muscle ended in 1970 due to emission standards. Your emission standards didn't start until 1995!

[@fordworkmate]

had the 5.8 xc ute in the blue of the cobra stripes, pulled off the rochester carb and put on a holley 650 spreadbore and extractors bulletproof fmx auto. remember boring up mt ousley out of the gong thinking this is cool then a torana gtr xu1 comes up beside me and sticks all the way up. Ha Ha. Wish I had her now, although it was all about the grunt, no luxuries like air or power steer to sap any horsepower!

[@SouthernCrossMotors]

Not the factory cam lol. But what a beast. Never thought I would see an XC bring $600k if it sells for that. Also, where the heck do you find the factory chrome extensions?? I remember these when new in Orange NSW. There were at least 2 Opt 97s sold in Orange and quite a few of the other Cobras as well.

[@LarryBishop69]

There was a base model in cobra livery , you saw heaps of em getting around when I was a kid . Must of had a low perf 351 (5.8) .They didn’t have good cowl did they?👍🇦🇺

[@adriennemclachlan8089]

To my knowledge there were 299 cobra hardtop and 1 ute

[@dalebrook5460]

400 in total all coupes, no utes - 001-200 were 351’s except for No 001 which was a 302 and 201-400 were 302’s except No. 351 which was a 351 - the Option 97 Bathurst Specials were numbered from 002-031. There were various variants within the 400 with combinations of Fast Glass, Power Steering, Air Conditioning, Manual and Automatic and the Bathurst Specials got the added performance extras with Scheel seats all in black corduroy.

[@thekingsilverado3266]

Did he say the car has boots? Where? Why would a car need boots?

[@darrenedmonds1163]

i remember when they were 40 grand

[@nev-sp5bs]

🤤

[@mrbreezeaau]

strange... first you say there were only 30 then make a big deal about this being number 31. I think you will find there were 400 XC Cobras made

[@australianmusclecarsales9401]

This is the last of 30 Bathurst Option 97 cars built No 2 to No 31. Cheers.

[@jimclarke1108]

As good as any XW/XY

[@orion5813]

Nah. Better

[@nhraandnascarfanatic5907]

@@orion5813I wouldn’t go that far but anyway

[@roberthirshfield3571]

Why couldn’t America have built these cars

[@georgep9059]

Omg time warp machine

[@gragrn]

If I remember correctly they were $9,500 brand new. Of course, I couldn't afford one.....

[@aaronclausen654]

I'll give you my house for it

[@chippytwo7920]

hahahaahahaha fruit loop

[@shanebeckett1006]

All the best on getting your $600k

[@SnoopReddogg]

The reserve was $600k. It sold, so must've made the reserve.

[@blindtoby8967]

Afl1

[@lostinspace699]

For sale $1-00000000000

[@fredderf551]

Rust on wheels.

[@mickvonbornemann3824]

Any rust on that looks purely cosmetic. Besides these cars go for a lot more as original with aged patina, including a little cosmetic rust, than they do as a perfect restored job with new 2 pack paint. Way more.

[@chuckiepeoples]

Australia made some ugly cars.

[@nhraandnascarfanatic5907]

So did the yanks

[@wld74k]

@IWrocker #IWrocker