What is falcon 500 ?

[wello]

I am wonderous what the 500 means . Just a trivia question as I am restoring an xy wagon 6cyl 250 , cheers . I will start a build post of sort when I get this organized .PW

[Yellow_Festiva]

Good question.

My dad had an XA Falcon 500.

Was the 6cyl model.

Really missed that tank.

Sent from my LG-M700 using Tapatalk

[JasonACT]

It could seat 5 fat adults?

[minheim]

Just a guess but maybe it was a reference to the Armstrong 500 (Bathurst). The XR Gt won the race and the 500 was first applied to the XR model.

[oldel]

Base model, below the futura. I'm guessing it was either some race length or some exec thought it sounded good.
Everything was optional, inc the 250ci. The modern day equivalent of the falcon GL/GLi (like for e, a and b series)

http://www.fordforums.com.au/photos/...o.php?photo=82
http://www.fordforums.com.au/photos/...o.php?photo=94

[Nu66et]

Maybe it was just a number that alliterated well with Falcon

[Citroënbender]

Weren’t there Fairlane 500s, way before the Flagons?

[9triton]

it was a use of the American luxury level - the USA had been using it for years - so im sure ford Australia tried to channel ford USA connotations - or head office in Dearborn just told them to use it, sounds about the time of BillBourke when it was starting to be used here

ie galaxie :Wikipedia

for 1962, all full-size Fords wore the Galaxie badge, with "500" and "500/XL" denoting the higher series. The Galaxie 500/LTD was introduced for 1965 followed by the Galaxie 500 7-Litre for 1966. The Galaxie 500 prefix was dropped from the LTD in 1966, and from the XL in 1967;[2] however the basic series structuring levels were maintained. The "regular" Galaxie 500 continued below the LTD as Ford's mid-level full-size model from 1965 until its demise at the end of the 1974 model year.[3]

:

USA fairlane

A new top-level full-sized model was introduced at mid-year 1959, the Ford Galaxie. The 1959 Galaxie displayed both "Fairlane 500" and "Galaxie" badging.

Full-sized Fairlane and Fairlane 500 models were restyled for 1960 and again for the 1961 model year. The Galaxie series continued as the top-of-the-line full-sized Ford. Fairlane 500s demoted to mid-level in the lineup and were equivalent to the Chevrolet Bel Air. Fairlanes were primarily sold as base level trim models for fleet use (taxi, police). Both were only available as pillared sedans.

[Tassie f100]

Ford started using the 500 thing back in 1959 with the big tank fairlane.The base model was a 300 and the better equiped version was a 500,so long before falcons started using it. Probably just a number some Ford designer plucked from somewhere.

[minheim]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Weren’t there Fairlane 500s, way before the Flagons?

Yes you are correct as early as the 1950s. There was also a Cortina GT500 built to take on Bathurst.

[oldel]

I just looked up what minheim suggested with the armstrong 500mi race.
Also a falcon Xl won their class in the philip island armstrong 500 in 1962 (only about 4 cars total finished on the lead lap)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1962_Armstrong_500

They didn't race falcons again for a long time (most fords were cortinas)

When the falcons took to Bathurst in 1967 it was the gallaher 500 that the XRs raced and won
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_Gallaher_500

I think if they (inc US ford when they started using it) it may have been a reference to old 500 mile endurance races as even old fairlanes used to be the ford car of choice for racing. E: I think the US ford fairlane 500 was the top spec fairlane made for racing with bigger engine, that 500 wasn't the bottom spec like aus ford falcon 500 is

[Rico 110s]

I think Falcon or Galaxy having the 500 on them was related to where it stood in the Fortune 500 of companies and in 1965 it ranked about 3rd now it is 22nd according to the Fortune article.

I see this makes sense for Galaxy but Falcon is a little known around the world and by the time the series II XC came along 500 was dropped in favor of the Blue Oval on the Grille and called "update".

https://fortune.com/global500/2018/ford-motor/

That it how I understood it to be.

[Gothefalcon]

Howdy, Not sure why Ford decided to use "500" on the Falcon, I have heard (or read somewhere) it related to the 500 mile enduo races of the time.. but can't confirm either way.

It was not the base model though. The Falcon was the base model (used as Taxis and rep-mobiles etc) and then the next teir up was the Falcon 500.

The 500 badge was still used in the XC Falcon Update version (or what they'd call Series 2 or Mk 2 now). The Ford oval only replaced the F O R D lettering on the boot/bonnet/grill/etc The 500 was dropped when the XD came out and GL replaced it.

D

[FTE217]

500's were always base entry models back in my day......

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by FTE217

500's were always base entry models back in my day......

Well,No,you start with standard falcon then 500 then I think from XY you got futura then fairmont.

[Rico 110s]

Originally Posted by Gothefalcon

Howdy, Not sure why Ford decided to use "500" on the Falcon, I have heard (or read somewhere) it related to the 500 mile enduo races of the time.. but can't confirm either way.

It was not the base model though. The Falcon was the base model (used as Taxis and rep-mobiles etc) and then the next teir up was the Falcon 500.

The 500 badge was still used in the XC Falcon Update version (or what they'd call Series 2 or Mk 2 now). The Ford oval only replaced the F O R D lettering on the boot/bonnet/grill/etc The 500 was dropped when the XD came out and GL replaced it.

D

Yes your right the 500 was still carried over on the update. Thanks

[FTE217]

Originally Posted by Tassie f100

Well,No,you start with standard falcon then 500 then I think from XY you got futura then fairmont.

nah XY's had 500's as well.
You maybe right there was a Falcon only model but growing up those days I always recall the 500 was the base so I could be wrong but 500 sure wasn't much above a Falcon named only model thats for sure..
Here's the facts so corrected but still woeful pov packs lol....
The XY Falcon range featured eight passenger vehicles and three commercial models.[5]

Ford Falcon Sedan
Ford Falcon Wagon
Ford Falcon 500 Sedan
Ford Falcon 500 Wagon
Ford Futura Sedan
Ford Fairmont Sedan
Ford Fairmont Wagon
Ford Falcon GT Sedan
Ford Falcon Utility
Ford Falcon Van
Ford Falcon 500 Utility

[FTE217]

The XC Falcon range of passenger vehicles consisted of nine models:[3]

Falcon Sedan
Falcon Wagon
Falcon 500 Sedan
Falcon 500 Wagon
Falcon GS Hardtop
Fairmont Sedan
Fairmont Wagon
Fairmont Hardtop
Fairmont GXL Sedan

[FTE217]

correct gothefalcon

The XD series was offered in five models:[6]

Falcon GL sedan
Falcon GL wagon
Fairmont sedan
Fairmont wagon
Fairmont Ghia sedan

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by FTE217

nah XY's had 500's as well.
You maybe right there was a Falcon only model but growing up those days I always recall the 500 was the base so I could be wrong but 500 sure wasn't much above a Falcon named only model thats for sure..
Here's the facts so corrected but still woeful pov packs lol....
The XY Falcon range featured eight passenger vehicles and three commercial models.[5]

Ford Falcon Sedan
Ford Falcon Wagon
Ford Falcon 500 Sedan
Ford Falcon 500 Wagon
Ford Futura Sedan
Ford Fairmont Sedan
Ford Fairmont Wagon
Ford Falcon GT Sedan
Ford Falcon Utility
Ford Falcon Van
Ford Falcon 500 Utility

Sorry I knew there were XY 500,s,but then they slotted in the futura between the 500 and fairmont, the standard didn’t have a waist line chrome strip which the 500 has

[falconhell74]

Not sure if its relevant but out of all my xc's all the 500's had carpet but the just falcon had rubber flooring instead and no radio

[FTE217]

yer the good ol vinyl floor coverings, if only we had "blowers" like we do today but many used to just get the hose lol......
Probably about right NO radio as well, we had to suck it up re lack of features from our Falcon Holdens back then, Japs changed that game thankfully.

[Rico 110s]

Originally Posted by FTE217

yer the good ol vinyl floor coverings, if only we had "blowers" like we do today but many used to just get the hose lol......
Probably about right NO radio as well, we had to suck it up re lack of features from our Falcon Holdens back then, Japs changed that game thankfully.

Personally I feel not having a POV PAK really went a long way to hurting the car industry here.

I didn't care if I had plastic mats and wind up windows as long as it met ADR.

Edit sorry if off topic.

[4stanger]

Wasn't the 1966 XR Falcon (Mustang Bred ), the first mention of "500" in the Falcon range for Australia?
http://www.fordforums.com.au/photos/...l.php?photo=31

Falcon Sedan was listed lower in the pecking order, for less features being offered compared to the "500".
http://www.fordforums.com.au/photos/...l.php?photo=36

The previous XP Falcon had no 500 in their range, I think Ford had the XP Falcon standard (had no badge to indicate this?), then upspec to the XP Falcon "Deluxe" then onto The Futura and Fairmont,

[aussiblue]

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&r...dSDqwLmKt4NQgy

. The 500 does not mean 500 horse power or cubic in displacement (CID) it's just a trendy thing to do, like spelling the name Galaxie rather than Galaxy. The leading rumor for the origin of the 500 notation is that it stood for 500 miles, as in the 500 mile stock car races in which the Galaxie was a competitor.

[wodahs]

Originally Posted by falconhell74

Not sure if its relevant but out of all my xc's all the 500's had carpet but the just falcon had rubber flooring instead and no radio

interesting as my XY falcon 500 wagon had no carpet but rubber floor
monza green with white roof line three on the tree 6 with bench front seat
and i dont really remember much special about it
no air but chrome top bottom and just bellow the windows (actually all round the windows but front to back just bellow)

[Rico 110s]

Ford Five hundred(500)has cropped up in history on a regular basis and I doubt this has anything to do with 500 miles.

https://www.autoblog.com/buy/2005-Fo...undred/photos/

[oldel]

Originally Posted by 4stanger

The previous XP Falcon had no 500 in their range, I think Ford had the XP Falcon standard (had no badge to indicate this?), then upspec to the XP Falcon "Deluxe" then onto The Futura and Fairmont,

Yeah, from what I read the '500' replaced the 'deluxe' option here for XR onwards.

I always thought it was bottom spec but it makes sense that it was one up from base. There's no badge to indicate base model of course.

It's weird that ford aus used 500 to replace 'deluxe' almost base model as the 500 definitely was high spec models in USA.

E: first '500' was the fairlane in 1957
https://auto.howstuffworks.com/1957-...irlane-500.htm
Was definitely supposed to be the upper spec luxury designation - like our 'fairmont'. Does the US even have/ever had fairmonts?

It came from ford USA so if anything it means the big 500s they had over there (oval races), not the 500mi enduros which has more cache here from 1967 XR.
But maybe that's why ford aus switched to a 500 designation at the time they planned to enter racing with the XR. It's obviously a different model spec, not fairmont spec like 500 is over there.

[Steve FGXG6E]

The 500 started with the XR and was the second from the bottom there was one just designated as a falcon, then the falcon 500. I always thought that the 500 was due to having a different suspension package (500kg) which was slightly different from the standard falcon. There was a 500 also in the Fairlane

[mick taylor]

In regards to Falcons it started with the XR Falcon as a 500 was much the same spec as on par to a HR Holden Special.

XT Falcon 500 was same par level to a HT Kingswood.

Fairmont were on Par to a Holden Premier.

So when one says they had or had a Falcon 500 one would regard a Kingswood it's level of trim.

By the time of the XC a 500 trim moved up a bit as did the HZ Holden as they went to a Kingswood SL by then.